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The Nathaniel Holcomb III House on Bushy Hill Road is the earliest remaining domestic dwelling in the town of Granby, Connecticut. When it was erected in 1719, the home was a part of the Salmon Brook Settlement and the Holcombs were the second generation of Euro-Americans from the Holcomb clan of Simsbury, Connecticut. These brave young pioneers had been married in 1717 but lived with their parents until Nathaniel and Thankful Holcomb felt they could strike out on their own. By 1719, a fine timber framed five room house was ready for them to move in and welcome their first child. Their sturdy home was located at the very edge of the wilderness and consideration was given to create, in a sense, a fort to protect them from the sometimes unfriendly native peoples. The home we see here today has been modified in three significant ways since it was built. Evidence shows that the original structure consisted of three rooms on the first level and two bedrooms up. There was also a large attic created by a long sloping roofline that extended from the ridgeline to the first floor wall. This construction was typical for the period and is considered a lean-to or saltbox style design. The cost and availability of window sash in the early 18th century was such that even the "well-to-do" Holcombs had just five small windows located across the front facade of the house. Each first floor room was provided warmth from three fireboxes built into the central chimney mass constructed mostly of huge, cut fieldstones. The largest is the "kitchen" hearth that is an impressive four feet in height with a domed beehive oven in the interior of the firebox, although later a "modern" side oven was added. The interior millwork detail in the formal front parlors was exceptional for the period and included a coat of Prussian blue paint covering which challenges the thought today that the Puritan distained and avoided lively colors. The exterior clapboards were left unpainted during the time the Holcombs resided here. By 1733, just 14 years and five children later, Nathaniel and Thankful purchased a larger piece of land and the home was sold to a wealthy land surveyor named of Nathaniel Higley. Higley lived in the house until his death in 1773. During this period he raised thirteen children and likely converted the saltbox to a fully developed, two story home with walkup attic. The roof was re-framed, the chimney stack was extended and topped off with brick and a brick smoke chamber, used for preserving meat, was constructed against the west side wall in the new attic. It is believed that at this time, the window fenestration was changed from the old fashioned five-light to a more stylish nine-light façade. The clapboards on the front of the house were necessarily replaced and were painted a rich, dark red at this time. Mr. Higley may have also added the present kitchen ell. This one story addition at the rear may have actually been a small, free standing structure added to the northwest side of the big house. His widow Abigail and two of their children lived there until after the Revolution. In 1781, the house was sold to Samuel Hayes Jr. who may have purchased it for one of his grown children. Although Granby town records were lost in a fire, it is clear by 1794, the Reverend Issac Porter was in residence. The Reverend Porter, who monitored the morals of the town with an iron hand and preached on the topic of predestination, was a significant preacher in the Second Great Awakening that swept the country in the 1790s. It seems unlikely, since Porter was not given to material indulgence, that he would have been responsible for any material changes to the house when he sold it to Consider Morgan, a successful surgeon, in 1835. For more info contact Ken Kuhl @ kenkuhl@bhhsne.com