Harrison House Honors Contributors

It was a garden party… in the lovingly maintained gardens of the Harrison House, Branford’s own historic treasure.

The 1724 Harrison House can truly be called Branford’s own since the Branford Historical Society successfully raised the funds in just one year for its purchase from Historic New England (formerly the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities).

Historic New England sold the house to the historical society for $132,500, half of its appraised value. Many local organizations and private donors contributed funds toward its purchased and they were honored recently at the gathering in the gardens, which reflect the expertise of Branford Garden Club members.

They were accompanied by musical selections from the Stony Creek Fife and Drum Corps

And guitarist Bob Wood.

Virginia Page (pictured), director of the Branford Historic Society, thanked those attending. ​“Without you, the house would have lost its character,” she said. She noted that when the historical society took over maintenance of the house in 1974, ​“there was not a stick of furniture in it. She said that all of its furnishings have come from local families.

Page said she started the January 2015 campaign with little knowledge of fund raising, adding that the outpouring of support was ​“fantastic… overwhelming.”

She listed the major donors: the Branford Community Foundation, Branford Rotary Club, the Summerhill Foundation, and the Branford Festival Foundation. She added that the third graders at the Mary Tisko School had collected money, and that nearby Shelley’s Garden Center had put out a collection jar, and the Branford Musical Art Society had donated proceeds from a concert. There were also various individual donations. And, of course, proceeds from all that strawberry shortcake sold at the Branford Festival.

To cover repairs for the house, an additional $92,500 is needed beyond the purchase price, making for a total of $225,000.

Town historian Jane Bouley (pictured) said the purchase goes back to the 1970s when the Branford Historical Society was looking for a home. ​“Each board member made contributions,” she said.

“It’s important to save old houses,” Bouley said, adding that just two families have lived in the Harrison House. ​“Just imagine what the house has seen along the Post Road… so many stories.”

A scale model of the Harrison House built by Bouley’s father, Arnold Peterson, was on display.

Bouley gave credit to Page. ​“Preserving the house and its stories would not have happened without Ginny Page,” she said.

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