The John Whittlesey Jr. House is a historic house at 40 Ferry Road in
Old Saybrook, Connecticut. With a construction history estimated to date to the 1690s, it includes in its structure one of Connecticut's oldest surviving buildings. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
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Description and history
The John Whittlesey Jr. House is located in northeastern Old Saybrook, on the south side of Ferry Road. It is set back from the street on a lot lined at the street by a low stone retaining wall. The house is a -story wood-frame structure, five bays wide, with a large central chimney, gabled roof, and clapboarded exterior. An older -story ell projects to the rear, while a more recent one extends to one side. The interior of the house is well preserved despite extensive remodelling in the 20th century. It has original doors and door hardware, including latches and strap hinges of wrought iron. The narrow entry hall includes a winding staircase with original handrail, balustrade, and newel post. In the older rear ell, the heavy post and beam framing is exposed in many places.Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
and operated the ferry. The house was considered by the eccentric Hartford resident William B. Goodwin to become a part of a reconstruction of Fort Saybrook in the early 20th century.[ and ]
The house is similar to the Buckingham-Hall House, which formerly stood nearby, but is now located at Mystic Seaport, 25 to 30 miles away. Both buildings include re-used older structures; it is believed that there was a "a strong local tradition or sentiment" in favor of such re-use.
See also
*List of the oldest buildings in Connecticut
This article lists the oldest buildings in the state of Connecticut, United States of America. The dates of construction are based on land tax and probate records, architectural studies, genealogy, radio carbon dating, and dendrochronology. Buildi ...
* Jedidiah Dudley House, also NRHP-listed nearby, also possibly known as ''John Wittlesey Jr. House''
* Ambrose Whittlesey House, 14 Main Street, Old Saybrook, also NRHP-listed, home of a descendant
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Connecticut
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whittlesey, John, Jr., House
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Georgian architecture in Connecticut
Houses completed in 1693
Houses in Old Saybrook, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Middlesex County, Connecticut
1693 establishments in Connecticut