Pratt House - Essex CT - History Museums on Waymarking.com

The Pratt House is a historic house museum at 19 West Avenue in Essex, Connecticut. With a construction history of one ell possibly dating to the mid-17th century, it is one of Connecticut's oldest surviving buildings, owned for 2+1/2 centuries by a single family. Now owned by the local historical society, its displays exhibit Pratt family and regional history.

The main block of the house was built about 1732. The rear ell is believed to date to the mid-17th century, and was probably moved to this site in 1701, when the middle ell was built. The early builder was William Pratt, one of the first colonial proprietors of Essex. Six generations of his family resided in this house from 1701 to 1915, when it was converted into a tenement house.

In 1952 the house was given to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, which in 1985 turned it over to the local historical society. The society offers thirty-minute tours from 1-4 every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the summer.

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The furnishings, although not from the Pratt family, nonetheless span the years in which the Pratts lived in the house and represent pieces they might have owned. They offer a range of styles, from the early Pilgrim oak chest to the graceful Queen Anne and Chippendale chairs and tables, and on through the Hepplewhite and Sheraton periods.

Also of particular interest are the collections of red-ware pottery, a group of courting mirrors, and the very beautiful iron door-latches, cooking utensils and fireplace tools, probably forged by one or more of the Pratt smithies. And not to be missed is the 18th century loom in the barn – it was a gift to the Society from the owners of a local house where it had been in use for many years. It was lovingly re-assembled in the loft of the Pratt House Barn and is worked on by a dedicated group of weavers who turn out prize-winning examples of traditional patterns.

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Theme: Local History Street Address: 19 West Avenue in Essex, Connecticut. Food Court: no Hours of Operation: Pratt House is open on weekend afternoons June through September, by appointment and for group tours Cost: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Museum Size: Small Relevant Web Site: [Web Link] Gift Shop: Not Listed

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