Raymond-Ambler House
Built circa 1799 by Josiah Raymond
We look ahead to restoring the White House, which served as the home for the Raymond + Ambler families for nearly 200 years. This house will become the cornerstone for representing farm life over the last two centuries and is key to accomplishing the mission set out by the deed of sale to the Town – to make this entire property a living example of farm life in Wilton from 1800 to 2000. Unfortunately, the house has deteriorated significantly due to deferred maintenance over the last few decades.
Exploratory demolition commenced in Fall 2008. Some interesting items have turned up during the start of this demolition and cataloging process. They include the discovery of several old shoes and pieces of clothing under the attic floor boards. In addition there are signatures of various carpenters who worked on the house. Walt Smith, local expert on historic preservation, did a walk through with Bob Russell and Rich Vail, members of the Raymond-Ambler House Committee, and by examining the nails and other elements of construction, he believes the original house may have been built around 1830. We originally thought the house dated from 1799. Further investigation is required to see if the timing of the original construction, Victorian update, and the various additions can be determined.