Solomon Rockwell House (Part 1 of 2) (225 Prospect Street, Winchester (Northwest Highlands))

Designations

National Register

Historic Significance

Architectural description:

This is a single-stall 1 ½-story gable-entry connected carriage house with a gable-roof. The carriage house is one of several connected additions on the side of the large Greek Revival house on this property, which faces Prospect Street. The primary façade of the carriage house is the northeast gable-end. It is oriented perpendicular to Prospect Street, which passes this site at a northwest to southeast angle.

The primary façade of this carriage house is the northeast gable-end. The main entry on this end consists of a pair of arched hinged wooden doors, centered. This entry is accessed via a slightly inclined earthen ramp. A nine-over-six double-hung window with trim is located to each side of this arched entry. A prominent Greek Revival pediment is pronounced on the façade gable, complete with a full lower cornice. A blind sunburst design is centered within the pediment. A portion of the mortared fieldstone foundation is visible at the east corner.

The southeast eave-side is blank. A rear entry is also located on the southwest gable-end of the carriage house. This entry consists of a pair of hinged wooden doors, centered. A narrow pent-roof projects outward over the door opening. The gable-attic on this end contains a centered six-over-six double-hung window with trim. The northwest eave-side is connected to a utility addition, which connects to the main side addition of the main house.

A stand-alone, square privy is located to the immediate southeast of the carriage house. It is oriented parallel to the adjacent carriage house. The entry for this is a centered pass-through door on the southwest gable-end. A six-over-six double-hung window is centered on the northeast gable-end. A pediment is located within the gable-attic on each gable-end. The pediment on the northeast gable-end is fully decorated in the Greek Revival style. The pediment over the entry on the southwest gable-end includes a simple cornice with no dentils or other decorative elements. Decorative Ionic corner pilasters face northeast on the two façade corners. The rear cornerposts are simple with no decoration.

Like the main house and other additions on-site, the exterior of this carriage house and privy are clad in horizontal wooden clapboard siding, except for the facades, which are each of horizontal flush wooden-siding. All wall surfaces are painted white. The carriage house foundation is of mortared fieldstone. The foundation of the privy is of cut stone. The roof of each is covered with gray asphalt shingles.

Historical significance:

Until the 1830s, the horses used for riding and driving carriages were often kept in the main barn along with the other farm animals. By the 1850s, some New England farmers built separate horse stables and carriage houses. Early carriage houses were built just to shelter a carriage and perhaps a sleigh, but no horses. The pre-cursor to the twentieth-century garage, these outbuildings are distinguished by their large hinged doors, few windows, and proximity to the dooryard.

The combined horse stable and carriage house continued to be a common farm building through the second half of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century, until automobiles became common. Elaborate carriage houses were also associated with gentlemen farms and country estates of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Field Notes

Solomon Rockwell House (c.1813), a classical Revival Colonial mansion, displays Victorian fashions, doll house, military collection, extensive collection of Civil War memorabilia, paintings by Erastus Salisbury Field. Fire department museum. An 1813 2 1/2-story center-chimney cut-stone foundation connected carriage house has pedimented peak with brackets and semi-elliptic-fanlight. Privy (3 hole) has cornice across gable, also reeded Ionic corner pilasters. House, Wood shed, carriage house. then privy (separate) and Horse Barn.

Use (Historic)

carriage barn

Use (Present)

museum

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Demolished

n/a

Location Integrity

Original Site

Related features

Environment features

Relationship to surroundings

This carriage house and attached main house complex are located on the prominent corner of Prospect Street with Lake Street (CT Route 263). The primary façade of the house, like the carriage house, is the northeast gable-end, facing this corner. A wide front lawn with scattered trees inclines up from the road to the house. The present access to the site is a gravel driveway off nearby Lake Street, which passes along the southwest (rear) side of the house and connected structures. A standalone eave-entry gable-roof barn is located to the immediate south of the carriage house, at the end of the driveway. Beyond this driveway to the southwest is a small woodland. On all other sides, this site is surrounded by dense development, with industrial complexes across the street to the northwest and northeast, and commercial sites to the east and southeast. A small creek flows beyond some of these sites to the east. Immediately beyond the creek is Main Street, (US Route 44/CT Route 183). This site is on the west side of the center of Winsted.

Lot/Block: 110/090/007
Size: 2.68 acres

Building Typology

Materials

Approximate Dimensions

n/a

Date Compiled

06/30/2011

Compiled By

N. Nietering & T. Levine, reviewed by CT Trust

Sources

Photographs by Todd Levine.

Sexton, James, PhD; Survey Narrative of the Connecticut Barn, Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, Hamden, CT, 2005, http://www.connecticutbarns.org/history.

Visser, Thomas D., Field Guide to New England Barns and Farm Buildings, University Press of New England, 1997, 213 pages.

Map of Winsted, CT, retrieved on June 30, 2011 from website www.bing.com.

Historic Map Works - Residential Geneology, Solomon Rockwell House photos, from the Historic American Building Survey. Avilable on the web: http://www.historicmapworks.com/Buildings/index.php?state=CT&city=Winsted&id=7306"Solomon Rockwell House,” National Register of Historic Places nomination, 1977.

Rockwell, Solomon, House [Image]
URL: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/77001500.pdf
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URL: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/77001500.pdf
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Publisher: National Park Service
Published: 07/15/1977
Access: Public access
Restrictions: All Rights Reserved
Format/Size: Physical document with text, photos and map
Language: eng: English
Note: 226 Prospect St.
Item No.: 77001500 NRIS (National Register Information System)
Subject: ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING
Subject: ARCHITECTURE
Subject: FEDERAL
Subject: BUILDING
Subject: 1800-1824
Keywords: Swift,William;1813
Place: CONNECTICUT—Litchfield County—Winsted

Record Number: 373640
Record Owner: National Register of Historic Places

Historic Barns of Connecticut

Barn Record Winchester