New to old and back again: Windsor’s iconic homes renewed

Every home tells a story. These stories represent generations of people – individuals and families – who form the building blocks of our town’s broad historical narrative. Nowhere is Windsor’s vibrant and diverse culture more powerfully displayed than in our town’s beautifully crafted houses, both old and new.

The Windsor House Tour provides one of the most interesting and enjoyable vehicles for directly experiencing the history and culture of Connecticut’s first town. It is one of our largest public engagement and fundraising events and brings together diverse elements of the Windsor community.

This year’s tour is scheduled for Saturday, June 18th from 10 AM to 4 PM and includes an assorted array of private homes. In addition, we are including three structures that previously served as homes and are now occupied by businesses.

The houses on this year’s tour are located in Rainbow, Poquonock, Wilson, and the Windsor Center area. Attendees will visit 18th-century colonials, Craftsman-style “cottages”, traditional farmhouses (wood frame and brick), a cape, a Sears Roebuck kit bungalow, and a grand Victorian-era manse, each dating from the early-1700s through the turn of the 20th century.

All of these homes have been lovingly tended to, renovated, or expanded over the years. They have hosted births, deaths, weddings, graduations, and a multitude of other family milestones. They have weathered wars, hurricanes, blizzards, tornados, and pandemics. And they harbor fascinating stories about their occupants, neighborhoods, and our town.

House Tour booklets, which serve as event tickets, can be purchased online at here, at the Windsor Historical Society, or select locations around Windsor. The cost is $35 in advance and $40 on the day of the tour.

Volunteers are needed to staff the houses in two-hour shifts. House tour volunteers receive free admission to the entire house tour and the Homeowner & Volunteer Appreciation After Party at the Society from 4 to 6 PM the day of the tour. Interested? Contact Ed Paquette.

By Ed Paquette, Windsor House Tour Committee Co-Chair