Real Estate

Landmark 1742 Home With Famous Guest List For Sale In Middletown

The former home of a "Connecticut Valley elite river god" is on the market.

The former home of a "Connecticut Valley elite river god" is on the market.
The former home of a "Connecticut Valley elite river god" is on the market. (Google Maps)

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The circa 1742 mansion of a former "Connecticut Valley river god" has gone on the market in Middletown.

The home is listed for $675,000 on Zillow. The 5,678 square-foot home is located at 1066 Washington St.

'Quite the mansion in its day'

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The 2-acre estate is considered to be one of the best examples of Georgian architecture and was "quite the mansion in its day," according to the listing. It was built in 1742 for Judge Seth Wetmore, a very successful merchant and considered one of the "Connecticut Valley elite river gods," according to the listing.

The home features refinished original wide plank floors, and all restored original doors in the home.

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According to ConnecticutHistory.org, Wetmore served as a judge and deputy to the General Court of Connecticut from 1738-1771. The home "reflects the power and lavishness of those considered "river gods," wealthy landowners of the mid-18th century who resided in Connecticut River Valley communities such as Middletown, according to CT History.

Because of its size and adornments, the twenty-three-room mansion was meant to serve as a model home for those later built in the area, according to CT History.

Notable guest list

During the early days of the home, Wetmore welcomed notable writers, scholars, politicians, and generals, including his wife Hannah’s brother Jonathan Edwards, Timothy Dwight, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Aaron Burr (a relative and fellow law student), according to CT History.

According to the listing, the Wetmore family occupied the home until 1956, when it was purchased by the Greens — both professors at Wesleyan University. It has an interesting history of entertaining famous guests such as Yoko Ono, John Lennon, Carolyn Kennedy, Andy Warhol and Greta Garbo.


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See images and the complete listing on Zillow.

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