{
  "slug": "wethersfield-historic-streets",
  "title": "Wethersfield in 1940: warehouse, meetinghouse and home",
  "towns": [
    "Wethersfield"
  ],
  "counties": [
    "Hartford"
  ],
  "dateRange": "1890s–1962, with earlier context",
  "topic": "Places & community",
  "summary": "A small group of federal photographs connects three different kinds of place: the Cove Warehouse, First Church of Christ and Simeon Belden House.",
  "history": [
    {
      "heading": "Three views of community life",
      "text": "On July 29, 1940, photographer Stanley P. Mixon documented buildings in Wethersfield for the Historic American Buildings Survey. The selected records include the Old Warehouse, First Church of Christ and Simeon Belden House. Seen together, these photographs offer a compact visual route through working, civic and domestic architecture. They record twentieth-century views of older buildings, not photographs made when those buildings were new.",
      "source_ids": [
        "ct0265",
        "ct0266",
        "ct0268"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "The warehouse survives into another century",
      "text": "The Wethersfield Historical Society treats the Cove Warehouse’s early date as uncertain: it is traditionally assigned to the late seventeenth century but may be an eighteenth-century building. Its later history is clearer. Around the 1890s and early twentieth century Charles Hanmer used it as a fish house. Restoration followed in 1934; the 1936 flood dislodged it from its foundation, and prisoners from the nearby state prison helped return it to a repaired base. It became a historical society museum in 1962.",
      "source_ids": [
        "warehouse-history"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "Preserving differences",
      "text": "The warehouse, church and house have different forms and uses. Their photographs allow comparison without collapsing them into a single generic image of an “old New England town.” Keep the individual captions and survey identifiers in view. The house’s catalog gives 1767 as its construction date, whereas the photographs themselves belong to a much later act of documentation.",
      "source_ids": [
        "ct0265",
        "ct0266",
        "ct0268"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "timeline": [
    {
      "date": "c. 1890s–early 1900s",
      "event": "The Cove Warehouse is used as Charles Hanmer’s fish house.",
      "source_ids": [
        "warehouse-history"
      ]
    },
    {
      "date": "1934–1936",
      "event": "Restoration is followed by flood damage and repair.",
      "source_ids": [
        "warehouse-history"
      ]
    },
    {
      "date": "July 29, 1940",
      "event": "Stanley P. Mixon makes the dated HABS photographs reproduced here.",
      "source_ids": [
        "ct0265",
        "ct0266",
        "ct0268"
      ]
    },
    {
      "date": "1962",
      "event": "The warehouse becomes a historical society museum.",
      "source_ids": [
        "warehouse-history"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "ct0265",
      "title": "Library of Congress: Old Warehouse, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "url": "https://www.loc.gov/item/ct0265/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ct0266",
      "title": "Library of Congress: First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "url": "https://www.loc.gov/item/ct0266/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ct0268",
      "title": "Library of Congress: Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "url": "https://www.loc.gov/item/ct0268/"
    },
    {
      "id": "warehouse-history",
      "title": "Wethersfield Historical Society: The Cove Warehouse",
      "url": "https://www.wethersfieldhistory.org/the-cove-warehouse/"
    }
  ],
  "images": [
    {
      "id": "99ec9d0e6caa87c28ce1",
      "image": "/county-images/5d29b54b4cc6ea8439694b46398d16f395829dc648e3cdab9005915756c20507.jpg",
      "title": "1.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (B) EXTERIOR GENERAL VIEW FROM SHORE (EAST) END - Old Warehouse, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "alt": "1.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (B) EXTERIOR GENERAL VIEW FROM SHORE (EAST) END - Old Warehouse, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "date": "July 29, 1940",
      "credit": "Stanley P. Mixon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Stanley P. Mixon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0265.photos.023377p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "1.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (B) EXTERIOR GENERAL VIEW FROM SHORE (EAST) END - Old Warehouse, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0200/ct0265/photos/023377pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "e85df3a30b7fbb045cbb",
      "image": "/county-images/486b31950f79e37623104c0b95764b028759df82b516800f57252af2519d8c55.jpg",
      "title": "2.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (A) EXTERIOR, GENERAL VIEW FROM NORTH CORNER, END TO 'THE COVE' - Old Warehouse, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "alt": "2.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (A) EXTERIOR, GENERAL VIEW FROM NORTH CORNER, END TO 'THE COVE' - Old Warehouse, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "date": "July 29, 1940",
      "credit": "Stanley P. Mixon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Stanley P. Mixon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0265.photos.023378p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "2.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (A) EXTERIOR, GENERAL VIEW FROM NORTH CORNER, END TO 'THE COVE' - Old Warehouse, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0200/ct0265/photos/023378pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "b99533796a5986910127",
      "image": "/county-images/38d472a74dccb5b7b90c82981b2b66e5d1116ed170547280c4db5511f052c4c4.jpg",
      "title": "5.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (A) EXTERIOR FRONT VIEW FROM NORTH - First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "alt": "5.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (A) EXTERIOR FRONT VIEW FROM NORTH - First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "date": "July 29, 1940",
      "credit": "Stanley P. Mixon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Stanley P. Mixon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0266.photos.304746p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "5.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (A) EXTERIOR FRONT VIEW FROM NORTH - First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0200/ct0266/photos/304746pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "60eeb9be9df6eeead382",
      "image": "/county-images/1aaf3c82b7090804201a412861c8cc878e337e6850a0bc37ea4f9a7e43be413e.jpg",
      "title": "6.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (C) EXTERIOR LOWER PORTION OF TOWER, FROM NORTH EAST - First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "alt": "6.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (C) EXTERIOR LOWER PORTION OF TOWER, FROM NORTH EAST - First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "date": "July 29, 1940",
      "credit": "Stanley P. Mixon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Stanley P. Mixon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0266.photos.304747p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "6.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (C) EXTERIOR LOWER PORTION OF TOWER, FROM NORTH EAST - First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0200/ct0266/photos/304747pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "683e5f8f9bced9a44ae0",
      "image": "/county-images/635658ac6cb5fcd7a9ad026f24ae827e16284eacc97588da5632fde67fda1b99.jpg",
      "title": "7.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (B) EXTERIOR VIEW OF SPIRE, FROM EAST SIDE - First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "alt": "7.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (B) EXTERIOR VIEW OF SPIRE, FROM EAST SIDE - First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "date": "July 29, 1940",
      "credit": "Stanley P. Mixon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Stanley P. Mixon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0266.photos.304748p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "7.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (B) EXTERIOR VIEW OF SPIRE, FROM EAST SIDE - First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0200/ct0266/photos/304748pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "db69dc1df7593b834868",
      "image": "/county-images/ffea08a4b48fbb284e7e7a574d4fb9d4accb5a6d68a12ee7a009236e87574333.jpg",
      "title": "3.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (A) EXTERIOR, GENERAL VIEW FROM EAST CORNER - Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "alt": "3.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (A) EXTERIOR, GENERAL VIEW FROM EAST CORNER - Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "date": "July 29, 1940",
      "credit": "Stanley P. Mixon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Stanley P. Mixon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0268.photos.023370p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "3.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (A) EXTERIOR, GENERAL VIEW FROM EAST CORNER - Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0200/ct0268/photos/023370pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "69bb0f32a2c71724db88",
      "image": "/county-images/2063f1975bf7fdc87b1b8f333363ebb7dbf7cfb7ec58c396df3353771e481122.jpg",
      "title": "4.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (B) EXTERIOR DETAIL OF WINDOWS AND DOOR ON FRONT - Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "alt": "4.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (B) EXTERIOR DETAIL OF WINDOWS AND DOOR ON FRONT - Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "date": "July 29, 1940",
      "credit": "Stanley P. Mixon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Stanley P. Mixon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0268.photos.304744p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "4.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (B) EXTERIOR DETAIL OF WINDOWS AND DOOR ON FRONT - Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0200/ct0268/photos/304744pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "d100c91d18172c0cc91c",
      "image": "/county-images/b7efb8f202cb684323d793d38e2bcffa4375d4ef83d622197a10c70c6ab39488.jpg",
      "title": "5.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (C) EXTERIOR DETAIL OF ENTRANCE - Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "alt": "5.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (C) EXTERIOR DETAIL OF ENTRANCE - Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "date": "July 29, 1940",
      "credit": "Stanley P. Mixon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Stanley P. Mixon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0268.photos.304745p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "5.  Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer July 29, 1940 (C) EXTERIOR DETAIL OF ENTRANCE - Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Hartford County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0200/ct0268/photos/304745pv.jpg"
    }
  ]
}