Gilman-Hayden House

The Gilman-Hayden House has stood in what is now East Hartford since 1784. The Georgian-designed building served as the home to several prominent residents, but Edward Williams Hayden (1842 - 1878) served as its most notable resident mainly because of the detailed diary he kept before, during, and after the Civil War.  

The Gilman-Hayden House arose on a lot owned by the Bidwell family, one of Hartford's founders. The Gilmans, who built the house, were early settlers of the area and prospered as farmers during an era when agriculture dominated. The Williams family, relatives of a Declaration of Independence signer William Williams, occupied the house during the second quarter of the nineteenth century, eventually passing it down to the aforementioned diarist, Edward Williams Hayden. 

Hayden, son of Deacon Edward Hayden and Huldah Williams, grew up on Main Street at the homestead of Reverend Eliphalet Williams, brother of Connecticut patriot and Declaration of Independence signer, William Williams. Eliphalet served as pastor of the first church in East Hartford for over half a century before his death in 1803. Eliphalet's daughter, Abigail Williams, inherited Eliphalet's puritan character and demonstrated that throughout her livelihood. Abigail, with whom Edward Hayden referred to as "Aunt Abby," lived in the same homestead as Edward. Thus, Hayden lived in a household deeply attached to the church, the community, and the growing U.S. republic. 

Hayden's journals largely begin at the dawn of the Civil War, when he agonizes over his decision to go to war. His list of pros and cons before enlisting in the army offer insight into the weight the war put on people of that time. While he felt compelled to fight for the Union cause, he also worried about leaving his family, farm, and community. Nonetheless, Hayden eventually joined the Union Army. 

Historian Lee Paquette noted an experience written by Hayden: "Hayden's unit shipped out to Virginia and had its first skirmish on May 8th (1864) near Chancellorsville. After a fight on May 12th Hayden, desperate for something to write on, salvaged a notebook diary from the body of a rebel soldier. The diary is a remarkable relic of the war. Beginning at one end is the rebel's narrative. At the other end, Hayden commenced his writings. They are interrupted by a bullet hole and bloodstain on the small book. As Hayden was sitting down writing his journal, a sniper shot him." (His wounds proved non-critical.)

His journal detailed several other notable occurrences. Hayden recounted his experience in 1865 when he enrolled in the United States School for Applicants for Command of Colored Troops and heard Frederick Douglass speak. Indeed, Hayden commanded a regiment of African-American volunteers (Company H, 61st Infantry, New York Volunteers). He recorded his reaction to seeing a nearly deserted Richmond (the Confederate capital) a few days after the war's end, and how he went to see Lincoln's body soon after hearing of the President's assassination. 

When he returned to East Hartford, he bought the now historic property on 1871 Main Street that the Williams' family had purchased a few years prior. (The home at the time was referred to as "The Gilman Place.") Hayden also actively invested in East Hartford by speculating on lands; he purchased numerous farms and lots that later became residential areas when East Hartford transformed into a "streetcar suburb" of Hartford. He lived at his historic home from 1865 until his death in 1878. While there, he continued to journal. He recorded the growing political polarity among his neighbors as they spoke of the war. Though he died at aged 36, never having been married or fathering children, he left society with a wealth of knowledge and observations with his diaries. The Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford, Connecticut has preserved his journals.

Andrews, Gregory E. "Nomination Form: Central Avenue-Center Cemetery Historic District." National Register of Historic Places. nps.gov. April 9, 1993. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/c85c6aa3-26e3-4acf-afc4-0c5c10318748.

"Edward Hayden." Friends of Center Cemetary. centercemetery.org. Accessed December 10, 2020. https://www.centercemetery.org/edward-hayden/. 

Porteus, Gail Linskey. "Nomination Form: Gilman-Hayden House." National Register of Historic Places. nps.gov. August 16, 1984. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/48a52c67-f59d-4ea7-b250-af3a8dca919e/.