Roderick Bryan House Explained

Roderick Bryan House
Coordinates:41.6458°N -73.1328°W
Architecture:Federal
Added:December 28, 2000
Area:3acres
Refnum:00001563

The Roderick Bryan House is a historic house at 867 Linkfield Road in Watertown, Connecticut. Built about 1820, it is a well-preserved example of a rural Cape style farmhouse. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Description and history

The Roderick Bryan House stands in a rural area of northeastern Watertown, at the northeast corner of Linkfield and Bryan Roads. It is a -story Cape style wood-frame structure, oriented facing west toward Linkfield Road. It has a gabled roof, central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. The main facade is five bays wide, with a center entrance framed by a 1940s Federal Revival surround of sidelights, doubled pilasters, and a peaked entablature with cornice. An ell extends to the rear (east) of the main block, joining the house to a barn. The interior follows a typical central chimney plan, with chambers to either side of the chimney, and a long room across most of the rear. Stairs to the attic are found in one corner. The interior retains many original features, including wainscoting, chair rails, fireplace paneling, and doors.[1]

The house was built about 1820 by Roderick Bryan, on land purchased by is father in 1807. Bryan was a farmer, who apparently also operated a small tavern in the back of the house. The house was sold out of the family in 1910, to the son of a family servant for $1. The house exhibits a number of conservative building practices, notably in the layout, which is typical of mid-18th century Capes, while also adopting period practices such as raising the roof plate to provide additional interior space in the attic level.[1]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=00001563}} National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Roderick Bryan House]. Jan Cunningham. 2017-01-24. PDF. 2000. National Park Service.