Hatheway House, house in Suffield, Connecticut
Hatheway House is a residential property built in the 1760s in Suffield, Connecticut, showing how architectural styles and ownership shaped its development over time. The structure expanded through additions, including a wing from 1794 featuring imported French wallpapers, followed by further extensions added during the Hatheway family's long tenure.
Built in 1761 by Shem Burbank as a family residence, the property fell on harder times when his loyalist sympathies during the Revolution left him financially weakened. Oliver Phelps purchased it around 1788 and made improvements, but the Hatheway family ultimately owned the house for over a century, preserving it through generations.
The house reflects how prosperous families in the Connecticut River Valley decorated and furnished their homes during the 18th century. Visitors can see the everyday objects and arrangements that reveal what daily life looked like for people of means during that period.
The house is accessible on weekend afternoons from May through October and offers guided tours by arrangement. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes when exploring the rooms and grounds, which feature mature trees and require some walking through older spaces.
A large sycamore tree standing in front of the house is approximately 300 years old and was already there before the house was built. This ancient tree shades the property and serves as a living connection to the landscape long before the residence appeared.
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