Several historic homes line The Green on the Broad Street side:

Taylor Memorial Library

5 Broad Street

Gifted to the town by local philanthropist Henry Taylor in 1895 as a memorial to his mother, the imposing fieldstone, red sandstone, and yellow brick “Richardsonian Romanesque” building features a conical turreted roof, massive arches, detailed masonry, and jalousie windows. For many years, it housed the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Charles Hobby Pond House

69 Broad Street

Pond, who served Connecticut’s Lieutenant Governor (1850-1853) and Governor (1853-1854) was born in Milford in 1781. His pre-Civil War period Greek Revival house, built in 1845, became the Cody-White Funeral Home in 1956.

Simon Lake House/ Smith Funeral Home

135 Broad Street

From 1935-2020, this was known as The Smith Funeral Home. It was built in 1853 by Daniel Buckingham Jr. for Judge John Fowler, who later remodeled it to resemble an Italianate villa. Simon Lake, the father of the modern submarine, purchased it in 1900, adding a laboratory behind the main residence.

Milford Historical Society

34 High Street

The Wharf Lane Complex is the next stop on our tour. The non-profit MSH maintains three historic houses here, on a street that once ran from the town dock to the Green. All three homes are filled with 18th century locally sourced furniture, collectibles, and artwork.

The Eells-Stow House (c.1700)

Believed to be the oldest house in Milford, it passed from Col. Samuel Eells to his son Nathaniel who later sold it to Stephen Stow (husband to Freelove Baldwin). During the Revolutionary War, their son, Captain Stephen Stow, gave his life while nursing 200 smallpox-stricken American soldiers. In 1930, the house was saved from destruction by the Freelove Baldwin Stow Chapter of the D.A.R. and has been impeccably maintained since then.

The Clark-Stockade House (c. 1780)

This house was originally built in the vicinity of Milford Hospital in 1659 by Deacon George Clark. It was the first Milford house situated outside the stockade which protected colonists from Native American attacks. Records indicate builder Michael Peck, (with his assistant David Camp) dismantled and rebuilt it in 1780 for Nathan Clark, using many of the pieces (supporting beams and framework), that exist today.

The Bryan-Downs House (c. 1785)

Capt. Jehiel Bryan built this six-room saltbox on the Post Road between Milford and New Haven following his wedding to Mary Treat. In 1977, the MHS dismantled and reconstructed it at its current site. In the mid-1800’s, owner Ebenezer Downs, Jr., enlarged the exterior footprint, removed the stone chimney, and altered the interior, using some of the original materials. This house also contains a reference library, gift shop, meeting room, and the Claude Coffin Indian Collection.

The MSH historic houses will reopen for guided tours in June. General hours are Saturday and Sunday from 1:00-4:00pm, June-October, but please check the website for information about special programs and events. http://www. milfordhistoricalsociety.org