The Harriet Beecher Stowe House In Hartford, Connecticut

This is the exquisite former home of American author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe.

It is located on Forest Street in Hartford, Connecticut.

The house was built in 1871, and Stowe moved into the home two years later. She lived in this home until she died in the year 1896.

Harriet Beecher Stowe is the renowned author of the 1852 anti-slavery novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

Harriet Beecher Stowe 1811 – 1896

Stowe’s house was later acquired by her grandniece, Katharine Seymour Day, who worked to preserve both this house and the neighboring Mark Twain House. It is now owned by the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, and it is open to the public for guided tours.

The old house museum contains items that actually belonged to Harriet Beecher Stowe.

The home’s Visitor Center is housed in the 1873 former carriage house.

The curated collections include items “that promote discussions of the author’s life and work as well as examine her impact on past and present social issues.”

That is wonderful, but even more wonderful is the fact that guests can tour this fabulous historic home!

This grand house was constructed in 1871 by Franklin Chamberlin, a lawyer who owned a large tract of land at the corner of Forest Street and Farmington Avenue.

The Stowes purchased the home in 1873, and a year later they were joined by Mark Twain, who built his house just around the corner from here on Farmington Avenue.

These two famous authors became the leading figures in Hartford’s flourishing literary scene, and they remained neighbors until 1891, when Mark Twain and his family moved to Europe.

Let’s have a look inside…

The Parlor

The interior is teeming in pure Victorian elegance.

Every detail has been thoughtfully curated and great care was taken to keep or match the decor from the period when Harriet Beecher Stowe resided here.

Below is a photo of the author/abolitionist in her parlor.

Harriet Beecher Stowe – a woman of many talents – was also an amateur artist, so some of her paintings are on display in the home as well.

The Drawing Room

When Stowe’s husband died in 1886, her health and mental state soon began to deteriorate. She probably suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, because she began to display erratic behavior such as wandering around the neighborhood, sometimes even entering her neighbors’ gardens and homes. Interestingly, Harriet began rewriting Uncle Tom’s Cabin from memory, unaware that she had already written it.

Many of Stowe’s writings and letters are on display in the house.

As are historic photos of family members.

 

The Dining Room

Look at the stunning original light fixture over the table!

 

The Kitchen

The restored kitchen was designed using a written description by Stowe and her sister Catharine in their 1869 book “The American Woman’s Home.”

It is always a treat to see preserved kitchens in old houses because often they are the first to be gutted and “renovated”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harriet’s Bedroom

Because of this home’s connection to one of the most important American writers of the 19th century, both this home and the neighboring Mark Twain house are now listed as National Historic Landmarks – the highest level of recognition on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Harriet Beecher Stowe house will be preserved and protected for generations to come.

 

Sources:

http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe_House_(Hartford,_Connecticut)

http://www.lostnewengland.com/2019/06/harriet-beecher-stowe-house-hartford-connecticut

https://www.aaa.com/travelinfo/connecticut/hartford/attractions/harriet-beecher-stowe-center-514800.html

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