Tuttle Road, west side

Set back off the west side of Tuttle Road, the Stephen Bailey House is surrounded by woodland and open fields in a rural residential neighborhood. The area is rapidly changing with substanti al modern development occurring to the north and south of the property.

Notable Features

The Stephen Bailey House is a 2 1/2 story, three-bay, late nineteenth-century Domestic-style building constructed in 1876. Utilizing the side-hall plan, the facade features a
gable-to-street, asphalt-shingled roof. Anchoring its clapboarded balloon frame is a foundation of sandstone. The gable end features heavy cornice returns and broad
overhanging eaves, characteristic of the Greek Revival style. The rounded arched window in the gable peak is a popular Domestic architectural feature of the late nineteenth century. The facade entranceway, surrounded by a simple molded frame, is capped by a flat-roofed doorhood supported by foliated brackets. The north elevation features a full-length, single story, flat-roofed addition enhanced by corner scroll bracket under the eaves. A small single story, shed-roofed ell has been added to the western elevation. Outbuildings include a single story garage and a large gambrel-roofed barn.

Historical or Architectural Importance

In 1860 Nancy Bailey (1825-1895), wife of Stephen Bailey (1815-1894), bought the “Tuttle Farm”, a fifty-acre lot with buildings in the western portion of Durham.
In 1876 Stephen Bailey’s house assessment jumped from $150.00 to $1000.00, indicating he replaced the old farmhouse with a new building. A native of Haddam, Stephen Bailey farmed the property until his death in 1894. Stephen’s son, James H. Bailey (1850-1903), received the property in 1896 and operated the farm until 1903. James H. Bailey’s estate was equally divided between his two sons, James and Arthur Bailey. In 1915 James quit-claimed his share to his brother Arthur, a silver spinner. The house
still remains in the Bailey family. Long associated with the same family, the Stephen Bailey House is a well-preserved representation of the architectural style popular in the late nineteenth century.