John Rider House
Encyclopedia
The John Rider House is located on Main Street (CT 53) in Danbury
, Connecticut, United States. It is a wooden frame
house dating to the late 18th century.
It remained in the Rider family until 1925. In the 1940s it was saved from demolition and restored
, the beginning of historic preservation
efforts in the city. today it is home to the Danbury Museum and Historical Society. It is the oldest house in the city still in its original location.
In 1977 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Six years later, when the Main Street Historic District
was designated and listed on the Register, it was considered a contributing property
as the oldest building in the district.
Around the house the neighborhood is urban and extensively developed. There are 19th-century houses across the street, large-scale apartment development to the south and commercial buildings to the north where Main Street opens up into Elmwood Park. The terrain is level.
The building itself is a five-by-two-bay
clapboard
-sided wooden house two and a half stories high on a stone foundation
. Two brick chimneys pierce the crest of its steeply pitched
gable
d roof. Apart from a slightly overhanging cornice
at the roofline, it is plain and undecorated
. A small lean-to
covers part of the rear.
The centrally located front door opens onto a central hall dividing two large front rooms running the length of the house to the kitchen, behind an unusual transomed
doorway. There is another back room behind the kitchen. All the interior woodwork, except for a chair rail on the back wall and the wainscoting between the kitchen and stairs, is original. The brick fireplaces have bolection
molded
surrounds and cyma moldings supporting the mantelpiece.
Two sets of stairs lead up to the second floor. The bedroom fireplaces are smaller and plainer. In the attic the roof framing, with common rafter
s supported by two purlin
s braced between the chimneys, can be seen. There are two more fireplaces in the cellar. The lean-to has no original finishings left except for the oak floor.
who had served as a captain in the state militia
during the Revolutionary War
, built the wood frame
house in 1785. It would remain in his family until 1925.
By 1941 it had deteriorated badly, and was to be razed
to make way for a gas station. Local preservationists
rallied to save it, and it became the first of several buildings owned and operated by the Danbury Museum and Historical Society
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977.
Today it is operated as a museum
by the society. After being closed for extensive renovations in the mid-2000s, it is open once again.
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
, Connecticut, United States. It is a wooden frame
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
house dating to the late 18th century.
It remained in the Rider family until 1925. In the 1940s it was saved from demolition and restored
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
, the beginning of historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
efforts in the city. today it is home to the Danbury Museum and Historical Society. It is the oldest house in the city still in its original location.
In 1977 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Six years later, when the Main Street Historic District
Main Street Historic District (Danbury, Connecticut)
The Main Street Historic District in Danbury, Connecticut, United States, is the oldest section of that city, at its geographical center. It has long been the city's commercial core and downtown...
was designated and listed on the Register, it was considered a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
as the oldest building in the district.
Building
The house is located on the east side of Main Street at the south end of the historic district. Its 1.25 acre (0.5058575 ha) lot includes, at its rear, the 1836 John Dodd Shop, Danbury's oldest commercial building. Also owned by the museum, it is not part of the Register listing and is screened from view by large trees.Around the house the neighborhood is urban and extensively developed. There are 19th-century houses across the street, large-scale apartment development to the south and commercial buildings to the north where Main Street opens up into Elmwood Park. The terrain is level.
The building itself is a five-by-two-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
-sided wooden house two and a half stories high on a stone foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. Two brick chimneys pierce the crest of its steeply pitched
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof. Apart from a slightly overhanging cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
at the roofline, it is plain and undecorated
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
. A small lean-to
Lean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
covers part of the rear.
The centrally located front door opens onto a central hall dividing two large front rooms running the length of the house to the kitchen, behind an unusual transomed
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
doorway. There is another back room behind the kitchen. All the interior woodwork, except for a chair rail on the back wall and the wainscoting between the kitchen and stairs, is original. The brick fireplaces have bolection
Bolection
A Bolection is a moulding which projects beyond the face of a panel or frame, usually found in panelling, doors and fireplaces, especially when the meeting surfaces are at different levels. See also bilection....
molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
surrounds and cyma moldings supporting the mantelpiece.
Two sets of stairs lead up to the second floor. The bedroom fireplaces are smaller and plainer. In the attic the roof framing, with common rafter
Rafter
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members , that extend from the ridge or hip to the downslope perimeter or eave, designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads.-Design:...
s supported by two purlin
Purlin
In architecture or structural engineering or building, a purlin is a horizontal structural member in a roof. Purlins support the loads from the roof deck or sheathing and are supported by the principal rafters and/or the building walls, steel beams etc...
s braced between the chimneys, can be seen. There are two more fireplaces in the cellar. The lean-to has no original finishings left except for the oak floor.
History
Rider, a local carpenterCarpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
who had served as a captain in the state militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
during the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, built the wood frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
house in 1785. It would remain in his family until 1925.
By 1941 it had deteriorated badly, and was to be razed
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
to make way for a gas station. Local preservationists
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
rallied to save it, and it became the first of several buildings owned and operated by the Danbury Museum and Historical Society
Danbury Museum and Historical Society
The Danbury Museum and Historical Society is a private museum located in Danbury, Connecticut, the purpose of which is to acquire, preserve, exhibit, and interpret the heritage of the greater Danbury area for education, information, and research. The main campus of the museum is located on 43 Main...
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1977.
Today it is operated as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
by the society. After being closed for extensive renovations in the mid-2000s, it is open once again.