A Colonial Door of Distinction

The main entrance doorway to the New Milford Historical Society at 6 Aspetuck Avenue, was originally the side entrance to the U.S. Hotel built circa 1796 and located on Main and Bank Street.

The hotel that survived the Great Fire of 1902 was demolished in 1927. The doorway was purchased by the New Milford Historical Society. A curator from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City recognized the quality of colonial craftsmanship and arranged for the doorway to be placed on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as an example of the architectural details of early American house exteriors, noted for their beauty of form and simplicity of decoration.

The doorway was in storage until 1963/64 when it was installed as the main entrance to the newly constructed Federal-style gallery of the New Milford Historical Society.

Royal I. Canfield House

Located at 58 Bridge Street, this home was built in 1823 by Ithamar and Betsy Canfield for their son, Royal I. Canfield, in 1823. It was given to him with 3 1/2 acres of land on November 10, 1825.

In 1871 it was purchased by Merritt Beach and leased as a boarding house until 1910. During the next two years, architect Erik Rossiter redesigned the house for Charles Merritt Beach. The Neoclassical addition of the protico and Ionic columns exemplified the dominant residential style of the early 20th Century.