The Wethersfield Historical Society is raising money to save the Hurlbut-Dunham House on Main Street.
WEATHERSFIELD, Connecticut (WTNH) — The Wethersfield Historical Society is raising money to save the Hurlbut Dunham House on Main Street.
Hurlbut-Dunham House was the home of several families from the late 18th century.th Early 20’sth century. The Dunham family, the last private owners of this home, entrusted the house to the Historical Society, and the house has been frozen in time ever since.
At the time, the house was Wethersfield’s social hub. Jane and Howard Dunham entertained their friends on the grounds and in the large drawing room. Today, the Historical Society hosts community events there and rents out the space for private parties.
According to Jill Fletcher, development manager at the Historical Society, Lifetime and Hallmark used the house as a film set, while the History Channel filmed the series at Hurlbut Dunham.
The house is now in dire need of structural repairs. The basement walls are sunken inside and outside the room, showing water stains and peeling drywall. Windows and shutters as well as exterior structural brownstone sills and lintels need to be replaced.
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“The Historical Society has an opportunity to revitalize this home in the heart of the Historic District,” said Lee Cookro, co-chair of the capital campaign for the Wethersfield Historical Society.
Cucklo joined the Historical Society in the 1970s. His wife Anne said, “Preservation is our gift to the future.”
He said restoring a home has always been his goal.
“The place looked very special, but it looked shabby to me,” he said. “Since then, I’ve always wanted to come back and see it in all its glory.”
The Historical Society is raising $1 million to save the house from collapsing. They raised half of the money thanks to donors and are now asking the community for help.
“We want people to feel like they’re home. It’s essentially the living room in town and the best front porch in town,” Fletcher said.
Once the renovation is complete, the Historical Society hopes to highlight the stories of women, people of color and Wethersfield’s immigrants, and will focus on stories that have not been told before.
If you would like to donate, Wethersfield Historical Society website.
