Rev. John Ely House

Historic house in Connecticut, United States

United States historic place


Rev. John Ely House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


41°22′30″N 73°24′13″W / 41.37500°N 73.40361°W / 41.37500; -73.40361
Area	0.8 acres (0.32 ha)
Built	1792 (1792)
Architectural style	Colonial
NRHP reference No.	01000400^[1]
Added to NRHP	April 25, 2001

The Rev. John Ely House is a historic house at 54 Milwaukee Avenue in Bethel, Connecticut. Built in 1792, it is well-preserved example of period domestic architecture, and is further notable for a procession of owners important in the community's history. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.^[1]

Description and history

The Ely House is located east of the village center of Bethel, at the northeast corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Kayview Avenue. It is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, five bays wide, with a large central chimney, a side-gable roof, and a stone foundation. Its main entrance is centered on the front facade, and is sheltered by a Federal-style portico supported by slender columns, with a decorated soffit. The interior follows a typical center chimney plan, with parlors on either side of the chimney, a narrow entry vestibule with winding staircase in front, and the original kitchen space behind. Two small chambers once occupied the rear corners of the building; these have been integrated into other rooms. The house has retained significant amounts of original 18th-century woodwork, including wide board floors on the second floor, raised panel doors on the first floor, and board-and-batten doors on the second. The entry vestibule and staircase retain most of their original carved woodwork.^[2]

The house was built c. 1792, and is a well-preserved local survivor of the period. It is also noted for a succession of residents who played significant roles in the growth of Bethel during the 19th century, including two ministers and three businessmen, the latter including Oliver Shepard, a figure instrumental in the separation of Bethel as a separate town in 1855. Reverend John Ely, for whom the house was built, was Bethel parish's second settled minister, at a time when it was still part of Danbury.^[2]

The barn on the property has been modernized and utilized as a studio for performing arts and photography/videography.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Bruce Clouette (September 30, 2000). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Rev. John Ely House". National Park Service. and Accompanying 10 photos, exterior and interior, from 2000 (See photo captions page 13 of text document)
^ Jensen, Kristen. "Hearth and Home". Kristen Jensen Studio. Retrieved 16 January 2020.