Located in the heart of Wethersfield, Connecticut’s largest historic district, the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum includes three quaint 18th-century New England homes.
The Joseph Webb House, built in 1752, was once George Washington’s headquarters, where he met with French commander Comte de Rochambeau to plan the joint military campaign that led to the end of the American Revolution. The three-story home was later owned by antiquarian and photographer Wallace Nutting. He sold it in 1919 to The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America, and it became a house museum.
Next door is the Silas Deane House. Deane was an attorney and politician who married Webb’s widow in 1763. He was heavily involved in the events that led to the American Revolution and was the nation’s first diplomat before dying suddenly in France in 1783. Once the home came into the ownership of the Colonial Dames, the updates that followed reflected the timeframe before Deane left for France in 1776.
Isaac Stevens, the first proprietor of the Isaac Stevens House, was a leatherworker, and his widow’s family owned the house for 170 years before it was opened to the public as a museum. The house was built for a middle-class family and provides contrast to the more luxurious Webb and Deane homes. The second floor is now a period toy exhibit.
Museum visitors also can see the Webb Barn and the Colonial Revival Garden, as well as the nearby Buttolph-Williams House.
Museum hours vary by month. Tours are offered every season, and private group tours with receptions and luncheons are available.
To learn more, visit webb-deane-stevens.org or call +1.860.529.0612.
Top photo: Joseph Webb House
Photo by webb-deans-stevens.org
