The Welles-Shipman-Ward House is a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

at 972 Main Street in South Glastonbury, Connecticut. Built in 1755, it is a well-preserved example of Georgian architecture, with the largest period fireplace in Connecticut. The name comes from the prominent local families that owned it. 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 ...

in 1977. It is now maintained by the Historical Society of Glastonbury.

Description and history

The Welles-Shipman-Ward House is located in South Glastonbury, on the east side of Main Street (

Connecticut Route 17 Route 17 is a primary north–south state route beginning in New Haven, through Middletown, and ending in Glastonbury, with a length of . Route description Route 17 officially begins about west of its interchange with Interstate ...

), just north of its junction with Hopewell and High Streets. It is a -story wood-frame structure, with a side-gable roof, central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. The main facade is five bays wide, with a symmetrical window arrangement around a slightly larger central bay, where the entrance is located. The entrance is flanked by pilasters, which rise to a corniced entablature. Windows on the ground floor are topped by slightly projecting cornices with dentil moulding. A secondary entrance is located on the building's right side, with a less elaborate surround. The house was built in 1755 as a wedding gift for John Welles from his father Thomas. John's son George then sold the house to shipbuilder, merchant trader, and storeowner, Stephen Shipman, Jr. Shipman updated some of the architectural features, and the house remained in his family for over 125 years. In 1929, Berdena Hart Ward purchased the property and redecorated the house in an English country style. In 1963, Mrs. Ward donated the house and property to the Historical Society of Glastonbury with $10,000 endowment. Along with specialized historians, the

Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities Historic New England, previously known as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA), is a charitable, non-profit, historic preservation organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is focused on New England ...

and the American Wing of the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

of New York were part of a committee formed to undertake the restoration of the house and ensure its authenticity. During the restoration, records were found showing that the property once contained a schoolhouse which indicated that the main house may have served as a dormitory building. Further into the restoration process, carved initials and children's drawings were found under layers of plaster and paint that contributed to speculation that schoolchildren were housed there. Today the house and property is owned and maintained by the Historical Society of Glastonbury who run tours and a variety of historical events for the community there.

References

External links

{{commons category, Welles-Shipman House
Welles-Shipman-Ward House
Historical Society of Glastonbury Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut National Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut Glastonbury, Connecticut Historic house museums in Connecticut Museums in Hartford County, Connecticut