Talk:Highland Historic District (Middletown, Connecticut)

adding vs. subtracting

I am puzzled by this edit which removed most of the items that were listed. I am not clear on where the list was from originally, but it seems that it has long been in the article and it has served whoever did develop material pretty well. The edit removed most of the addresses. I see the edit also did update the NRHP infobox which is an improvement, but it seems wrong to tear out something that was working. It lost information, and I perceive it as possibly stymying(sp?) whoever was developing this. I know that some have expressed elsewhere that they don't like "phonebooks" but the address list seemed to be working here. Let's build not tear down. Or, does someone have specific knowledge that those addresses were wrong? doncram (talk) 04:26, 20 January 2010 (UTC)

Followup: After i added the NRHP nomination document to the article, in a 2 step process, I can see that P's edit was apparently informed by that document. P's edit puzzled me in part because it added a statement that there are 10 contributing houses with 4 being older, and it gave no source, so I hypothesized that was a new construction (perhaps original research) based on the info already in the article. My first look at the NRHP doc seemed to confirm that was incorrect info, as it is early stated that there are 15 houses in the district. I see where the 10 came from, later, although in fact the correct number seems to be 9 houses that are contributing properties. ANYHOW, adding info with no source has again caused confusion. P, your edit would have seemed constructive, if only you showed your source.

Still, about the address list, what is the source for that? P, I asked at a different article what was your source for a different address list. I tend to believe that the address list is correct information, and I don't like to see the info lost. If there is an online source for it, though, perhaps that could be linked to instead in some articles like this. Where on earth are youse people getting those. Is it included in NRIS somewhere? doncram (talk) 05:05, 20 January 2010 (UTC)

locations

Moved to talk because this seems to me to be excessive detail. On the other hand a map would be very nice. RJFJR (talk) 19:29, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

Properties in the district include:

• 23 Atkins Street
• 33 Atkins Street
• 39 Atkins Street
• 37 Atkins Street
• 65 Atkins Street
• 125 Atkins Street
• 136 Atkins Street- John Warner House (Brookfield Farm), 1750, center-chimney Colonial. This house was probably built around 1750 by John Warner, an early settler in Westfield. It remained in the Warner family until 1846, when it was purchased by Linus Wilcox. The house has had several owners since then while retaining its traditional usage and rural setting. Early map views indicated that the four-bay, center-chimney configuration was a common type of house construction in the urban center of eighteenth century Middletown. This house, however, is the only example of the type in rural Westfield. This distinction, together with the well-preserved condition of the structure, makes this house an interesting and important member of the remains of an eighteenth century farming community grouped along Atkins Street.
• 141 Atkins Street
• 154 Atkins Street- Nineteenth century, 1.5 stories, flared gable roof extending over Colonial Revival front porch, aluminum siding, reported to be "Old Schoolhouse", moved up hill to site.
• 155 Atkins Street- Late Nineteenth or Early Twentieth century, 2.5 stories, gable roof, wood shingled, Colonial Revival porches.
• 197 Atkins Street- Hezekiah Sage House, built approximately in 1770, Center-Chimney Colonial. In 1769 Jonathan Sage deeded his 50.5 acres (204,000 m²) farm to his son Hezekiah, reserving the eastern 2/3 with the "Mansion House" to his own life use. The western 1/3 was to be Hezekiah's "for him to enter into improvement of immediately." Thus 1770 would be the likely date of construction of this three-bay center-chimney house. Hezekiah Sage, "Yeoman," died in 1797, and his house went through a succession of owners until Joseph Wilcox bought it in 1816. The property remained in the Wilcox family until 1950, when the present owners acquired it. This house displays the center chimney and double overhang common to Connecticut houses of the period. The three-bay front is less common, although it appears on several other early houses in Middletown. A large southeast wing and a two-story pavilion/porch have altered the external appearance of this house, yet its colonial origins are clearly discernible. The traditional rural character of Westfield is exemplified by the survival of this early farmhouse.
• 198 Atkins Street
• 227 Atkins Street- Joseph Wilcox House, build approximately in 1770, Center-Chimney Colonial. This center-chimney Colonial house was built around 1774 by Joseph Wilcox. It remained in the Wilcox family until 1972. The Wilcoxes were a prominent early family in Westfield, their presence there dating from the early eighteenth century. Much of the original materials exist in this house. The northeast parlor is of exceptional quality; featuring a corner shell cupboard, panelled wainscoting, and an elaborately panelled fireplace wall. Although the southeast parlor is less formal in its appointments, it too displays a corner cupboard, wainscoting, and a panelled fireplace wall with cupboard. Rare five panel doors with strap hinges also remain as do structure around 1812. It features simulated panelling and woodgraining which was executed around 1830. The two story southwest wing was added around 1875 to take in the overflow from the resort hotel located across the street (since destroyed). The center-chimney, two room deep plan of this house was a common form of construction in the Connecticut River Valley during the second half of the eighteenth century. Because of its nearly original condition and fine workmanship, this house is one of the best examples of the type in Middletown.
• 230 Atkins Street
• 270 Atkins Street
• 290 Atkins Street
• 19 Bell Street- Late Nineteenth century, Victorian farmhouse, 2 stories, cross-gable roof, clapboarded, porch.
• 1254 Country Club Road
• 1292 Country Club Road- Phineas Bacon House (picture 13). This Center-Chimney Colonial farm house was built approximately 1754 by Phineas Bacon on land owned by his father Benjamin. The property descended in the Bacon family until 1942 and has always been farmed. The Bacon family was prominent in Westfield for over two centuries. The center-chimney, two-room-deep plan of this house is typical of mid-eighteenth century Connecticut house construction. A 1.5 story north wing, probably of early date, features an overhang which juts out 1.5 feet (0.46 m) on the rear. As with much of the section of Westfield located west of Interstate 91, this property retains its original rural character; it is one of several isolated farmhouses with dependencies in this historic area.
• 1322 Country Club Road
• 1340 Country Club Road
• 1423 Country Club Road- John Morgan House, built before 1791, Federal-Greek, 2.5 stories, gable end to street, no pediment, aluminum siding, possible earlier wing.
• 1431 Country Club Road
• 1441 Country Club Road
• 1456 Country Club Road- Jedediah Wilcox House, built between 1809 and 1815, Federal. This house was probably built between 1809 and 1815 by Jedediah Wilcox. The Wilcox family was prominent in the Westfield area for over two centuries. The entrance of this center-hall house is certainly the most elaborately decorated example of a Federal doorway in Middletown. Finely carved pilasters support a broken pediment over a fanlight divided by elaborate leadwork. Few Federal style center-hall houses remain in Middletown; this particular example is rarer still due to its wood frame construction as opposed to the much more prevalent use of brick. Jedediah Wilcox was the son of one of the first settlers in Westfield. This fine Federal house reflects the gains and stability achieved in the short span of two generations.
• 1477 Country Club Road
• 46 Old Farms West