Thomas Harrison House (Branford, Connecticut)

The Thomas Harrison House is a historic house at 23 North Harbor Street in Branford, Connecticut. Probably built before 1723, it is one of the town's small number of surviving 18th-century houses, that is further distinctive because of its gambrel roof. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[1]

Thomas Harrison House
Thomas Harrison House (Branford, Connecticut) is located in Connecticut
Thomas Harrison House (Branford, Connecticut)
Thomas Harrison House (Branford, Connecticut) is located in the United States
Thomas Harrison House (Branford, Connecticut)
Location23 N. Harbor St., Branford, Connecticut
Coordinates41°16′34″N 72°49′23″W / 41.27611°N 72.82306°W / 41.27611; -72.82306
Arealess than one acre
Builtc. 1725 (1725)
Architectural styleGeorgian, Vernacular Georgian
Part ofCanoe Brook Historic District (ID02000335)
MPSColonial Houses of Branford TR
NRHP reference No.88002644[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 01, 1988
Designated CPApril 11, 2002

Description and history edit

The Thomas Harrison House is located west of Branford Center, in the Canoe Brook residential area. It is located at the northwestern corner of Bradley and North Harbor Streets, and is angled to face the junction. It is a 1+12-story wood-frame structure, with a gambrel roof and clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is five bays wide, and the front roof face is pierced by three gabled dormers. The house originally had a large central chimney, which (at least above the roof) has been replaced by a modern metal stovepipe. The main facade is symmetrical, with sash windows arranged around the main entrance, which is simply framed. An ell extends to the west of the main block.[2]

The house was probably built sometime before 1723, when a recently built house frame is mentioned in a real estate transaction granting the property to Thomas Harrison from his father's estate. It is one of a small number of 18th-century houses in Branford, and is unusual for the gambrel-roofed center chimney form, where most other period houses in the town are two full stories and have end chimneys.[2] The Harrisons were prominent local landowners.[3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "NRHP nomination for Thomas Harrison House". National Park Service. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  3. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Canoe Brook Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved July 11, 2018. With accompanying pictures