SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — Today’s foray into South Windsor’s past brings us back to a wonderful picture book called Images of America: South Windsor, compiled in 2017 by Claire Lobdell for the Wood Memorial Library & Museum. The book, containing 128 pages of fascinating photos from the town’s history, is available for purchase at the library’s museum store here.
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On the banks of the Connecticut River at the end of Ferry Lane – number 315, to be precise – sits the oldest house in South Windsor. John Bissell was the town’s first settler, and built his original home on this site in 1662. He operated a tavern in the house, and maintained the adjacent ferry across the river from South Windsor to Windsor. The military took over the building during King Philip’s War in 1667, and the original structure no longer exists.
The house which stands there today was built in 1786, and again incorporated a tavern within its confines. The town of South Windsor acquired the property, including bordering farmland, in 1850, and the farm was maintained by impoverished residents. The town doubled the size of the building, adding a pair of jail cells in the rear.
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According to town property records, the building currently consists of 20 rooms, including eight bedrooms, and encompasses 4,208 square feet.
Here is a more contemporary look at the site, courtesy of the town assessor’s office.
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Do you have a photo of an old South Windsor business which no longer exists, to which you own the rights and which we could feature in this column? Email [email protected].
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