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The Berlin Citizen — Thursday, February 9, 2012
Legacy and future of Willard house remain elusive By Amy Prescher Special to The Citizen
Photo by Amy Prescher
A handwritten sign at the old Willard place cries out for attention.
ing the yard. Archival photos show that the house looked even humbler in the 19th century. It was probably dressed up in conjunction with the efforts of the DAR to create a shrine to their heroine in 1913. Twelve-over-twelve double-hung sash windows replaced six-over-six, and high lintels were added to make the house look more distinguished. The addition on the west side of the house has historical interest for anothSee Willard, page 9
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Passersby may have noticed a mysterious sign on the fence of what is believed to be the former residence of Emma Hart Willard at 446 Lower Lane on the corner of Norton Road. The yellow clapboard house, which has been deteriorating over several years, appears to be invoking the ghost of the famous educator to save its life. The sign reads. “I need help. Please don’t let me go to potts [sic] (the house)! I am part of Colonial Row. Help me, Emma Willard.” The so-called Willard house began its descent into dereliction when the previous owner stopped making payments and the house was forced into foreclosure. It remained vacant for one or two years before it was sold to the present owner at auction in 2010. Its fate now hangs in the balance as the new owner weighs a costly renovation or decides to rebuild. Town zoning laws may have an impact on the decision, because it can only keep its two-family designation if it is renovated. If the house is demolished, it must be rebuilt as a single family home. A granite boulder on the far north side of the property (visible from Lower Lane)
marks the birthplace of Emma Hart Willard and her sister, Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps, who was also an educator and author of science textbooks. This commemorative stone was set in 1913 by the Daughters of the American Revolution, who had named one of their local chapters after Willard. However, despite the proximity of the stone to the house, it was probably never occupied by Emma Hart as a young girl. Historical sources indicate that the Hart family home was no longer standing by the middle of the 19th century. The present house was built on Hart property, but several years after Emma had left Berlin to marry and launch her career. A well on the south side of the house was used by the Harts until the current house was set between it and the Hart home. According to Sallie Caliandri, a member of the Berlin Historical Society, the style of the house suggests that it was built in circa 1840. No matter what the historical records say, a public attachment to the house seems to have grown out of its longstanding association with the historical site and the nearby elementary school named in her honor. Its historical character is defined by the simple Federal style and an old-fashioned picket fence surround-
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