New Haven Road, west side

Facing southeast onto New Haven Road, the Medad Holcomb House is set on a slightly elevated site in a low density residential neighborhood.

Notable Features

The three-bay, side-hall plan facade exhibits a fully-pedimented gable highlighted by a carved Federal-style fan decoration. A modillioned cornice borders the underside of the pediment. The original sash have been replaced with one-over-one windows and the original facade entryway has been removed and replaced with a modestly framed twentieth-century door. The original central brick chimney is deteriorated, due to neglect. A single story, shed-roofed addition extends from the rear. A two-bay garage is located to the north of the house.

Historical or Architectural Importance

Oriented gable-to-street, this 2 1/2 story, Federal-style house was erected by Medad Holcomb in 1817. Supported by a sandstone foundation, the aluminum-sided, post-and-beam frame is capped by an asphalt-shingled gable roof.
Medad Holcomb erected this house in 1817 along the New Haven Turnpike, a few years after the Middletown-Durham-New Haven Turnpike Company was chartered to construct a road between the shoreline and Middletown. There is little historical information available concerning Holcomb, except that he was originally from Killingworth. Shortly after the house was completed, Holcomb sold it to Orren Bartholomew of Wallingford. In 1827 brothers, Enos S. and Elah Camp II, acquired the house and surrounding land. A farmer and Deacon of the Congregational Church, Elah,II (b 1792) and his wife, Orib (Lee) resided here until they moved to Meriden in 1842. The next owners were William H. and Polly (Foote) Maltby. In 1866 Samuel Griffin Stevens, a shoemaker, purchased the house and resided there until his death in 1900.
Although in need of repairs, the Medad Holcomb House is a notable example of Federal-period architecture in Durham.