THE WELLES-SHIPMAN-WARD HOUSE MUSEUM
  OF GLASTONBURY

   This mansion house, as it was known in the 18th century, is traditionally believed to have been built by Col. Thomas Welles as a gift to his son, John, on the occasion of his marriage in 1753 to Jerusha Edwards of Hartford, a niece of Gov. William Pitkin III. John Welles owned the John Welles and Co. shipyard and merchant trading business located on the Connecticut River in the Nayaug section of Glastonbury. In 1764, Welles became ill on a trip to Philadelphia and died, 34 years old, leaving his widow, Jerusha, and 5 children. Among her dower rights, she received land and a share of household furnishings, including a silver tankard valued at £9.

   George Welles, second son of John and Jerusha, inherited the property and sold the “house, barn, cowhouse, and other buildings”, plus the remaining 1 1/3 acre of the homelot, to Stephen Shipman, Jr. in 1789. Shipman, a shipbuilder, merchant trader, and storeowner, added neoclassical features to the house, such as the Palladian type crown moldings on the first floor, popular among the merchant elites in the Connecticut River Valley. The Shipman family owned and occupied the house for over 125 years.

In 1929, Mrs. Berdena Hart Ward, wife of Dr. James Ward, purchased the property, decorating and furnishing the house in an English country style.

   Today, this House is in the care of the Historical Society of Glastonbury. The Glastonbury Garden Club tends the Colonial Revival herb garden. The Glastonbury Weavers turn out textiles on our 300 year old loom. Young children play 18th century games on the lawn. Young people participate in archaeological digs to find what has been left behind by past residents. Our kitchen fireplace turns out meals made to “receipts” of past families. Our barns are filled with antique farming equipment and horse-drawn vehicles.

The house features the largest known period kitchen fireplace in Connecticut.