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Wethersfield, Connecticut: Onions, Seeds, and Connecticut's Oldest Streets

Wethersfield, Connecticut

Pictures from Wethersfield

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Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum Cove Warehouse, Wethersfield Cove

Wethersfield was settled in 1634, or possibly earlier, and vies with Windsor for the title of Connecticut's first town; the Connecticut River forms its eastern boundary. Early wealth came from shipbuilding, onion growing, and river trade, and by the 1800s Wethersfield had become a center of commercial seed production. In 1781, the Webb House on Main Street hosted George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau as they planned the campaign that led to victory at Yorktown, Virginia. The town also weathered witch trials during its early colonial years, part of Connecticut's seventeenth-century witchcraft prosecutions. Today the Old Wethersfield Historic District preserves more than 150 structures built before 1850, one of the largest concentrations of early buildings in Connecticut, including the circa-1711 Buttolph-Williams House, which inspired Elizabeth George Speare's Newbery Medal-winning novel The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

  1. Where Washington and Rochambeau planned the 1781 Yorktown campaign.

  2. The circa-1711 house that inspired The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

  3. The Historical Society's museum, visitor center, and research library.

  4. 150-plus structures built before 1850, Connecticut's largest such district.

  5. Handcrafted pizza in Old Wethersfield since 1983.

  6. Old Wethersfield's ice cream parlor and cafe.

  7. Italian-American institution on Silas Deane Highway since 1978.

  8. An 1873 Second Empire mansion turned bed and breakfast.

Connecticut's first town?

Wethersfield was settled in 1634, or possibly earlier, and vies with Windsor for the title of Connecticut's first town; the Connecticut River forms its eastern boundary. Early wealth came from shipbuilding, onion growing, and river trade, and by the 1800s Wethersfield had turned to commercial seed production, with the seed firm Johnson, Robbins and Co. among its notable businesses. The town's early colonial history also includes witch trials, part of Connecticut's seventeenth-century witchcraft prosecutions. In 1781, the Webb House hosted George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau as they planned the campaign that led to victory at Yorktown, Virginia — a meeting now interpreted at the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, which anchors the Old Wethersfield Historic District's more than 150 structures built before 1850.

Getting there

Wethersfield is a driving destination immediately south of Hartford: take I-91 to Exit 26 (Old Wethersfield) and follow Marsh Street to Main Street. There is no rail station in town, so train travelers use Hartford Union Station, about four miles north, for CTrail Hartford Line and Amtrak service; Berlin is the next-closest Hartford Line stop.

A walk through Old Wethersfield

The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum's guided tours (11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.) take in the Webb House and its neighbors, while the circa-1711 Buttolph-Williams House, ticketed through the same museum, is the building that inspired The Witch of Blackbird Pond. The Wethersfield Museum at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center rounds out the historical-society sites with exhibits and a research library. For food, Village Pizza has served Old Wethersfield since 1983 and Main Street Creamery & Cafe scoops ice cream nearby, while Vito's Restaurant and Pizzeria on the Silas Deane Highway has been a local Italian-American fixture since 1978. The Silas W. Robbins House, an 1873 Second Empire mansion on the Broad Street Green, is the town's bed and breakfast.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Wethersfield?
Take I-91 to Exit 26 (Old Wethersfield) and follow Marsh Street to Main Street. There's no rail station in town; the nearest CTrail Hartford Line and Amtrak stop is Hartford Union Station, about four miles north, with Berlin as the next-closest stop.
What is the Old Wethersfield Historic District?
Connecticut's largest early historic district, preserving more than 150 structures built before 1850 around Main Street, the Broad Street Green, and Wethersfield Cove.
What happened at the Webb House in 1781?
George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau met there to plan the campaign that led to victory at Yorktown, Virginia. The house is now part of the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum.
What inspired The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
The circa-1711 Buttolph-Williams House on Broad Street, owned by Connecticut Landmarks and operated by the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, inspired Elizabeth George Speare's Newbery Medal-winning novel.
Where can I eat and stay in Wethersfield?
Village Pizza and Vito's Restaurant and Pizzeria are Old Wethersfield's long-running Italian spots, with Main Street Creamery & Cafe for ice cream. The Silas W. Robbins House, an 1873 Second Empire mansion, is the town's bed and breakfast.

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