imeline lcenter, the warehouse — now housing a wethersfield historical society maritime exhibit...

1 COVE PARK

Originally an “oxbow”of “The Long Tidal (i.e. Connecticut) River,”Wethersfield Cove is ten feet abovesea level and forty miles from Long Island Sound. Thomas Demingbuilt his shipyard on the banksof this natural harbor, where helaunched the Tryall — the first shipmade in Connecticut — in 1649.

3 THE SOLOMONWELLES HOUSE

Built in 1774 for a descendant ofcolonial governor Thomas Welles and later used as the warden’s housefor the former state prison, this elegant house overlooks WethersfieldCove and the adjacent Cove Park.Hartford’s skyline is visible on thenorth horizon, but worlds away.While not open to tours, it can berented for special occasions.

5 MAIN STREET SHOPS

From artwork and antiques, to custom-designed jewelry andhandmade crafts, you’ll find these— and other unique treasures —at a variety of small shops alongMain Street. Browse to yourheart’s content at Antiques onMain, Heart of the Country, JudyK Ceramics, Sit ‘n’ Knit, SandraWakeen Gallery and Neill WalshGoldsmiths — to name a few.

18 WETHERSFIELD MUSEUM& VISITORS CENTER

As the first stop on your visit,the museum offers a permanentexhibition on Wethersfield history,changing exhibits and a museumshop. There is a winter music series, aspring lecture series and free outdoorconcerts in August, all sponsored byThe Wethersfield Historical Society.

ANCIENT 16BURYING GROUND

The quaint, often poetic inscriptionsfound on the headstones in thishistoric burial ground tell poignanttales of the demise of loved ones.The skills of a dozen differentConnecticut Valley stone carversare represented here. The earliestone — Leonard Chester’s tablestone — dates from 1648.

11 FARM STANDS

19th century scientists discoveredwhat 17th century Native Americansalready knew: that Wethersfield’salluvial soil is among the best in thestate. Local farm stands, such asAnderson Farm, offer native-grownseasonal fruits and vegetables Junethrough October.

BROAD 12STREET GREEN

Beautiful even in winter, but dazzling after an ice storm, theBroad Street Green — surroundedby elegant and stately old homes —is where early settlers grazed livestock. Today, it’s host to dozensof magnificent specimen trees —elms, oaks, sycamores, an 1836copper beech — some as high as 15 stories tall!

15 PLACES OF WORSHIP

Historic Wethersfield celebrates its diversity with a variety of historically and architecturally significant houses of worship. Theseinclude Temple Beth Torah, SacredHeart, Trinity Episcopal (shownhere) and The First Church ofChrist in Wethersfield.

In May 1781, Washingtonand the French commanderRochambeau met in theWebb House. WallaceNutting commissionedmurals in the south parlor(left) to commemorate that meeting and the victory at Yorktown.

8 LODGING

An overnight stay at the charmingChester Bulkley House Bed andBreakfast (right) or the Silas W.Robbins House Bed and Breakfast(above) will have you sippingyour morning latte virtually inthe center of our nearly 380-year-old village. If contemporarylodging is your choice, there areseveral hotels and motels nearby.

WEBB-DEANE-STEVENSMUSEUM

Revolutionary War diplomat SilasDeane’s portrait (left) hangs inhis home on Main Street, one ofthree remarkable 18th centuryhouses that comprise the Museum.These homes — all with importantstories to tell about Wethersfield’srich past — capture the vitalityof our nation’s formative years.

N

17 SPECIAL EVENTS(Seasonal)

“Scarecrows Along Main Street” — a falltradition sponsored by the Old WethersfieldShopkeepers Association — is one of manyspecial events that take place throughoutthe year in Old Wethersfield. Othersinclude antique and craft shows, lectures,auctions, Albert Schweitzer OrganFestival/USA and the popular “Cornfest”sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

12

2

1

3

4

4

4

5

5

6

910

8

18

11

1314

15

15

15

15

16

1775– Silas Deane sailed

for France to procuremilitary supplies andenlist experienced officers

– The Declaration ofIndependence

– Military suppliesreceived from France

– Victory at the Battleof Saratoga

– Silas Deane, BenFranklin and ArthurLee signed the Treatyof Alliance with France

– France was firstto recognize theAmerican colonies asan independent nation

– Rochambeau andover 5,000 Frenchtroops arrived atNewport, RhodeIsland

– Washington paused inWethersfield beforemeeting Rochambeauin Hartford

– Washington andRochambeau metin Wethersfield toplan the campaign

– French troops marchedacross Connecticut tojoin the ContinentalArmy in New York

– The two armiesmarched to Yorktown,Virginia, where theyand the French Navydefeated the British

– The Britishsurrendered and signed TheTreaty of Paris

1783

COVE WAREHOUSE 2 Once part of a thriving commercialcenter, the warehouse — nowhousing a Wethersfield HistoricalSociety maritime exhibit — containsreminders of the West Indies tradethat flourished in Wethersfieldfrom 1650 to 1830. Merchantsexported lumber, grain, onions,salted beef, fish and pork in exchangefor salt, sugar, molasses and rumfrom the Caribbean.

LIVINGwith HISTORY

13 HURLBUT-DUNHAMHOUSE

This handsome brick house isfilled with original furnishings,wallpapers and painted ceilingsof the late 19th and early 20thcenturies, when Jane and HowardDunham, social and civic leadersof their day, made it their home.

BUTTOLPH- 14WILLIAMS HOUSE

Visit this house built for BenjaminBelden around 1715. It providedthe setting for Elizabeth GeorgeSpeare’s award-winning novel,The Witch of Blackbird Pond,which depicts a young woman’sencounter with superstition andintolerance in 17th centuryWethersfield. The restored kitchencontains an extensive collection of period cooking equipment.

6

6

4

AGRICULTURAL 6 HERITAGE 6

In the 1850s, Wethersfield seedcompanies sold packets of gardenseeds to homesteaders who followed the westward expansionof the rail lines. Today, companieslike Hart Seed, McCue Gardensand Comstock, Ferre, carry onWethersfield’s long agricultural tradition, offering a wide varietyof flowers, shrubs, seeds, gardensupplies and gifts.

www.historicwethersfield.org

7 OLD ACADEMY

Serious scholars and historystudents will enjoy perusing thearchives at the Old Academy,built as a school in 1804 and nowhome to the Wethersfield HistoricalSociety. The famous educator JosephEmerson operated a female seminarythere. It also served as Wethersfield’sTown Hall and Library.

PLACES TO EAT 4 Whether it’s brunch at a

sidewalk café, ice cream ona hot summer day, or fine

dining at a 200-year-old inn,Wethersfield has choices to please

all tastes. Join the locals at theirfavorite gathering places:Mainly Tea, Narcissis Chocolate,The Spicy Green Bean Deli,Patty Cakes, Village Pizza,Main Street Creamery, OldTown Café, J. Michaels Tavern.

– The Lexington Alarm

– The Battle ofBunker Hill

– Washington dinedat the Deane house

REVOLUTIONARY WAR TIMELINE

45

7 8

10 GARDENS

Colonial-era gardeners were a practical sort, not unduly concernedabout matters of beauty. Gradually, interest in horticultural aesthetics

grew. Wethersfield homeowners today tend gardens for food, flavor,profit or pleasure. This generation’s gardens of note include the WebbHouse Colonial Revival Garden, designed by Amy Cogswell in 1921,

The Heritage Herb Garden and the Weston Rose Garden at Town Hall.

9