32 Main Street (east side)

The Wadsworth House is situated on the east side of Main Street on an open lot and is located just north of Ackerman’s Store across the street.

  • Record ID: 115
  • Address: 32 Main Street (east side)
  • Current Owner: Lattime, Thelma E. and Martha
  • Name of Building:
  • Historic Name: Wedworth Wadsworth House
  • Download PDF of Original Record

Notable Features

Diamond-shaped window, topped by a flat projecting cornice, appears in the gable.
Open porch supported by one free-standing column.

Historical or Architectural Importance

In 1855 Wedworth Wadsworth built this 2 story, ballon framed Italianate style house. The building is covered by a slate-shingled gable-to-street roof with a large overhang supported by decorative sawn brackets. The house rests on a sandstone foundation and is topped by a central chimney. The Wadsworth House is unusual in that it is very narrow. The facade is marked by a centered three-sided shed-roofed bay with three 1/1 sash windows; directly above is a large 4/4 sash window capped by a flat, plain moulded hood supported by simple sawn brackets. A diamond-shaped plain frame window area, topped by a flat projecting cornice, appears in the gable. A one story full-length, hip-roofed addition is located on the south side. The southeast half is an enclosed sunporch and the entrance is sheltered by the southwest open porch supported by one free standing column. Other additions include a north one story, full-length enclosed addition, and there are two additions of f the east end. This house is first mentioned in a deed dated 1854 from David Snith to Zebulon Hale as ” … a certain piece of land on which Wedworth Wadsworth is about to erect a dwelling house … ” (DLR 23:27). Wadsworth’s wife Rachel sold the house to David W. Robinson after the death of Wedworth in 1860. Wedworth Wadsworth (1782-1860) was born and died in Durham. According to the 1820 census he was a prosperous farmer, as four members of his large household (14), including tvwo free blacks, were engaged in agriculture. He and his wife, Content Scranton had five children. He was a Justice of the Peace in Durham 1842 and 1843, and a State Senator in 1842.