The Sarah Whitman Hooker House is a historic house at 1237 New Britain Avenue in
West Hartford
West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census.
The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. Built about 1720, it is believed to be the oldest standing house in the town. It 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 ...
on November 1, 1979.
Description and history
The Sarah Whitman Hooker House is located in southern West Hartford, on the south side of New Britain Avenue (
Connecticut Route 71
Route 71 is a north–south state highway in Connecticut, running from Wallingford to West Hartford. It is the main north–south road of Meriden, Berlin and New Britain.
Route description
Route 71 begins at an intersection with US 5 ...
), just east of its junction with South Main Street. It is a -story wood-frame structure, five bays wide, with two interior chimneys and a centered entrance. It is set at the busy southeast corner of New Britain Avenue and South Main Street. The main entrance is flanked by sidelight windows and framed by a molded surround.
[
The house was built c. 1720, and originally had a central chimney. It was built by John Seymour in what was one of the first areas of Hartford' West Parish to be settled. It underwent a major renovation in the early 19th century, at which time that chimney was removed, and the attic and rear leanto spaces were rebuilt. The interior suffered fire damage in 1935, but this has since been restored.][
In addition to its age, the house is notable locally for its role in 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 ...
, when the house was owned by Thomas Hart Hooker, a descendant of Hartford's founder Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker (July 5, 1586 – July 7, 1647) was a prominent English colonial leader and Congregational minister, who founded the Connecticut Colony after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts. He was known as an outstanding spea ...
, and his wife Sarah Whitman Hooker. The Hookers held as captives Andrew and Philip Skene, Loyalists
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
who were taken prisoner early in 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 ...
by colonial forces that captured Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain, in northern New York, in the United States. It was constructed by Canadian-born French mi ...
in upstate New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
and ransacked the elder Skene's house.
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hooker, Sarah Whitman, House
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Georgian architecture in Connecticut
Houses completed in 1720
Houses in West Hartford, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut
1720 establishments in Connecticut