780 Longmeadow Street (#40 The Jacob Colton House -1765)

Believed to have been built in 1765 by a member of the prominent Colton family, this house is in the classic 18th century colonial tradition. It has four front windows flanking the center door on the first floor; five windows on the second floor complete the symmetry. It is one of the few homes in town with an original central chimney. Tradition has it that the crosses in the upper part of the doors served as protection against witches. One of the house's occupants was Elihu Colton who was the nephew of the original builder. He served in the Revolutionary War and then studied at Yale. The house remained in the Colton family until 1952. Uncovered in the late 1960's were two gravestones still standing in the back yard. One is marked "Ebeneezer Colton" and the other "N.C."