Weed-Enders House

Totally Smokin’ Weed-Enders, Man
Granby (Google Maps Location)
July 2008

This is one of several Salmon Brook Historical Society Museums.

As part of our four part museum tour of the Salmon Brook Historical Society’s properties in Granby, I was granted a peek inside the Weed-Enders House. While it is attached to the more tour-able Abijah Rowe House, it’s not really a fully outfitted museum… yet. There is one room that visitors can enjoy – An elegant Victorian Parlor depicts, in cluttered splendor, a different view of the past. Visitors can look through a stereoptican or marvel at an Edison Phonograph.

But the rest contains a fine research and genealogical library, the curator’s office, and the Society Museum Store, featuring Granby history books, maps, and other Granby memorabilia. And let me tell you – there is such a thing as Granby Memorabilia. I saw it with my own two eyes.

The fine folks working the museums during our visit granted me special privilege to see the secret society offices, just so I could feel as though my visit was complete. So, you say, “tell me more about this historic house!”

Moses Weed built this small saltbox house in 1790 in the hills of West Granby, six miles to the west of its present location. The Weed family cleared and farmed the land. The farmhouse, after being owned by the Weeds, Lampsons, and Corrells, was sold in 1924 to John Enders, who used it as a hunting cabin.

After the Enders State Forest was established, the Weed-Enders House was leased to the Salmon Brook Historical Society and moved, in 1974, to 208 Salmon Brook Street.

The eighteenth century farmhouse was restored to its original condition, and has multiple uses today, as mentioned above. The Weed-Enders House is typical of the farm homes found nestled amid stone-walled fields in the rugged hills of Granby.

And speaking of those rugged hills of Granby, sharp-minded readers will recall my trek up Weed Hill over at the McLean Game Refuge. Sure, Weed Hill itself was pretty lame, but I did see two bears one hill to the south of it! At least now I know the derivation of the name, “Weed Hill.”

Salmon Brook Historical Society
CTMQ’s Museum Visits