At Over 300 Years Old This Darien, CT Home Is INCREDIBLE | Take A Look Inside
Вставка
- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Old homes in New England are so beautiful! This house definitely needs some TLC but what you will find is plenty of old New England charm and character. Come tour this old New England beauty.
Location: Darien, CT
Year Built: 1694
Beds: 3
Baths: 1.5
Sq Ft: 2,240
Acres: 0.58
I grew up in a house exactly like this in Hartland Connecticut. I believe it was built in 1740. I came along over 200 years later in 1949. I live in New Hampshire now, but my mom, at 103, still lives in the colonial by herself.
57 years in Ct and I just learned there is a Hartland, Ct
That house is around the corner from me. It's being restored and it now looks AMAZING! Thanks for posting.
I’d love to see a picture of it now
Me too!!
Me three!!!
Does the house have a name or address we could look up to see if there's any updated photos or videos posted? Thanks in advance for an info you could provide
Grew up one block from that house! What an opportunity for someone to clean it up and make it a unique home.
The dowel as you call it is a peg. To peg the pieces together. Lovely video.
From a life-long New Englander
➡️ I grew up in an old house circa 1750 in a town right next to Darien. It had wide plank floors, hand hewn nails, hand-forged hardware on all the doors, tiny rooms with low ceilings and eves, fireplace, dirt floor basement with stone walls laid in by hand. I loved that house so much. It had a soul. I still often dream I'm there. It was also very haunted but I never felt there was a dark energy. Anyway, just found your channel and subscribed. Gonna binge on the previous uploads.
Ghosts aren't real.
@@bivvystridents3752 maybe you just haven’t seen one!
@@jgwood10 yawn...
@@jgwood10 That's because they aren't real.
My husband and I live in the 13th oldest house in Minnesota. It was built by his great grandfather, J. D. Howard, who was from New Hampshire and moved to Minnesota. He became a Senator and founded Cloquet, MN. He has a sawmill in Duluth. The house we live in is a two story hand hewned log house with a full basement. It sits on 100 acres with a large red barn, quonset hut and sauna building. We're working on making it liveable since it was neglected for such a long time.❤🎉
100 acres!!! That is amazing!
Lucky you bless you for caring for it! Patricia Gambino Harrington
That is really exciting! I hope we can see it!
A sauna? I'd bet your ancestors were from Finland. A contractor told me once he was building in the Michigan upper peninsula, where a lot of Finnish immigrants settled, and the sauna was always the first thing they wanted built.
The door looks original...wow, imagine how many times that door has been opened in 300 years! I wish I could go back in time and see the first family who moved in.
The original owner would have been the builder, or someone of at least moderate income. In 1700, most homes were much smaller.
I wish you posted the floor plan. And shown the upstairs.
My Interior Designer eye is seeing so much potential in this beautiful period house! 😍 I live in the UK but if I lived in New England, i would buy this house and restore it to it's former glory..or as near to it as possible!
I love rustic houses. I would do all I could to make it look as it was and keeping the charm as it is. I would try to seal what I could so woods stay not only the look they have, but also protect them into the future. What fun this house could be! I am in love with this house! How wonderful it would be to have wood burning cook stoves. I would be sure to have all windows in working conditions and find fans to move the air.
I’m PD of Darien TV79, our towns govt cable station. Thanks for your excellent video about one of our towns real gems. Now fully restored. I should send you some “after” pictures to go w your “before” video 😎
You mean this house in the video is now fully restored? Wow! Are the photo's online anywhere?
I would love to see the after pictures. OldNEHouses@gmail.com
No idea what they did with the interior but the outside looks spiffy
That would be fantastic!
The S on the chimney is something quite commonly found in older properties in the UK. It is generally used when an older wall starts to bow. It is fixed to the wall above and below the weak point so that the centre of the S holds the wall in place.
@@rspeckham the s as a shear wall, or as a structural S is slightly different in shape and size. It is anchored and has a couple of cross bars interjecting the S.
This S is to protect the building from natural disasters.
I once lived in Darien, originally from Norwalk. The town has the records on the house.
I think some S's were added for decorative reasons by modern owners, often in locations that made no sense.
Yeah, structural embellishments.
looks like BIG HORSE SHOES
We have similar things on old houses in England, usually on outside walls, stabilising the house. I've not seen any 9n chimneys, though.
I love the character and the quality of older homes such as this.
Thank you for showing this!
Totally Amazing and beautiful house. In 1976 the interest in old houses and antiques was great because of the 200 year Centennial of the USA. I was all into antiques at that time. I still love old houses and all the work that went into building them. That garden with the brick paths and the raised beds looks just like my backyard I made when I lived in Pennsylvania. Thanks!
This house is the oldest remaining commercial structure in CT. It served as a tavern and blacksmith shop. Its named the Pond Weed Home.
Thank you for that. I was wondering its history.
@lmc2375 look it up. It has an interesting history. It was a residential home for at least 35 years or so. It's a saltbox and was the entry point between Stamford and Darien.
Yes, the Weed family was prominent in the Stamford area. (Darien was originally part of Stamford.) I lived in one of the Weed homes that was built in 1797 right nearby on the way to Cove Island park. The park was the site of a large grist mill back in colonial days.
oh the stories those old boards could tell...
@patticlements9637 hopefully, you had a pleasant experience living in a piece of history, as those old homes can be a glorious pain.
A friend of mine lives in a farmhouse in Upper Bavaria first mentioned in 1341. And it's owned by his family since. The foundations are still the original ones the rest of the house is mostly 16th century.
And a few years ago I worked in a retirement home in Trier, a German city founded 16 BC. It's situated in a former cloister secularized 1806 when the area was ruled by Napoleonic France.
And they still use a gigantic wine cellar which was built under the rule of Roman emperor Constantine around the year 300 AD
Your wooden dowel is called a Trunnel (tree nail), usually made of green oak The holes were drilled off-center so when the Trunnel was pounded in it pulled the joint tight.
@@onasledoverland Maybe in your area. I spent years disassembling 18th century houses and always ran into oak trunnels.
See "Escape to Rural France" where one sees the method used in rebuilding the rooves.
This reminds me very much of my best friend's house when we were growing up in Monroe, CT. Her's was maybe 50-100 years newer, so it was in much nicer shape -- at least the walls and ceilings were, and most of the floors. We called those wooden fasteners pegs, rather than dowels. I loved their massive fireplace and the dirt cellar under the house. Their main stairway to the second floor was a sweeping curved staircase that reminded me of being straight out of Gone With the Wind. Ah, how I miss those days and, particularly, that house. It was lovely.
I lived in a house from 1987 to 2004 that was built between 1795 and 1805. It had many hand hewn pegged beams. I absolutely loved that house, and I hated to leave it. The house is still there, but people have done some bad things to the outside. That painting on the floor was a rug painted directly onto the floor. I'm a retired Master Stenciler and have made a few painted floor cloths, which are painted on cloth that is used to make sails that has been treated. I used Gesso to treat the cloth, then it was stenciled. Finally, several coats of varnish were applied. A well made floor cloth can last almost forever. I love your channel, and I'm so happy I found it a few months ago! You're like a much younger, male version of me!
Would have loved your narration/tour of this house.
It was common for folks to put rugs in the rooms as decoration as well as for warmth. Many folks could not afford a rug in each room, so they painted the rug to decorate. The public rooms were where the woven or hooked rugs would be kept showing visitors their ability to have rugs.
I love Connecticut and all of New England. My parent’s home (built in 1977) is near this house and is styled much like that house.
That home was nothing short of amazing! I throughly enjoyed that tour! And here i sit thinking my 1885 farmhouse is old! I love all the imperfections! I wouldn't change much in the house at all. Keep everything as original as possible.
I'm assuming that the door handle which looks to be the original one had to be moved to the left slightly because over time the heavy use wore the wood down. So they moved it slightly to get a better surface to attach the handle. ❤
My husband’s family has held a Saltbox home in New Hampshire for hundreds of years now and for the most part pretty identical to your new purchase. My sister in law is from Darien Ct and the New Hampshire home was her and my husband’s family home. My husband is a home remodeler and redid any work on the old house by hand. No power tools at all. Their cousin now owns the house and raising her boys there. You have a real gem of a house. Enjoy the journey.
I love folks that value the history behind these homes!
Floors were stenciled frequently as a stenciled rug design. Decorative..
What a wonderful old home! All it needs is some soap and water with a good cleaning. The old hardware is to die for, and as much original things that can be kept… should be kept. I’m a big fan of ORIGINAL. Mortise and tendon joints, and some pegged. terrific! Would love to have met some of the people who lived there!
I grew up in Darien and went by this house every day. Kids on the school bus told ghost stories of this house and I always wondered what the inside was like. I’m pretty sure this is one of the oldest surviving buildings from Middlesex Parish, when Darien and Stamford were connected in the 1600s until the 1730s
@@tjc5774 Absolutely. I lived in Norton heights in my 20's and those ghost stories are only made scarier by the location of the house to the graveyard and pond. On misty mornings, the place looks creepy.
I lived on nearwater lane and always wondered what was going on with this house.
@@Ninjanimegamer when there was that blizzard on Halloween a while ago, I think 2011, it was cold enough that me and my friends didn’t sink into the 3 feet of snow. But the memory of walking past that house that night with the wind blowing up all that snow still kinda freaks me out. Also we all dared each other to to trick or treat there and I think only one of us made it within 15 feet of the door lol
@@tjc5774yes, that was a wild Halloween. I would not go near that house. I drove by it enough times, but always felt uneasy around the property. I held my breath as I drove by; especially on dark rainy nights. I sometimes would side glance a peak.
I can't imagine how any kid would get that close, but I guess on a dare kids will do just about anything.
I was born and raised back east , in the PA area . After school , I moved out west . I miss those style of houses , they have a lot of stories to tell 😌
Oh, that’s an old one.
Could use a little love, but absolutely lovely.
You can tell it's a Yankee house. Ain't no front porch to relax on. All in all, an amazing piece of architecture.
Love your channel. Exploring old houses is so much fun. I am definitely not a fan of 'open floor plans'. I prefer rooms separated and most definitely want a kitchen to be its own room. Don't understand why people want to cook in their living rooms.
I agree completely!
Me too. I never understood why they started making all the new homes this way. I hate walking into my mom's house and seeing all the mess in the kitchen along with the smells lol
To each their own but wherever I’ve lived it always seems like everyone hangs out in the kitchen. Many pioneer cabins were basically one room with maybe a sleeping loft for the kids. So the kitchens were a part of the house. A modern open floor plan allows me to be able to chat with my family and friends while preparing a meal. But it’s whatever best fits your life style, I guess. If we all did the same thing life would be far less interesting. 😊
I agree!!
@@randomvintagefilm273If I saw my mother's kitchen a mess, I'd get in there to clean it for her, her windows too, and did when she just was unable to find the stamina for it. She'd have a glass, a spoon, and plate in the sink, and apologizing for the mess. I always pitched in, even when younger; flew up, spent my few vac days doing things so she didn't have to. Same for my GMother. I only wish she was still here, for me to hear her say it, and more, again. I will never forget her voice; either of them.
The s on the chimney probably has an opposing s on the back side as well. If so, there would be a metal rod running through the chimney connecting the two s's. The s's would actually be braces to help keep the chimney from ever separating towards the top. You will find these even in/on the second story walls on many historic rock or brick structures. Thanks so much for sharing!
Agree
Exactly my thinking. Here in the UK we usede them in exactly the same way, and with the age of this house, the old British ideas would have still been very relevant
Oh my I love love this house !!! I want to move right in !!!!!! That one door is so special!!!!!! Great job showing us this beautiful home !!!
I believe A peg held a mortise and tenon joint together- still used today in some post and beam construction. Thanks for the tour!
Yeah, I am also pretty sure that connection wooden rods were called pegs.
Tree nail, some times trennel.
The "S" on the chimney probably has another on the other side of the chimney, joined together by an iron pin. Together, the two Ss and the pin provide stability for the chimney. These post-construction problem solvers can be seen on many old stone buildings.
What a amazing First Period home. So much original detail. By the way, I enjoy that you have added your commentary to your videos!
Love this! My grandmother’s family was living in that area in the 1600s. Nice to see what their houses were like.I think this one may have been built by Nathaniel Pond, not in my family.
someone below already commented on this first but yes, I am from the UK also and an "S-shaped iron" on old buildings is typically called an "anchor plate" or "pattress plate," which is a metal fixture often shaped like an "S" used to structurally reinforce brick walls by preventing them from bowing outward; it connects to tie rods that run through the building's structure, essentially "anchoring" the wall to the interior support system. In this case, it probably just runs through the chimney out the other side.
Great video, thanks again, this house is gorgeous, just needs some TLC , just enough to preserve it and bring little things back to life. Short do that I'd not changeuch at all, I'd want to just preserve things . Love it. This is what I eventually plan to do in a few yrs with my wife is find one of these and live the rest of my days out in one. Look forward to ur next video , thanks again
Beautiful home! Thank you for sharing these pieces of history!
I enjoy looking through old houses that haven’t been touched. You can see their potential.
Enjoyed!! Amazing how plumb the structure appears; the panels throughout are beautiful!! ■ Thank you!! M
boom let's go let's go treasure and adventure ✌👵
I used to work for a log home designer. I believe what you're looking at with the log joinery is timber framing. A lot of these old log buildings were built by men with experience in ship building. Maybe look to ILBA, International Log Builders Association for answers on what type of joinery it is and how to fix it. When it was originally built, ALL joints would have been very tight. Depending on whether they used seasoned (dry) timbers or green (fresh cut), there will always be "checking" . . . drying and settling. And after 300 years, there's bound to be dryrot.
That's an impressive house for sure. You were asking about other names for the dowels holding the joints together. In the parlance of old post and beam construction, they're called "trunnels," which is short or "tree nails." The holes in the joint were usually offset so that when the trunnel was driven in, it would suck the joint in tightly.
Dude, I love this house! Thank you for bringing this to us! How refreshing to see these!!!
I think as others have said, it is a peg. Note it is inserted cross grain. Sometimes in furniture making the peg is split and a wedge is hammered in then trimmed off. In shipbuilding this would be called a "trunnel" (treenail). I think dowels came later.
Stunning old home. Love the architecture of that time.
So amazing that a house this old is still standing. The hand painting on the floors is really pretty. I hope a preservation-minded person will take it over. Once you zoomed in, I could see that the S on the chimney was made from horseshoes. Really cool!
I'm amused by your comment, having been brought up in a 400-year old house in England, where many thousands of far older houses survive. In fact, in Hythe, Kent, where my parents lived, there is a 1000-year old house, still occupied!
@@jomc20 Yes, I've been to England, and visited The Jerusalem Inn (circa 1189) in Nottingham, and Charlemagne's chapel (800 AD) in Aachen, Germany. But for a wood frame home in the "Colonies", where so many buildings are torn down in the name of progress (that nasty word), it is still quite impressive. Here in Southern California, most of our oldest buildings (from the late 1500s, when we were part of New Spain), were constructed of adobe clay brick, which does not last without constant maintenance. But I do adore your Cotswold stone cottages. :)
I grew up in a house built in 1769 that had an 'S' on it too. It's not initials, but I think more for a structural purpose.
You’re right it’s an anchor plate to keep the masonry in place
That's what I was going to say. One usually sees them on the outer walls of old brick/stone structures with the tension rod connecting to the opposite outer wall and another "S". Many times one shall see star shapes, and other sorts.
Wow. I am blown away. That is just incredible to see.
The 'scratches' in the beams were made so when they were covered, the "render" would stick better. Very common in old French houses especially, same with the S,X & Z tie bars to hold walls together
Great video and Beautiful house (once again)
I love the staircase and would also choose green as a paint color. Thanks for all your hard work Andrew! Merry Christmas and Best wishes for 2025 🎄 Xxx
I love this house!!
We visited George Washington’s home , Mt. Vernon, all the floors had been left unfinished. All I could think about was all the historical people who had walked on that floor.
Diamond in the rough. Beautiful home
What a remarkable house!
I worked in Darien Ct for over 30 years and I passed by this house a lot. I always wanted to know what it looked like inside. Thanks for the video and it answered my questions about what it looked liked. There’s a sign outside the house dating it. It indicates 1763 on it. Thanks.
Just found your channel. Historic homes bring me joy. Our history is so unique and how far we have come in such a short period of time is so interesting. Great work.
I had an idea for a channel like this but I don't have the time. Im glad you are doing it, I love your channel ❤❤❤
This is gorgeous ! Magnificent !
I pass that house all the time located on the Post Road & also knew the owner who lived there in the early 1970s--he used to say he had lots of work to do on it. I never went inside & not sure when he left/sold, but at that time (and also years later) the outside of the house was painted a dark brown....which made it look not as old as it really was. Now that that brown paint has been removed, it pops out as the true historic gem it is.
It's called a peg or a trunnel - a tree nail.
Love this house! Thanks for the post!
the hand hewn beam joinery technique with the wooden oak pegs is called Mortise and Tenon. the 3 marks on the beam are actually roman numerals.
I’ve never seen Roman numerals actually carved on beams like that. Only scratch marks, so to speak. I’ve seen it on old cabins and Shaker buildings. But I’m not an architectural historian, so just sharing. Now I’ll be looking for Roman numerals.
It's amazing that it hasn't burned down or been eaten by termites.
The "S" on the chimney is to reinforce it. There are rods attached to the "S" going through the stone. You'll also see the "S" on many old building to hold brick or stone walls to the structural frame to stabilize the walls.
The cuts on posts and beams at 14:08 look like they were puposeful to key plaster. I agree that the exposed beams are charming, but that is a more modern taste as you observed. Sometimes they were cased in finished lumber with a bead edge and painted, though. The painting on the floor appears to imitate a hooked rug - any old decoration like that should be preserved as they are quite rare. This is a lovely and interesting house; some surviving late 17th c. homes are surprisingly large.
Beautiful.
It looks so cool 😎. Don't know how toxic that house is 300+ years old. It don't look level. Awesome house.
Obvious from these photos a handyman was in here. Glad to see in comments below that the original beauty is being restored correctly. Enjoy this channel. I grew up in Lexington a short walk to the Green, my Dad built our reproduction. The last 30 or so yrs. of his life he worked for the Massachusetts Historical Preservation Society. He worked alot on Beacon Hill and N.H. also. Miss New England terribly.😑
The “S” should be found on both sides of the chimney with a rod running between them. It is to keep the sides from bowing out.
Yes. If there is an S on the other side of the chimney it is to support the chimney A metal rod goes through the chimney or wall to stop it leaning.
We owned a home a few years ago which was on the map before the town we lived in so that the date of the home itself was not known. In the living room area you can clearly see the same ending boards and someone who had knowledge said there was formerly a "dog run" through the middle of the house. This was an open hallway (outside) where meats were hung. In our home you could see the wood was weathered on either side where the wood planks were abruptly cut. What is going on in this old home because you can believe they probably did have a dog run through the center of that room since it is on the ground floor
The imperfections in the large beam that you show at 14.11 could be adze marks, a tool used to flatten the sides of beams. Broadaxes were also used.
The S on chimney is a wall anchor I think to fix bowing walls
Huh? Why would they put it there, it must be related to a name
I read that too, but it doesn't make sense for the time period.
Wall anchors were used in later model homes for wall support.
This is structural as well but in really old homes like this, it was used to provide significant protection against natural disasters.
Agree it’s a wall anchor. It sometimes has a solid star, on both sides, which act as braces to keep the walls from bowing. Chimmies especially in New England, which are exposed to constant heat and freeze cycles, were notorious for needing constant mortar repair around the stonework.
I’m surprised you didn’t make note of the atrocious baseboard heating in almost all the rooms. I suppose it’s a necessity for modern living, but I’m curious whether it was water (where’s the boiler?) or electric heating. Did these homes come with a basement?
This house is amazing. I dont think I think I would leave home very often if I owned it.
Great, saving history 😊
It’s beautiful!
Great house I am glad everything isn't painted white I love the exposed wood also!
Many owners had the good sense to preserve what they had.
What a lovely place! It looks like it served as some sort of museum based on the collection of items displayed in the room - sewing machines, the cost, etc.
It needs some work, but looks to actually be in pretty good shape! It could be made gorgeous again!
Oh! I just realized that with your posting schedule, this is last call before Christmas! So... Nerty Christmas to you and yours!
💚❤️🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄❤️💚
The wooden pegs holding the beams together were actually called 'trenails'. Also, the hatch marks that you on the timbers are as you say, part of the milling process, but they weren't milled in a mill. Those marks exist because the timbers were hand-hewn with a broad axe. You would cut little box-shaped sections in the timbers and then use a broad axe to cut the wood between the sections thus creating timbers with flat sides; this would cause the cut marks or hatch marks you alluded to.
OUR FAMILY CAME IN 1682 TO PA WITH WILLIAM PENN. THEIR ANCESTRAL HOME WAS BUILT IN 1701 AND IS NOW A HISTORIC SITE. ALWAYS INTERESTED IN FAMILY HISTORY.WHEN WE MOVED OVERSEAS WE BUILT A HOUSE 🏠 AND NAME OUT HALF ACRE OF PARADISE AFTER THE OLD HOMESTEAD. ENCLOSED IS A PHOTO OF BOTH, ENJOYED YOUR VIDEO.
Post and beam structures are amazing with their mortise and tenon joinery. A work of art!
There are many surnames that distinguish his ancestor's occupation. There were craftsmen who hewed joints in structures such as the mortise and tenons, and the pegs in this home. My surname is Joyner, a name arrived at thru centuries beginning about 1400. Most likely my surname started as Jointer which meant "finisher of ships". Occasionally, even nowadays, a craftsman will refer to himself as a jointer - a person who specializes in door and window trim work. Bids on this kind of work can be found in a large home or business where there is enough need to warrant such a specialty. Some people may have an interest in the origin of surnames and explore such.
Probably a mark of a wall. Smaller bedrooms were the way.
WOW...would love to bring that back ❤ I have brought back two 1850's homes.
These designs would have been typical of structures built in colder climates. Down South in hotter climates homes would have been built with high ceilings and taller windows-opposite each other to allow a better flow of air.
Please show restroom if possible next time. Love tuning in for all your videos thank you so much. From Southern California 🌞🍂🍁🫶🏽
I think the iron S on the chimney is part of a through brace to reinforce the old brickwork from sagging outwardly from its own weight. There is probably an S on the opposite side with an iron rod which goes right through the center of the chimney bolting both S plates together.
The dowel is called a peg and the method is called timber framing. The door with that interesting cast iron handle is on the side of the house and is called the coffin door, because as you can see, a coffin could not be passed through the front door. The coffin door connects to the main room so getting caskets in and out would be possible after the funeral. My sister has a house built about 60 years later with an almost identical floorplan. It was in the same family until the 1970s and the only modernization was to install a bathroom upstairs and put some small electric baseboard heaters in the upstairs bedrooms. They have a wood stove in the main fireplace area and do all of their heating with wood to this day. They have also added on a modern kitchen and bathroom on the back of the house, though all of the woodwork is in keeping with the 1700s, cabinetry finished with period planing tools etc. Their house is a historic landmark as George Washington as well as other notable political figures of the revolutionary war conducted business there when it was an inn and public house.
Peg and Post construction. the term was peg instead of dowel that we use now. usually made of black locust because the locust didn't shrink over time like most woods
beautiful house I would live in it..character by the ton..love it
The dowels used back then were called noggins. They were hand whittled from board scraps or branches. Instead of saying they were whittling a dowel, they would say, what later became a popular phrase. It was where the phrase “Scobb your noggin” came from.
Another great house. Love your narrating
Timeless old house, that floor painting was very unusual. Probably does go back to the very beginning and since there was no carpet in those days it makes it look like it was a decoration. Possibly a family Crest maybe ?
Roman numerals on framing were used to match joints as they were hewn on the ground and assembled later(house/barn raising)
Stunning. ❤
The “dowel” is called a peg. The painting on the floor represents a rug, save all you can of it, it was hand painted.
this could be a beautiful home again.. I saw 3 marks on the other beam just had to move my screen to see it..ty for sharing.
In 2020 I found a beautiful place in Leicester MA built in 1720. The main roof beam was a 66' raw log which was original to the house. Lots of cherry and walnut hand-hewn paneling . Not on historical register because the owner went with replacement windows for heat efficiency.
Spectacular!
The the wooden beam connection you referred to being doweled is actually Notched and Pegged .
Thank you. I love your videos. I'm from NC.
lovely....
The first year that Singer sewing machine was manufactured was 1851. At that time was I.M. Singer & Co. The first year electric machine pro-type was 1910. It would making quilts for during cold winter months to keep warm.
There are MANY old houses like this in the river valley and if in the Hartford area there are homes that offer tours. Visiting Wethersfield is a must