Last Full Day in New England

…continuing with the 18^th day of our August 2018 exploration of parts of the northeastern United States.

Following our visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum, our goal for rest the day was simple…sightseeing and historic Litchfield Connecticut, our final stop in New England.

The West Cornwall Covered Bridge carries CT Hwy. 128 across the Housatonic River.  Previous bridges were destroyed by floods in 1837 and 1864.  This wooden covered lattice truss bridge was completed in 1864 and, despite floods, an ice jam and an overweight truck falling through it, this 155 year old double span bridge is still operational.  Steel I-beam flooring was added in 1973.  The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places…

I couldn’t find out much about this old railroad depot at 6 Railroad Street in West Cornwall Connecticut.  It’s currently used as a residence with work/professional space on the first floor.  Apparently it was built by the New York, New Hampshire and Hartford Railway ca. 1890.

The rail line is still active, part of the Berkshire Division of the Housatanic Railroad.  After crossing the Massachusetts/Connecticut State Line at Canaan, the line continues south to Danbury.  This line serves a paper mill, a limestone quarry, a plastics manufacturer, a pharmaceutical company and 2 food manufacturers.  The railroad has been considering re-starting passenger service…but time will tell.

This large old red home is located at 413 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike (CT Hwy. 128), close to the West Cornwall depot.  The Wishhouse features a variety of gifts, clothing and home accent pieces by local craftsmen as well as from around the world.  Website: https://www.wishhouse.com/.  

Well known people who live or lived in and near West Cornwall include: Ethan Allen, Revolutionary War hero and co-founder of Vermont; Actor Oliver Platt; Author James Thurber, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", and; Actor Sam Waterson.

This handsome old Italianate style home is located at 417 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike (CT Hwy. 128) in West Cornwall.  It was built ca. 1870 for Stephen and Helen Foster.  Stephen was instrumental in bringing the railroad to West Cornwall.

Once known as the ‘pink house’, at one time it also served as an inn.  It is currently for sale.  Note the temporary covering over the roof on the lower section of the home.  There was a fire so major renovations will be needed.

To learn more and to see some photos of the interior and the rear of this property, go to https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/417-Sharon-Goshen-Tpke_West-Cornwall_CT_06796_M32613-06624.  FYI, there is a barn apartment on the property at the rear of the home.  Sadly, significant funds will be required to return this property to its former glory. 

Entering historic Litchfield Connecticut, we noted this striking building at 40 North Street being used as a branch unit of Union Bank.  The numbers at the top of the building are a bit ‘different’, but I think they read 1891. 

This is the old Methodist Episcopal, now the United Methodist Church of Litchfield.  The church was established in 1836 but their current church building at 69 West Street was dedicated in 1885.

The building shown above is at 29 West Street, right in the center of Litchfield and across from the Village Green.  It was built in 1895 and formerly was home to a Talbot’s store.  Now it’s occupied by Bosson Eyewear, Oliphant and an Oppenheimer office.  Oliphant features jewelry, custom upholstery, furniture, clothing, gifts and accessories.   

The Village Restaurant has been at 25 West Street since the 1950s.  Love that ‘eyebrow’ window at the top center.  This building was constructed back in 1890 as part of the revitalized town center.

The Kitchenworks at 23 West Street is occupying a architecturally interesting building that was completed in 1900.  This building is currently for sale…asking price is $950,000.

This Romanesque revival style structure at 15 West Street is the fourth Litchfield County Courthouse to stand in the middle of town.  The first one was built in 1752, it was replaced in 1797 and the second one was destroyed by a fire in 1886.  The third courthouse was completed and then it too was destroyed by fire in 1886.  This ‘new’ structure was completed in 1889 and it now serves as the Litchfield Judicial District Courthouse. 

The center of Litchfield has been shaped by fire.  In 1886, the town’s ‘great fire’ began on June 11 at a general store.  With no adequate means of fighting the fire, it burned down all of the flammable structures it could reach, including the large Mansion House Hotel.  The third courthouse also burnt down…as noted above.  The fire was stopped 30 feet past the courthouse at a brick building.  Litchfield’s business district was described as being “simply cleaned out”.  Only 26 months later another fire swept the town.  It burned up to the ‘new’ courthouse.

As a consequence of these fires, the town fathers immediately revoked all building permits for wooden structures.  That former big hotel was replaced with the Phelps Block as shown the photo above.  With 5 shops on the ground level and an opera house on the top, it was the ‘crown jewel’ of a rebuilt Litchfield!  Note the stone block in the photo dated 1887…

Ollie’s Pizza is in a building that was in the right place twice (as regards fires)…and it was built with brick.  The building occupied by Ollie’s Pizza was built in 1830.  FYI, there is a studio apartment on the second floor. 

Ollie’s Pizza was our choice for a casual dinner.  While there were entrees such as Spaghetti and Meatballs, Eggplant Parmesan and Chicken Alfredo, we were looking for something more ‘casual’.  No burgers, wraps or sandwiches either.  After all “Pizza” is in this restaurant’s name!

As you can see from the photo, Ollie’s is about as casual as one could hope for…pretty basic décor.  But then we noticed artwork all along the walls.

These local works of whimsical art are reminiscent of Grandma Moses’s art…or more playful versions of my mother’s primitive style paintings.  These creations were cheerful, complex and just happy!

 This was our sausage and pepperoni pizza. ($18.00) It was very good indeed…and we…or rather I…ate the whole thing!  Ollie’s Pizza is at 19 West Street in Litchfield Connecticut.  Phone: 860-361-9400.  Website: http://www.olliespizza.com/home.html. 

After dinner, we wandered around Litchfield, checking out all of the old and even older homes… Litchfield’s Historic District was the first of its type in Connecticut.  The entire District includes more than 475 buildings and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places with part of the town designated as a National Historic Landmark District.

What follows are few photos of a few homes/historic buildings on one street in Litchfield…

This is the Lynde Lord House.  It was built in 1771 at 179 North Street.  Lynde Lord, Sr. was High Sheriff of Litchfield County for many years.

Well known people who live in or near Litchfield include: Eugene Fodor (Fodor's Travel Guides); Author Elizabeth Gilbert "Eat, Pray, Love"; Actress Susan St. James, and activist/author Harriet Beecher Stowe, "Uncle Tom's Cabin".  Note: Ethan Allen was actually born in Litchfield.

Dr. Daniel Sheldon lived in this home at 115 North Street.  Sheldon built this house with its unusual (for the time) mansard roof in 1785.  His daughter lived in the home until 1889, living here until she was 100 years old. 

John Allen attended the Litchfield Law School from 1784 to 1786.  He set up practice in town and became active in politics.  He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives and also in the U.S. House of Representatives.  His Federal-style home at 91 North Street was built ca. 1799.  The home was expanded and altered in the Italianate style ca. 1865.

This is the William G. Peck House at 84 North Street.  Peck was born in Litchfield and graduated from West Point.  He served in the Topographical Engineers Corps and later taught math at West Point and Columbia College.  The house was built in 1867.

This home at 73 North Street was built by Elisha Sheldon in 1760!  It’s commonly referred to as Sheldon’s Tavern…mainly because it actually was a tavern in the late 1700s.  One tradition is that George Washington slept at the Tavern.  Sheldon joined the Continental Army at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, serving under the command of General Washington.  As a Colonel, he commanded a cavalry regiment, the Second Continental Light Dragoons…aka “Sheldon’s Horse”.

In 1795, the new owner, Uriah Tracy,added that Palladian window…much like the one at Julius Deming’s house across the street.  Tracy served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives as a U.S. Senator.

Thomas Sheldon built this home ca. 1775 at 47 North Street.  However the house is more commonly associated with Benjamin Tallmadge.  He purchased it when he arrived in town in 1782.  Tallmadge was an aide to George Washington during the Revolutionary War and served as the general’s intelligence deputy.  He married the daughter of William Floyd, one the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  He was a merchant and a banker…

To view many of the historic properties in Litchfield and to learn a little about them, just go to http://historicbuildingsct.com/towns/litchfield/.  The National Register for Historic Places does not have information on the Litchfield Historic District on-line at this point…

I’ve ended this post with a photo of the Litchfield Post Office at 16 South Street.  This new ‘building’, completed in 1896, probably resembles what many small town post offices looked like in the 1800s.  I noted that there is an apartment right over the post office…1,000 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath.  The apartment has 9 foot ceilings.  Wouldn’t have to go far to mail a letter!

In my next post, we’ll be on the road to Scranton Pennsylvania…with a few items of interest along the way.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave