The Dr. Ambrose Pratt House is a historic house on Pratt Street in

Chester, Connecticut Chester is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,749 at the 2020 census. The town center is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP). The name is a transfer from Chester, in Engl ...

. Built in 1820, it is a fine example of high-style Federal architecture, with a long history of associate with the locally prominent Pratt family. 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 ...

in 1972.

Description and history

The Dr. Ambrose Pratt House is located in a secluded setting at the end of Pratt Street. This is not its original location, which was facing nearby

Connecticut Route 154 Route 154 is a state highway in Connecticut running for . It serves as one of the main thoroughfares in the town of Old Saybrook, intersecting twice with U.S. Route 1. North of I-95, Route 154 runs parallel to Route 9, along to the west bank o ...

; it was moved from that location, with its foundation and chimney, in 1966. It is a -story wood-frame structure, five bays wide, with side-gable roof and a large central chimney. It has an imposing

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

style facade, where the central bay is dominated by a large oval spider-glass window above the entrance. The main entry is sheltered by a portico supported by paired Doric columns, with small modillions lining the fully pedimented gable. The entry is flanked by sidelight windows and pilasters, which echo pilasters at the building corners. The doorway is topped by a semi-oval fanlight window, as are the sidelights. The interior has well-preserved high-quality woodwork. The house was built in 1820 for Abram Mitchell, a local man who apparently made a small fortune speculating on Continental currency after the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. The principal builder was Samuel Silliman, a locally well-known master carver. The house belonged to members of the locally prominent Pratt family for many years. Dr. Ambrose Pratt was given the house in 1844 by his father-in-law at the time of his marriage. and

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pratt, Dr. Ambrose, House Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Federal architecture in Connecticut Houses completed in 1820 Houses in Middlesex County, Connecticut Chester, Connecticut National Register of Historic Places in Middlesex County, Connecticut

Description and history

See also

References