Born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1727, Joseph Webb moved to Wethersfield sometime prior to marrying Mehitable Nott in 1749.  Joseph and Mehitable hired housewright Judah Wright to frame a three-and-a-half storey center hall Georgian building with a gambrel roof, a notable innovation to Wethersfield architecture.    Conveniently, a gambrel roof provided greater upper-floor storage for Josephís trade goods and probably sleeping quarters for the householdís enslaved Africans.  The Webb House was completed in 1752 and has been a local landmark ever since.

When Joseph Webb died in 1761, the house was inherited by his son Joseph Jr., who married Abigail Chester in 1774.  The couple entertained lavishly, earning their home the nickname ìHospitality Hall.î  Joseph Jr.ís younger brothers Samuel and John both fought for the revolutionary cause.  In May 1781 Samís commanding officer, Gen. George Washington, stayed with Joseph Jr. and his family while he met with the Comte de Rochambeau to plan what became the Yorktown campaign.  Shortly thereafter, Joseph Jr. was imprisoned for debt, and the Webb House sold to raise funds.

From about 1800-1820, the house had a series of owners, and was finally purchased by Martin Welles, who replaced the front door with a Greek Revival portico and enlarged the four south rooms.  In 1914 the house was bought by a group of local businessmen who sought to operate it as an athenaeum or library.  When they failed to raise sufficient funds, they sold to Wallace Nutting in 1916, who operated it as a museum and setting for his hand-colored photographs featuring ladies in ìauthenticî colonial dress engaged in elegant domestic activities such as polishing silver or arranging flowers.  Mr. Nutting made significant changes, such as installing a ìcolonial kitchen,î Federal dining parlor, and Yorktown Parlor with handpainted murals depicting events leading up to Cornwallisís surrender (see elsewhere).  However, neither he nor any of the other owners ever removed the ca. 1760 British wool flocked wallpaper from the walls of the room in which Washington stayed in 1781.  It can still be seen today.

In 1919 Mr. Nutting was forced to sell, and with the help of Wethersfield residents and Webb descendants, the Connecticut Colonial Dames purchased Webb House and saved it from likely destruction.  In addition to serving as the Societyís headquarters, Webb House was opened as a public museum and tea room.  The acquisition of the house renewed interest in the architectural and cultural legacy of Wethersfield, and signaled the emergence of the modern historic preservation movement.  In 1961 the Webb House was designated a National Historic Landmark because of its significant role in the outcome of the Revolutionary War.  This recognition paved the way for the establishment of the Old Wethersfield Historic District in 1964, which is Connecticutís largest.  Today the Webb House is the centerpiece of the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum and Old Wethersfield, and continues to draw visitors from around the country and the world.
 

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