Isham-Terry House

The Isham-Terry House is a time capsule of genteel life in turn-of-the century Hartford. Dr. Oliver Isham bought the 1854 Italianate Villa in 1896. Here he had his physician's office and lived with his sisters Julia and Charlotte.

Julia and Charlotte occupied the house until the 1970s, defying the urban renewal craze that demolished so many historic homes. The sisters made so few changes and modernizations to the house that crossing its threshold today is like stepping back in time. Room after room is filled with objects of historical and family significance: ornate gas-light fixtures, stained-glass windows, rare books and paintings, Connecticut-made clocks, and memorabilia from Hartford High School, the Ishams' beloved alma mater. Even Dr. Isham's office, with its surgical instruments and medicines, was left undisturbed. Dr. Isham also possessed a rare collection of early Connecticut automobile memorabilia.