Buttolph-Williams House, Wethersfield, Connecticut:
Construction began on this vintage colonial in 1711 and finished by 1714. Originally thought to have been constructed by David Buttolph, it is now believed that this house was built by Benjamin Belden, who purchased the property for 70 pounds in 1711 and sold it for 245 pounds in 1721. Belden married Anne Churchill and was licensed as a tavern-keeper. The young couple ran the home as an inn with nearby proximity to the Connecticut River and the center of town.
The Antiquarian & Landmarks Society (now Connecticut Landmarks) acquired the house in 1941 and opened it to the public in 1951. The building was restored under the direction of pioneer restoration architect and “interior design virtuoso,” Frederick C. Palmer. The stone foundation, the chimney stack and fireplaces, the original hewn-timber framing, and much of the interior woodwork, doors and floorboards are original.
“The Buttolph-Williams House’s medieval appearance served as source of inspiration, and the partial setting, for the Newberry Medal-winning book for young adults, The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Written by Elizabeth George Speare, the book tells the fictional account of a young orphaned girl and the prejudices she encounters in 17th-century Wethersfield. The Buttolph-Williams House is operated by the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum.” –CTLandmarks.org
See more on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYSEijZI6PX/
