National Register of Historic Places

Beach, Charles E., House

West Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut
Listed
August 22, 1990
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
90001287

About this property

The Charles E. Beach House is a historic house at 18 Brightwood Lane in West Hartford, Connecticut. Built in 1900–01, it is one of the town's finest examples of Shingle style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 23, 1990. The Charles E. Beach House is located in a residential area on West Hartford's south side. It is located on the north side of Brightwood Lane, which is now filled with residential development on the former grounds of the house's once-larger estate. It is a large 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, with busy asymmetrical massing, including projecting sections and gables. The main roof is pierced by two large dormers, one gabled and the other gambreled, on what is now its primary southeast-facing facade. A single-story porch extends across part of that facade and around to the west. At the western end of the attic level is a polygonal screened porch. The exterior is finished entirely in natural-finish wooden shingles, with trim painted green. A fieldstone porte-cochere is located on the northwest facade, which was the building's original front. The interior, in a marked contrast to the simple finishes of the exterior, is richly decorated. The house was built in 1900–01 on what the Beach family called Vine Hill, for Charles E. Beach, whose family were an important business and financial family in the Hartford business community. Beach's father had purchased the estate in stages beginning in 1859, and developed it as a dairy farm. Charles E. Beach built this house after the birth of a second son, Thomas C. Beach, along with several surviving outbuildings (now separate residences on Brightwood Lane), and maintained it until his death in 1940. The family then subdivided the property, donating a portion to the town for Beachland Park. West Hartford has three major examples of Shingle architecture, of which this is the best-preserved. National Register of Historic Places listings in West Hartford, Connecticut

Location

18 Brightwood Ln.
West Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut
41.73274, -72.74267

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Beach, Charles E., House

This page lists Beach, Charles E., House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Beach, Charles E., House report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Hooker, Sarah Whitman, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Webster, Noah, Birthplace
Industrial
1 mi
Newington Junction North Historic District
Listed
1 mi
Goodman, Timothy, House
Industrial
1.1 mi
Gillett, Asa, House
Industrial
1.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Beach, Charles E., House listed on the National Register?

Beach, Charles E., House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 22, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Beach, Charles E., House?

Beach, Charles E., House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Beach, Charles E., House?

The period of significance for Beach, Charles E., House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Beach, Charles E., House?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Beach, Charles E., House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Hartford County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Hartford County.

Explore HartfordCounty ›

More historic places in Connecticut

Browse all historic places in Connecticut.

View Connecticuthistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Connecticut history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Connecticuthistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Beach, Charles E., House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report