South End Avenue, west side

Facing east onto South End Avenue, the George Atwell House is sited on a maple shaded lot which drops off to the west exposing the rear basement. The house is set in a residential neighborhood which contains buildings from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries.

  • Record ID: 171
  • Address: South End Avenue, west side
  • Current Owner: Wiatrak, Alex and Susan
  • Name of Building:
  • Historic Name: George Atwell House
  • Download PDF of Original Record

Notable Features

The three-bay, side-hall-plan facade is highlighted by a six-panelled door framed by two thin vertical three-paned sidelights and topped with a thin molded cornice.
Flanking the sidelights are thin fluted pilasters with mrulded cornices. Stylistically, it is most probable that the doorway is a later addition. Added to the rear of the house is a single story, shed-roofed ell. The six-over-six sash feature fixed louvered shutters.

Historical or Architectural Importance

This mid-nineteenth-century Domestic-style structure, reminiscent of the Greek-Revival style,was built in 1844 by George Atwell. The 2 1/2 story building is oriented gable-to-street with an asphalt-shingled roof. Utilizing a post-and-beam framing system, it is covered in aluminum siding and sits on sandstone foundation.
In the spring of 1844 farmer George Atwell purchased a three-acre lot from Charles Robinson on which he erected this house. Atwell (1805-1881), the son of Jesse and Phebe Atwell,was married to Eliza Camp (1804-1889) of Middlefield. Besides farming, he also owned a portion of the tannery his father once operated along Malt Brook. Active in local affairs, Atwell was selected as a fenceviewer in 1851 and elected as town selectman in 1852. Two of his sons, Curtis C. and Seager,served in the Civil War, with Seager. rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The house remained in the Atwell family until 1889.
The George Atwell House is an important reminder of the agricultural and industrial community that thrived in this area during the mid-nineteenth century.