Madison Road, east side

Facing west, the Wm. Wadsworth House is set on an elevated wooded lot overlooking the intersection of Routes 17 and 79. Located in an area which developed as a commercial community in the twentieth century, the house is bordered to the rear by open farmland.

  • Record ID: 32
  • Address: Madison Road, east side
  • Current Owner: Blakeslee, Henry Arnold
  • Name of Building:
  • Historic Name: William Wadsworth House
  • Download PDF of Original Record

Notable Features

Although the William Wadsworth House has been vacant for many years and is quickly deteriorating it retains many original features. The facade displays four bays on
the first story and the bays on the second story. Fully Greek Revival in character are the wide flush-board corner pilasters supporting a massive entablature which
extends below the eaves around the entire house. On all four elevations the second story sash extend into and interrupt the entablature. Surrounded with plain trim,
the facade entrance way exhibits a modest single panel door as do the central doors on the north and south elevations. The 2 story, gable-roofed ell extending from
the rear elevation features eyebrow windows on the second story.

Historical or Architectural Importance

Prominently sited upon a hill at the intersection of Higganum and Madison roads, this 2 1/2 story, Greek Revival style house was built in 1848. Supported by a sandstone foundation, the clapboarded post-and-beam frame is capped with an asphalt-shingled hip roof. In 1846 Wedsworth Wadsworth sold his younger brother William a tract of land “south of my dwelling house” at the corner of Madison Road and Durham/Haddam Road. William (1817-1870) was the fourth son of Wedsworth and Content Scranton Wadsworth and a descendant of Col. James Wadsworth, one of Durham’s most prominent citizens. A farmer, William served as town clerk from 1846 to 1859 and again from ‘1860 to 1870. He also served as a Justice of the Peace and a town Representative. Never marrying, Wadsworth sold the property to Angeline L. Scranton in 1863, reserving the premises to himself during his natural life .. Miss Scranton (b. 1811 ) married Orrin Camp ( b. 1803 ) of Oquaukie, Illinois,in 1873 and sold the house in 1874 shortly before
they migrated west. Architecturally the William Wadsworth House is significant as a superb example of the Greek Revival style and, historically, notable for its association with the, Wadsworth family and its role in the development of Durham.