Parmelee Hill Road, south side at intersection of Pent Road

While some modern development has occurred to the east of the property, the land is still actively farmed and dominated by open fields.

  • Record ID: 160
  • Address: Parmelee Hill Road, south side at intersection of Pent Road
  • Current Owner: Town of Durham/Caltabiano, A.
  • Name of Building:
  • Historic Name: James E. Bailey House
  • Download PDF of Original Record

Notable Features

Surmounted by a four-paned overlight,the four-panelled central door is protected by a simple pedimented entrance portico. It is supported by four turned columns with square bases and capitals. The 1 1/2 story, 4-bay ell located on the western elevation features a ridge-to-street gable roof with two small dormers displaying six-over-one sash. Six-over-six sash are found throughout the rest of the house. A six-paned relieving arched window is exhibited in the facade gable end. A tall brick chimney is found on the western ell and a modern concrete-block chimney is featured on the north elevation of the main block. Outbuildings include a large 2 story barn with silo, a smaller single story concrete block barn, and other farm-related structures.

Historical or Architectural Importance

Located at the intersection of Parmelee Hill and Pent Roads, this 2 1/2 story, 3 – bay, late nineteenth-century Domestic-style dwelling was built by James E. Bailey in 1872.
Supported by a brownstone foundation, the clapboarded balloon frame is capped with an asphalt-shingled gable-to-street roof.
In 1872 James E. Bailey (1826-1893), the son of Jeremiah and Maria (Nettleton) Bailey, erected this farmhouse directly across the street from his father’s residence (see Ezra Camp House). Born in Madison, Bailey married Electa A. Burr (1838-1916) of Haddam in 1860. Bailey, a farmer, served as a town assessor and school visitor for many years. In 1918 James’s youngest son, George Henry Bailey (b. 1874), purchased the farm from his mother’s estate. Married to Ethel Janette Crowell of Middletown in 1910, George continued to farm the property until 1931 when he sold it out of the family. The property still operates as a dairy farm.
Still located on an active farm, the James E. Bailey House serves as a link to the area’s agricultural past.