Colonial Houses
Windsor Houses
Windsor was a wealthy community during the Revolutionary War era, and there are many fine examples of Georgian architecture to be seen. The houses shown on this site are all listed in the Town of Windsor Historic Survey, conducted by the Windsor Planning Department in 1981. The cutoff date for construction was set at 1785, shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War. Not all of the Colonial era houses in Windsor are presented on this site. Some houses were difficult to see because of landscaping or other restraints. The intent is to provide an overview of housing styles in Windsor, and not an exhaustive compilation.
The Georgian Style
The Georgian style was the building style that was popular in England and the American colonies during the 1700's and early 1800's. Based on ideas and principals of design developed during the Italian Renaissance, the style reflects symmetry and balance. The style was named after King George I, who ruled England in the early 1700's. American colonists became aware of the Georgian style by reading English architectural manuals and pattern books of the time. The colonists wanted their homes to convey the same sense of dignity and prestige as the English, and the Georgian style reflected this. Wildly popular in England, Georgian style houses provided a way for the American colonists to imitate the English ideals of good taste and fashion.
Characteristics of the Georgian Style
The Georgian style was very balanced and symmetrical. When you look at the front of a Georgian style house, you normally see the front door in the center, and the windows evenly spaced out from there. A very common window arrangement was five windows across the front of the house, and two across the side - sometimes abbreviated as 5x2. There were often 2 ½ stories. The chimney was usually located in the center of the roof. In the case of houses with two chimneys, they were located at opposite ends of the house. Often the front door had Greek elements added, like pilasters (flattened columns) on the side and a pediment (decorative crown) over the top. The door itself was often a paneled double door. The roofs were usually pitched roofs, hip roofs, or sometimes gambrel roofs. Windsor houses exhibit all of these styles as well as an interesting variation - the saltbox style.
New England Style
In New England, house styles had to be practical as well as tasteful, and colonial builders developed a unique New England style. A good way to study houses of this period is to examine the roof styles that were used. The Pitch style roof was a classic design which had been in use for many years. It was easy to build and provided good protection from rain and snow. The Hip style roof was fancier, and provided a more pleasing and balanced look than a pitched roof. Hip roofs were usually found on the more expensive homes. The Gambrel style roof was developed to provide more attic space for storage or sleeping without raising the height of the house.
The Saltbox style roof is unique to New England. Saltbox houses feature a roof that slopes back farther in the back of the house. This design probably originated from homeowners adding extra sheds to the back of their houses, and then continuing the roof line down to cover them. The style was called a saltbox style because it resembled table salt boxes of the day, which had a hinged lid that could be opened to spoon out salt for use at meals.
The Houses
There are four villages that make up the town of Windsor: Windsor Center, Hayden Station, Poquonock and Wilson. The specific village is included after each house address. Also, Windsor Ave., Broad St., and Palisado Ave. are all portions of Rte. 159, which is the main route through Windsor.
Oliver Mather house
(Windsor Public Library)
built 1777
323 Broad Street, Windsor Center
1.
John Moore house
built 1765
390 Broad Street, Windsor Center
2.
Thomas Allyn house
built 1730
119 Deerfield Avenue, Wilson
3.
Will Phelps house
built 1670
122 East Street, Poquonock
4.
Deacon John Moore house
built 1664
37 Elm Street, Windsor Center
5.
Nathaniel Hayden house
built 1763
128 Hayden Station Rd., Hayden Station
6.
John Hayden house
built 1770
162 Hayden Station Rd., Hayden Station
7.
Deacon John Loomis house
built 1690
Loomis Chaffee Campus, Windsor Center
8.
Elisha Barber house
built 1767
33 Meadow Street, Wilson
9.
Alexander Wolcott house
built 1745
5 Moorlands, Windsor Center
10.
Thomas Hayden house
built 1769
5 North Meadow St., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
11.
William Lovell house
built 1780
9 North Meadow St., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
12.
The "Denslow Place"
built 172614 North Meadow St., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
13.
John & Sarah Strong house
built 1758
96 Palisado Ave., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
14.
Rev. William Russell house
built 1755
101 Palisado Ave., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
15.
Hezekiah Chaffee house
built 1765
108 Palisado Ave., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
16.
Captain James Hooker house
built 1765
118 Palisado Ave., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
17.
Elijah Mather house
built 1767
256 Palisado Ave., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
18.
Jonathan Ellsworth house
built 1784
336 Palisado Ave., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
19.
Captain Samuel Stoughton house
built 1740
546 Palisado Ave., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
20.
John Hoskins house
built 1760
560 Palisado Ave., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
21.
John Gaylord house
built 1772
597 Palisado Ave., Windsor Center - Palisado Ave.
22.
David Ellsworth house
built 1770
773 Palisado Ave., Hayden Station
23.
Oliver Ellsworth house
built 1740
788 Palisado Ave., (Hayden Station)
24.
Isaac Hayden house
built 1773
947 957 Palisado Ave., Hayden Station
25.
Eliakim Marshall house
built 1785
221 Pigeon Hill Rd., Poquonock
26.
Moses Niles house
built 1776
1257 Poquonock Ave., Poquonock
27.
Joseph Barnard house
built 1752
1591 Poquonock Ave., Poquonock
28.
Seraijah Loomis house
built 1770
949 Windsor Ave., Wilson
29.
Abel Strong house
built 1778
1095 Windsor Ave., Wilson
30.
Captain Nathaniel Loomis house
built 1752
1174 Windsor Ave., Wilson
31.