General William Hart House

The Hart House is located in the town of Old Saybrook, the first settlement on the southern short of Connecticut and was built in 1767. The house was home to General William Hart and his wife, Esther Buckingham and was one of the earliest homes in the town. The Hart's were a prosperous family, making their fortune from West Indies trading. They frequently entertained and were known in the community for throwing lavish parties. The home was typical for its time and featured a number of Georgian-style features. However, the structure was more the style found in Virginia and Pennsylvania, rather than that found in New England. It is one of three houses in Old Saybrook listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only one open to the public. Visitors to the house will notice a variety of unique features including the nine-window façade with twelve over twelve panes. There are also wide corner boats, molded cornices and wide clapboards with a decorative line of beading. The interior of the home features eight corner fireplaces, corner cupboards, Dutch tiles and wide pine boards. The home features four large rooms, each with one of the fireplaces and a kitchen that is a separate structure that was connected to the house years after the original construction. There are four bedrooms, a slaves' room and an attic. The attic was used as a dormitory in the 19th century for a girls' boarding school.