Southbury's roots stretch back to 1673 when a group of discontented Colonists decided to break from the settlement at Stratford and form their own community. The new colony grew steadily during the 18th century and was eventually divided into five towns including Southbury. Over time, Southbury, Connecticut, has retained the character of an early American village, especially with its historic districts and buildings, many of which are included on the National Historic Register.
Built in 1762, the Bullet Hill School on Main Street is one of Southbury's oldest buildings. The school takes its name from a neighborhood hill where bullets were cast during the Revolutionary War. Generations of Southbury's students attended the school until it closed in the winter of 1941. During the 1960s, a group of conservationists organized under the banner of Friends of the Bullet Hill School and restored the building. The school is now the home of the Southbury Historical Society, and, every year, it hosts an interactive history program for elementary school students.
Southbury resident John Moseley built his home known as Oldfield on North Main Street in 1818. According to local legend, Mosley traveled to Maine to hand-pick the chestnut trees that provided the lumber. The exterior of the house features overhanging eaves, a half-moon window above the door and two small columns that frame the covered entry -- all details typical of Federal-style homes. In 1902, a shop from across the street was moved and attached to the rear of Oldfield. Since 1997, the home has welcomed travelers as a bed-and-breakfast.
Southbury's historians consider the Mitchell Mansion the community's best example of Greek revival architecture. The house was built in 1828 and has a stately entrance with a portico framed by four Ionic columns. It was known as a "house of public entertainment," and the interior featured a ballroom and a semicircular staircase. American furniture designer Duncan Phyfe owned the house during the 1840s and '50s.
The South Britain neighborhood was the industrial center of Southbury during the 19th and early 20th century. Residents harnessed the power of the Pomperaug River and built dams, mills and factories. The South Britain Congregation Church reflects the community's prosperity and sense of religious and civic responsibility. The church was built in 1825 at the head of a town green, and the church's stately three-door entrance is imposing. The three-story steeple dominates the South Britain skyline. According to church records, residents paid more than $2,000 for the building.
Southbury's first doctor, Adin Wheeler, built a traditional New England saltbox-style home in the South Britain neighborhood around 1750. The distinctive design has a simple facade with two stories in the front of the building and a single story in the rear. The Rev. Bennett Tyler purchased the house -- one of a handful of Southbury homes built before the American Revolution -- in the early 19th century and lived in South Britain for nearly 20 years before moving to New Hampshire to become president of Dartmouth College.
