The Caleb Martin House is a historic house at 42 Mill Pond Road in
Bethlehem, Connecticut. With its oldest portion dating to 1730, it is one of the community's oldest buildings, exhibiting a wealth of construction detail through its 18th-century transformation from a small single-pile house to a full
saltbox. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Description and history
The Caleb Martin House stands on southwest of the village center of Bethlehem, at the end of Mill Pond Road, a short street off
Connecticut Route 132
Route 132 is a state highway in western Connecticut, running from Route 47 in Woodbury, through Bethlehem center, to Route 63 in Watertown.
Route description
Route 132 is one of Connecticut's most winding routes. It begins in the Hotchkissvill ...
. It is set east of the Mill Pond, an old impoundment on the
Weekeepeemee River. It is a -story timber-framed structure, with a side gable roof, large off-center chimney, clapboarded exterior, and rubblestone foundation. The house has a
saltbox profile, with the rear roof extending down to the first floor. The second floor hangs over the first in front, as does the main roof over the second floor. The interior follows a typical Georgian center chimney plan, with a small front vestibule that includes a narrow winding stair, and parlor spaces on either side of the chimney. The kitchen extends across the rear of the main block, with a large fireplace and beehive oven; a second oven is also found in the basement level of the chimney.
The oldest portion of the house, built in 1730, is a three-bay section with the main chimney. By 1745 the house had been extended to include the full five-bay facade and the leanto section in the rear. Although the house has since been extended by additions in the late 19th and 20th centuries, the main block has been well cared for, retaining either original materials or carefully matched replacements. Also of note is that the house stands on land that is substantially the same as its original 1724 land grant; only a few acres have been subdivided from it. Caleb Martin, the house's original builder, was a descendant of the original proprietors of
Woodbury Woodbury may refer to:
Geography
Antarctica
*Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory
Australia
* Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
England
* Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset
*Woodbury, East Devo ...
, of which Bethlehem was a part until 1787.
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See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Litchfield County, Connecticut
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Caleb, House
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Houses completed in 1730
Houses in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Bethlehem, Connecticut