Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time). If you like, you can add our badge to your post.
I’ve come near the end of the doors captured after arriving in Old Wethersfield in search of ice cream. There are a few leftovers that may show up on a day that I run short of new doors, you know how that happens.
Today’s gallery mainly focuses on three historic buildings – two churches and a very interesting house.
As with most churches in New England, dates can be misleading. The “Established” date usually refers to the date that the original congregation began meeting to celebrate their faith. For example, according to the parish website, The cornerstone of Trinity Parish was laid on June 1, 1871, while the earliest history of the parish began in 1729. The congregation gathered in several other buildings, including Academy Hall, a building that was featured here in one of the first group of doors I shared from this historic district. The current building was designed by the same architect that designed the Mark Twain House.
Similarly, The First Church of Christ congregation was founded in 1635. The present brick building was built in 1761–1764 with its distinctive white steeple. In an earlier post, I mentioned that General George Washington stayed in Wethersfield while conducting negotiations during our Revolutionary War. History reports that Washington attend services with the First Church congregation.
The third building featured today is The Hurlbut-Dunham House. The house was originally constructed in 1804 for Captain John Hurlbut. Captain Hurlbut served on the Neptune, the first ship from Connecticut to sail around the world. One article I found describes the original house as being in the Federal style. A second article says it’s of the Georgian style. Both articles agree that the house was modified in 1860 in the Italianate style which was popular at that time. The additions added the projecting cornice and brackets, the entry portico, side veranda, and belvedere tower. The property was later bequeathed to the Wethersfield Historical Society and it is now a historic house museum.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the extended tour of Old Wethersfield. I also hope you will visit some of the links provided below by the other participants in this challenge.
If you are in a hurry and don’t wish to scroll through the comments, click to Jump to the comment form.
No Facilities 
Add your thoughts or join the discussion. One relevant link is OK, more require moderation.