Those Places Thursday: DeKoven House, Middletown

                Built in 1791, the DeKoven House on Washington Street was home to one of Middletown’s illustrious families. Benjamin Williams, a successful merchant and ship’s captain, constructed the home at the height of his wealth. Sold by his children in 1818, the house passed into the Henry L. DeKoven family, another merchant family.[1]

                Clarence Wadsworth inherited the home from his mother in 1900 and soon transformed it from home to business. After constructing his Long Hill Estate, he began using the DeKoven House as his city office. According to local lore, he walked the approximately three miles to and from work. Once he retired from his business, he devoted the office to a new purpose.[2]

Since 1935, the DeKoven House has been home to the Rockfall Foundation, an environmental advocacy organization. The building reflects this new function. A few rooms are maintained as museum spaces recall the home’s history. Others hold Rockfall Foundation offices or meeting spaces for local non-profit organizations. While the DeKoven House is no longer a home, it still has a place in Middletown’s community life. [3]

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[1]“Archive for the ‘Middletown’ Category,” Historic Buildings of Connecticut (http://historicbuildings.com: accessed 18 February 2012). “History,” The Rockfall Foundation (http://www.rockfallfoundation.org/history.php: accessed 19 February 2012).

[2] Elizabeth Warner, “Irene Changes City’s Landscape, Revises History,” MiddletownPatch (http://middletown-ct.patch.com: accessed 15 February 2012). “History,” The Rockfall Foundation (http://www.rockfallfoundation.org/history.php: accessed 19 February 2012).

[3] “deKoven House,” The Rockfall Foundation (http://www.rockfallfoundation.org/deKovenHouse.php: accessed 15 February 2012). Elizabeth Warner, “Irene Changes City’s Landscape, Revises History,” MiddletownPatch (http://middletown-ct.patch.com: accessed 15 February 2012).