The Roger Butler House is a historic house located in
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Wethersfield is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut. It is located immediately south of Hartford along the Connecticut River. Its population was 27,298 at the time of the 2020 census.
Many records from colonial times spell the name ...
. Built about 1769, it is a well-preserved example of
Georgian architecture, its only principal alteration the Italianate entrance surround. 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 ...
on August 15, 1996.
Description and history
The house stands on the north side of Jordan Lane, just east of its junction with Wolcott Hill Road. The
Wilbur Cross Parkway
The Wilbur Cross Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt" in conjunction with its counterpart) is a limited access road in Connecticut, comprising the portion of Route 15 between Milford and Meriden. It is named after Wilbur Lucius Cross ...
passes on an embankment at the rear of the house, giving it a triangular lot. It is a -story wood-frame structure, five bays wide, with a large central chimney and a centered entrance. Porches, probably added in the mid-19th century, are on the east and back sides. The front entrance was at one time sheltered by an Italianate hood, but that has been removed; it now has a simpler Georgian surround with corniced entablature. The interior retains a nearly complete set of original flooring, woodwork, and door hardware.
The house was built c. 1769, and remained in the hands of his descendants until 1954. The Butler family was long prominent in the area, its progenitor, Deacon Richard Butler, arriving in 1633. William Butler purchase the land this house stands on in 1767, and probably built this house two years later as a wedding gift for his son Roger. Local lore claims that the house was a stop on the
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
in the 19th century.
See also
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Roger, House
Houses in Wethersfield, Connecticut
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut
Houses on the Underground Railroad