National Register of Historic Places

Day, Amasa, House

Moodus, Middlesex County, Connecticut
Listed
September 21, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72001315

About this property

The Amasa Day House is a historic house museum at 33 Plains Road in the Moodus village of East Haddam, Connecticut. Built in 1816, it is one of the oldest buildings in the village of Moodus, and a fine example of Federal period architecture. The house, now owned and operated by Connecticut Landmarks, has displays which showcase how the Industrial Revolution changed the daily life of American families. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The Amasa Day House occupies a prominent location at the northwest end of the Moodus village green, on 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) of land that are mostly screened from the nearby state highway by trees. It is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. Corner pilasters rise to a shallow entablature, with modillion blocks in the eaves. The side gable ends are pedimented, with half-round windows at the center. The main entrance is sheltered by a gabled portico; it is flanked by pilasters and topped by a half-oval transom window. Late 19th-century ells extend to the rear of the original main block. The house was constructed in 1816 for farmer Colonel Julius Chapman, his wife Frances, and their four daughters. After his death, Amasa Day purchased the property, but later sold off parcels of land as he focused more on his roles as an insurance agent and banker. The house was subsequently inherited by Day's daughter and son-in-law Katherine and Eugene Chaffee, who worked for the New York Net and Twine Company, one of several twine factories in Moodus. Their son was Dr. Amasa Day Chaffee, a well-known art photographer. The house was donated to Connecticut Landmarks in 1967; and is currently available for tours seasonally, by appointment. An investigation by the attorney general's office into their alleged neglect of the property concluded in 2019 and found no evidence of wrongdoing. However, it did provide recommendations to improve future accountability. National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Connecticut Media related to Amasa Day House at Wikimedia Commons

Location

Moodus, Middlesex County, Connecticut
41.50204, -72.45204

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Little Haddam Historic District
Listed
1.5 mi
East Haddam Historic District
Listed
3.1 mi
Warner House
Industrial
3.3 mi
Camp Bethel
Civil War
3.3 mi
Goodspeed Opera House
Industrial
3.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Day, Amasa, House listed on the National Register?

Day, Amasa, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 21, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Day, Amasa, House?

Day, Amasa, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Day, Amasa, House?

The period of significance for Day, Amasa, House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Day, Amasa, House?

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