The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, 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 ...
, is owned and operated by the
National Society of the Colonial Dames of America
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor "who came to reside in an American Colony before 1776, and whose services were rendered during the Colonial Pe ...
in Connecticut. The museum features three 18th-century houses that sit on their original sites in the center of
Old Wethersfield
Old Wethersfield, also known as Old Wethersfield Historic District, and historically known as Watertown or Pyquag, is a section of the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, roughly bounded by the borders of the adjacent city of Hartford and town of R ...
: the 1752
Joseph Webb House, the 1769
Silas Deane House and the 1789
Isaac Stevens House. The first two houses are listed as
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
s and the last home is 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 Connecticut. The houses are next door to each other.
The Joseph Webb House is the museum's main headquarters and has been restored to a late 18th-century appearance. There is a Colonial Revival garden out back and a 19th-century barn. The
Silas Deane
Silas Deane (September 23, 1789) was an American merchant, politician, and diplomat, and a supporter of American independence. Deane served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association, and then became the ...
House has been restored to a mid-18th-century appearance. The Isaac Stevens House has been restored to reflect a middle-class family of the 1820s-1830s using many original family items.
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum also manages the nearby 1715
Buttolph–Williams House
The Buttolph–Williams House is a historic house museum at 249 Broad Street in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Built in 1711, it is one of the oldest surviving houses in the town. It is owned by Connecticut Landmarks, a historic preservation organ ...
which is owned by
Connecticut Landmarks. The interior features rare 17th- and early 18th-century antiques and was the setting for
Elizabeth George Speare
Elizabeth George Speare (November 21, 1908 – November 15, 1994) was an American writer of children's books, best known for historical novels including two Newbery Medal winners. She has been called one of America's 100 most popular writers ...
’s
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished cont ...
-winning novel ''
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
''The Witch of Blackbird Pond'' is a children's novel by American author Elizabeth George Speare, published in 1958. The story takes place in late-17th century New England. It won the Newbery Medal in 1958.
Plot summary
In April 1687, 16-year- ...
'' (1958).
The Museum is accredited by the
American Alliance of Museums
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
.
Properties
See also
*
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Museums in Hartford County, Connecticut
Historic house museums in Connecticut
Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums
Museums established in 1919
National Society of the Colonial Dames of America