Connecticut Landmarks

Sterling Opera House // 1889

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The Sterling Opera House in Derby, Connecticut, is a landmark performing arts venue and civic center in the state and significant as a rare and well-preserved building constructed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. Built in 1889, the building is named for Charles A. Sterling, founder the former Derby-based Sterling Piano Company, who paid for much of the costs of construction and design for the building. For his namesake building, Charles Sterling hired architect H. Edwards Ficken, who also  assisted with the designs for the famous Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, New York, to furnish plans for the unique building. The Opera House was built to serve both political and entertainment needs for the community, with the lower two levels and the basement serving as City Hall offices and the police station from when it opened up until 1965. The auditorium was used for hundreds of shows and live musical performances in its day, with many world-famous performers such as Harry Houdini and Red Skelton taking the stage at the Sterling. Shows were held up until 1945 when the curtain closed for the last time. In the past decades the building has been largely vacant and kept alive by grants and a dream by the city to preserve this significant landmark, possibly for reincorporation as the City Hall. 

Second Congregational Church of Derby // 1845

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The Second Congregational Church of Derby was built in 1845 by members of the Birmingham Congregational Society, who grew tired of travelling across the river to the First Congregational Church in town. The present “downtown” of Derby was originally known as Birmingham and grew as the industrial center in the city, which historically was much larger than it is today. The Birmingham Congregation had this edifice constructed in the Greek Revival style, and it was added onto in 1859, 1889, and underwent alterations in 1915, when the facade was altered with Colonial Revival flourishes. The additions to the facade include the Palladian window, elliptical leaded window in the pediment, and panels with swags and wreaths. The top of the steeple was damaged by Hurricane Gloria in 1985 and removed, and was replicated in 2021.

Westminster Meetinghouse // 1770

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The Westminster Meetinghouse (aka the Westminster Congregational Church) was built in 1770 by Canterbury, Connecticut residents who in the 1760s, created a separate religious jurisdiction, the Westminster Society, due to their reluctance to travel long distances to Canterbury village for required religious services. Local resident John Parks donated land to be used as a public green, as well as a site for a cemetery and this meetinghouse. Sherebiah Butts, captain of the local militia, was engaged as master builder and architect, who along with his sons and other helpers, constructed the church by 1770. The original church, originally a square-plan meetinghouse, initially faced east, but was rotated to face south by around 1840, when the entire structure was remodelled in the prevailing Greek Revival style. The church is said to be one of the oldest continually utilized meetinghouses in Connecticut.

Prudence Crandall’s School for Young Ladies and Little Misses of Color // c.1805

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Built c.1805 for Elisha Payne, this architecturally distinguished Federal style mansion in Canturbury, Connecticut is one of the most significant buildings in the state, not only for its architecture but historical significance. In 1831, a young white woman, Prudence Crandall, was asked to open a boarding school for girls in Canterbury. She purchased this mansion and began operations for the school, which was attended by many wealthy girls in town. In 1832, Ms. Crandall was approached by a young Black girl who worked as a servant in town, named Sarah Harris, asking to attend the school. Encouraged by conversations with both Harris and Maria Davis, a Black woman who worked for Crandall and shared copies of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator with her, Crandall agreed to admit Harris. Almost immediately, residents protested the school’s admission of a Black girl and parents threatened to withdraw their students, Crandall undeterred, closed her school and reopened in 1833, solely for Black and Brown students. Young girls traveled from several states to attend the school. The legislature of Connecticut responded by passing the “Black Law,” which prevented out-of-state Black and Brown people from attending school in Connecticut towns without local town approval. Crandall was arrested, spent one night in jail, and faced three court trials before the case was dismissed. In September 1834, a nighttime mob of men attacked the house, smashing the windows, leading Crandall to close the school out of fear for her students as no protections were afforded to them. These events made national and international news in the 1830s and galvanized the burgeoning abolitionist movement. Crandall would later marry and left Connecticut, never to return. For her vision and brave actions at this school, Prudence Crandall is Connecticut’s official state heroine and the house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991.

Edward Waldo House // c.1715

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The Edward Waldo House in Scotland, Connecticut, is a vernacular Georgian house with saltbox roof and wings which from its erection about 1715 until 1971 was owned by members of the Waldo family. Edward Waldo (1684-1767) purchased land here along the Shetucket River in 1702 and by 1715, erected this house. The saltbox house which Edward Waldo built was one of the first houses in the town of Scotland and would remain in successive generations of the family for centuries. The house was the birthplace of Samuel Lovett Waldo (1783-1861), a portraitist who was a founder of the National Academy of Design as well as Daniel Waldo, chaplain of Congress, 1856-1858, and was one of seven Revolutionary War veterans who, having survived into the age of photography, were featured in the 1864 book The Last Men of the Revolution. The last Waldo owner, Miss Ruth Waldo died in1975. She insured the preservation of her family homestead by bequeathing the house, its contents, and about 15 acres of land to the Antiquarian & Landmarks Society of Connecticut Inc. and the surrounding acreage to the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, creating an enduring legacy for centuries to come. The house, set amongst a quiet country road, is evocative of early days in Scotland, Connecticut, and is one of the finest-preserved Colonial homes in this part of the state. 

Gallup Farm Carriage House // 1906

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This handsome Shingle style building was constructed in 1906 as a carriage house of a larger farm property in Scotland, Connecticut. The barn is said to have been built for Archie Gallup, who purchased the old Manning farm just west of the town green in Scotland. The 1 1/2-story carriage-house with a gambrel-roof stands out for its principal entry of paneled wooden doors and above, a large, flared hood featuring two pedimented gable-dormers. The entire building is clad with varied shingles to add complexity to the design, catching the attention of all who drive by.

Norton Mansion – Steinbach Hall // 1849

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John Pitkin Norton (1822-1852) was a successful educator, chemist, and author, who at just 27-years-old, built this stately mansion on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, for his young family. John P. Norton studied chemistry under Benjamin Silliman at Yale College, and was eventually appointed Professor of Agricultural Chemistry at Yale in 1846. He helped to found the Department of Philosophy and the Arts at Yale College and authored many scientific papers, dealing with the chemistry of crops. Coming from an established family and beginning a successful career himself, John hired New Haven-based architect, Henry Austin, to design this large, Italianate villa. The window surrounds, canopies, and flamboyant Moorish entryway are typical of Austin, with the general form and detailing taking cues from architect Alexander Jackson Davis‘ work. The Norton Mansion was purchased by Yale University in 1923 and was long the home to the Yale School of Management and is now occupied by the Jackson School of Global Affairs.

Skinner-Boardman Mansion // 1832

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One of the finest houses in New Haven is this stately residence, the Aaron Skinner Mansion on Hillhouse Avenue. The mansion was built in 1832 for Aaron Nichols Skinner (1800-1858) from plans by architect Alexander Jackson Davis. Skinner was a Mayor of New Haven (1850-1854), and for a short time, ran a boy’s boarding school out of this house. Skinner was also a CT State Representative, serving two terms. The house was originally built as a three-bay, two-story house with one-story side wings and a rear ell. After his death, the house was purchased by Judge William W. Boardman, who in 1859, modernized the property hiring architect, Henry Austin, who filled in the side wings and added Italianate window mouldings. The monumental portico supported by fluted, Ionic columns, creates such a stately presence for the early house on the street. In the early 20th century, the mansion was owned by Rutherford Trowbridge, who renovated the house for his own use. The house remained in the Trowbridge family until the death of his last daughter, Miss C. Rachel Trowbridge, when the estate became the property of Yale University.

General John Sedgwick House // 1860

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The Major General John Sedgwick House is located in Cornwall Hollow, Connecticut, and stands out as one of the finest residences in this part of the state in a rural setting. The house was built by 1860 for General John Sedgwick (1813-1864), who was born in a house standing on this site, which had been built by his grandfather, a veteran of the Revolutionary War. In 1859, the Sedgwick family homestead burned to the ground. Sedgwick, then already well established in his military career, took leave to oversee construction of its replacement. This house was built, apparently on the foundation of the old house, in 1859–60. The work was done by Cyrus Marsh, a local builder, in the Italianate style with decorative brackets, window mouldings, hoods, and a large columned entry portico. Major General Sedgwick was active in many campaigns, and during the American Civil War, he was killed by a sharpshooter at the 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, he was the Union Army’s highest-ranking casualty of the war and never got to reside in his Cornwall home.

West Cornwall Covered Bridge // 1864

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The West Cornwall Covered Bridge spans the the Housatonic River in the town of Cornwall, Connecticut and is one of three historic covered bridges in the state. Records indicate that a bridge was in this location as early as 1762, but many were destroyed by floods and storms over the years, and even in the past century, flooding as a result of the 1938 New England hurricane and the flood of 1955, threatened to wash the bridge away, but she survived. The 172-foot bridge has been depicted in paintings, photographs, and movies, including Valley of the Dolls a 1967 film. The charm of a historic New England covered bridge is so enchanting and has been a draw for tourists to stop by this amazing town for decades.

Birdsey Hall // c.1804

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Built circa 1804 in the form of an English country estate house, Birdsey Hall stands as the finest property in the town of Goshen, Connecticut. The residence was built for Birdsey Norton (1763-1812), a wealthy cheese merchant who was said to have been inspired to build a country estate after travelling the American south on business. The high-style Federal/Adamesque mansion features expansive grounds bounded by brick walls and Victorian gardens. The property was later owned by Fred Favorite and Robert Devoe, friends of Liberace, who operated an antique store. Birdsey Hall remains one of the finest Federal estates in Connecticut.

Wright Homestead // 1767

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This large, brick gambrel-roofed Colonial home in West Goshen, Connecticut, was built over decades beginning before the American Revolution and has remained in the same family ever-since! In 1767, Captain Jabez Wright (1737-1813) married Martha Baldwin of Goshen, and began constructing this farmhouse of brick. When the war broke out, he fought in New York, he also served as captain of a company of Connecticut militia, turning out to repel the British forces at New Haven. He would largely complete the home by 1787, and ultimately died in 1813. After successive ownership of generations of the Wright family, the property was owned by Henry G. Wright (1831-1917), a farmer who represented Goshen in the state legislature and held many town positions. The first Methodist sermons in town were also held in the home. Henry Wright died at 86 years old on this property, after being attacked by a bull. When entertaining guests, he showed others a prized bull, and possibly fell into the pen, and was trampled and attacked. The Wright Homestead is unique for its brickwork with bonds and burned headers, resembling many Colonial-era homes in Virginia, but this house can be found on the back roads of Goshen, Connecticut!

Old Goshen Academy Building // 1824

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The former Goshen Academy building is located in the central village of the rural town of Goshen, Connecticut, and it is an important vestige of early education in the small town. The Goshen Academy building was built in 1824 from funds by shareholders of the institution. The academy featured a lecture room on the second floor with smaller classrooms downstairs. The academy would eventually close, and it has been occupied by the Goshen Historical Society.

Old Chaplin Town Hall // 1840

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The area that is now Chaplin, Connecticut was settled in the 18th century. The impetus to separate the community occurred due to the difficulty of area residents in reaching the churches in nearby town centers. Benjamin Chaplin (1719-1795), bequeathed funds for the establishment of a church near his (now no longer standing) home. A village center developed around the church, and the town was incorporated in 1822. The village is unusual in Connecticut for its relatively late development, and because the center is not near usable water power, and was bypassed by railroads, it was not affected by later industrialization. The main street is extremely well-preserved and a visual link to 19th century Connecticut. In 1840, the town erected this one-story Greek Revival building to serve as the town hall. The gable end reads as a pediment with the walls constructed of smooth vertical boards. The town outgrew this building and it became the town’s museum after the present town hall building was constructed in the northern part of the village. The museum closed and the building appears unused today. Hopefully the town can find a way to use the structure and maintain it.

New Haven City Hall // 1861

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Less than four centuries ago the area which is now New Haven, Connecticut, was the home of a small tribe of Native Americans, the Quinnipiac. White settlers arrived by 1638 and made a deal with the local sachem (leader) to protect the native Quinnipiac from raiding bands of Pequots and Mohawks in return of purchasing some of the tribe’s land by the Puritans. By 1640 a complete government had been established and the settlement, originally called Quinnipiac, was renamed Newhaven (later New Haven). The town plan was based on a grid of nine squares. In accordance with old English custom, the central square, now the Green, was designated a public common. By 1718, in response to a large donation from East India Company merchant Elihu Yale, an early college relocated from Old Saybrook to New Haven, and its name was changed to Yale College. The city grew exponentially with industry, education, and commerce, becoming one of the wealthiest and diverse cities in the state. As the city grew after the Civil War, a new City Hall was built. The New Haven City Hall was constructed in 1861-2 and was designed by local architect Henry Austin. To the left of City Hall and set back further from the street was the old Courthouse (1871-3) designed by David R. Brown (1831-1910). Together the buildings provide a united facade marking the first phase of the High Victorian Gothic Style in America. By the 1980s, plans for a new Government Center were discussed following decades of deferred maintenance and a decaying building. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed, and the facades of the building were preserved with a modern structure constructed behind to house city offices, from plans by local architect Herbert S. Newman. The Victorian Gothic and Post-Modern building stands proudly today, anchoring the east end of the Town Green.