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Wethersfield Heritage Walk

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Wethersfield Heritage Walk Welcome To Welcome Wethersfield to the Wethersfield The Wethersfield Heritage Walk is a three mile long, self-guided tour consisting of a Heritage Walk series of twenty-two interpretive markers that highlight points of historical significance throughout Old Wethersfield. The Wethersfield Heritage Walk Our town has a rich cultural, historical We cordially and architectural was developed through invite you heritage stretch- a partnership between the to explore our ing back over four Town of Wethersfield, centuries. Wethersfield Historical Society, New England As you walk, run, drive or bike along the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, heritage. our streets you can the Wethersfield Tourism Commission learn the intriguing Cove Warehouse and many interested residents. stories of the native Visit historic homes, American Wangunks, early settlers, farmers, The project was also assisted by grants museums, shops and ship builders, sea captains, slaves, soldiers, from Connecticut Humanities and places of interest seed merchants, onion maidens, patriots, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. diplomats, prisoners, home builders as you stroll through and preservationists. You will observe the growth and change of Connecticut’s largest our community from a frontier settlement to historic district. a bustling colonial port, a thriving agricultural village, a growing suburb and now a leader in historic preservation. Use this map There is a small map on each of the markers to help you along the way. to guide you to Enjoy our town’s grand history and its role in these places the story of America. where history lives. For more information visit our town website: www.wethersfieldct.com 1. Keepers of History: (222 Main St.) 13. Millionaires’ Row: Individuals and organizations that played a prominent (Standish Park - Corner Hartford Ave and Nott St.) role in local historic preservation efforts. WETHERSFIELD C Suburbanization, homebuilders, trolleys and estates. COVE 16 2. Comstock, Ferre & Co.: (263 Main St.) 14. State Prison: (220 Hartford Ave.) The history of the Connecticut History of the American commercial seed industry and KELLEY the role of Comstock Ferre & Co. State Prison and the Solomon Welles House. HARTFORD 15 COVE PARK 3. First Church: (250 Main St.) HANMER PARK 15. State Prison Cemetery: MOTOR Public Common, the Fundamental Orders, Colonial RIVER VEHICLE 17 (Cove Park- State St.) Unmarked burying grounds Meetinghouse, Yale College. ROAD 14 DEPT. for prison inmates. (212 Main St.) STATE HOWARD 4. Hurlbut-Dunham House: 13 (533 Main St.) Home to several prominent Wethersfield families, 16. Cove Warehouse: Last remaining 17th century warehouse, maritime Captain Hurlbut and the China trade. 12 trade and museum. GARDEN MEGGAT PARK MAIN HART STANDISH 5. Ancient Burying Ground: (99 Marsh St.) PARK One of Connecticut’s oldest burial grounds, gravestone 11 18 17. Hanmer Park: (Main Street corner River Rd.) art, notable burials, Connecticut Freedom Trail site. HARTFORD Neighborhood was home to many residents who made their living from the river and the sea. ANCIENT 6. Buttolph-Williams House: 2 BURYING CHURCH (249 Broad St.) Early colonial architecture, National 3 GROUND 18. Cradle of American Seed Companies: Historic Landmark, Connecticut Witch Trials and the TO 1 5 (304 Main St.) Agriculture, the Wethersfield seed industry setting for the novel the Witch of Blackbird Pond. SILAS and the history of the Charles C. Hart Seed Company. DEANE CENTER B 4 7. First Town: (East Side Broad St. Green) HWY A 6 TO First English settlement, early home sites, the Ten I-91 Adventurers, John Oldham and daughter towns. GARDEN A Keeney Memorial Center: 10 (200 Main St.) Heritage Walk orientation kiosk with map. Four centuries of Wethersfield history, 7 8. The Wangunk: (East Side Broad St. Green) Museum, High School, Governor Thomas Welles History of the Wangunk tribe and interaction with North Elementary School and Visitor Center. early English settlers. BROAD Public rest rooms and parking available here. D STREET 8 GREEN 9. Pequot War: (East Side Broad St. Green) MAIN B Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum: (211 Main St.) Life in Colonial Wethersfield, Webb Wethersfield’s role in America’s first war. TO 9 ELM House, George Washington’s visit, Silas Deane’s SILAS House, America’ s first diplomat. 10. Old Academy: (150 Main St.) Private DEANE school, Reverend Joseph Emerson, First High School, HWY C Cove Park: (533 Main St.) Importance Churches, home to Wethersfield Historical Society. TO RTE 3 of the Connecticut River, early settlement of Wethersfield, Connecticut’s first seafaring 11. Red Onion: (56 Hartford Ave.) Significance vessel, port of distribution. of this vegetable as a local industry, West Indies Trade, Onion Maidens and William Meggat seed grower. D Broad Street Green: wethersfield (Corner of Broad St. and Constitution Way) First English settlers, Wethersfield’s militiamen, 12. James Francis House: heritage walk the nation’s first cavalry unit, Revolutionary War, (120 Hartford Ave.) The Francis family, homebuilding, architecture, noteworthy trees and the Sophia Woodhouse and local inventions. Great Elm of Wethersfield ..
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