Rider House
The Rider house was built by John and Mary Rider circa 1785. It has two chimneys so that each room has a fireplace. There was a working well adjacent to the house where the family got their water.
Originally there were other outbuildings around the house. They would have had a barn, an outhouse, and possibly a shed for storage. They would have had a substance garden that provided vegetables and herbs for the family. The family owned a 100 acre woodlot.
Exhibit:
When the Rider house was built in 1785, it was part of a rebuilding of Danbury after the Revolutionary War. Inside the Rider House visitors can view how families lived from 1785 to about 1830.
Restorations:
The museum has done three major restorations on the house:
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•In 1941, the Scott Fanton Museum was formed and the house was saved from the wrecking ball.
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•In the late 1970s, the Museum did some restoration.
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•The latest restoration project started in 2001. The Museum received donations from individuals, local businesses, City of Danbury, and from a Bond from the State of Connecticut.
Much of the interior work is being done by volunteers such as the students from Abbott Tech. A lot of the materials have been donated by local businesses.
Cost:
To date the exterior renovation of the building has cost approx. $260,000. The museum is now working on the interior of the building and it is estimated that about $100,000 will be needed.
