Isham-Terry House

The Isham-Terry House offers visitors a look into the genteel life that existed in Hartford, Connecticut during the turn of the 20th century. The home was owned by Dr. Oliver Isham, a physician who occupied the house with his sisters Charlotte and Julie. Isham bought the home in 1896. The building is considered an Italianate Villa style home. Isham's sisters lived in the home until the 1970's, ignoring the renovations that were occurring around them and maintaining the home in its existing state. Today, entering the home is like stepping back into history, due to the preservation efforts of these two women. Rooms are filled with historic objects like stained-glass windows, gas-light fixtures, Hartford High School memorabilia, Connecticut-made clocks, historic surgical instruments and medicines, paintings and a variety of rare books. The women left the doctor's office intact and it looks much the way it did while he was still alive and using the space. Essentially, the home was a living museum while occupied by the women. The tower in the back of the home was a later addition to the structure and has a third floor window that intersects the home's main roof. The house features intricate cast iron work on the balconies that were ordered from the Phoenix Iron Works catalog. Doors are framed by intricate columns and feature stained-glass inlays.