The Elias Sprague House is a historic house at 2187 South Street in
Coventry, Connecticut. Built in 1821, it is a well-preserved example of a vernacular early 19th-century Connecticut home. Now privately owned, the house for a time housed the local historical society. The house was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1987.
Description and history
The Elias Sprague House is located in a rural setting in southwestern Coventry, on the south side of South Street a short way east of
Nathan Hale State Forest
Nathan Hale State Forest is a Connecticut state forest encompassing in the New England town, towns of Coventry, Connecticut, Coventry and Andover, Connecticut, Andover. The forest is managed to sustain a reliable source of forest products and re ...
. It is a -story wood frame Cape style house, with a gabled roof, central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is five bays wide, with a center entrance. The interior follows a typical central chimney plan, with a narrow entrance vestibule, parlors on either side of the chimney, and the kitchen behind it. Original period features include wooden paneling and trim, and several doors with original strap hinges.
The house was built in 1821, and is a well-preserved example of vernacular country architecture of the period. It was owned during the early 20th century by
George Dudley Seymour
George Dudley Seymour (October 6, 1859 – January 21, 1945) was an American historian, patent attorney, antiquarian, author, and city planner. He was the noted authority and foremost expert on Nathan Hale, the American Revolutionary War hero.
...
, a noted
antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
. The house was later acquired from the town by the Coventry Historical Society, which restored the house in 1964-1965 and operated it as a historic house site.
[ and ]
In 2008, the historical society placed the house on the market, having outgrown its use as a meeting space, a move that elicited some controversy. The town had given it the property with the proviso that it operate it as a museum, and arguments were made that the historical society was therefore not permitted to sell it. The State Property Review Board unanimously approved the sale of the property for residential use in 2011. The restored and expanded property is now privately owned.
See also
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References
{{National Register of Historic Places
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Houses in Coventry, Connecticut
Houses completed in 1821
National Register of Historic Places in Tolland County, Connecticut