Our Historic House of Housatonic Valley Insurance Agency

Our Historic House

Welcome to Our House

We are so proud to have such a big part of New Milford's history! Housatonic Valley Insurance Agency (HVI) was established in January 1931. HVI was one of the founding members of the New Milford Chamber of Commerce later that year.

HVI originally leased office space in the “Bank Building” at 19 Main St., which is now the home of a new banquet facility. The office remained at this location for more than 25 years.

House Constructed in 1795

In 1955, the agency bought their current home located at 6 Main Street, in the white colonial to the right of the Town Hall. Our house, constructed in 1795 by Noadih Mygatt, was still being used as a private home by the Sherman P. Canfield family, who had owned the property for more than 50 years.

It is interesting to note that this house is located on the site of the first dwelling (a log cabin) that was erected by John Noble Jr., son of the founding father of the Town of New Milford. This HVI house was used all through the years, and at one point in time it was a coach stop and/or tavern.

One of the partitions on the second-floor front of the house was constructed so that it could be swung upward, being on hinges and hooked up, to open up an area of the two rooms; used for meetings, dances, and other assemblies.

In 1929, the house was purchased by Sherman Canfield. Mr. and Mrs. Canfield kept riding horses in the barn behind the house; and enjoyed riding them for many years.

Modernization in the 1970s

In 1955, Housatonic Valley Insurance Agency purchased the house from the Canfields and converted the first floor for office use. In the early 70’s, the second floor was modernized for additional office space. In 1978, we enclosed the wood shed at the rear of the building and made an additional office. With keeping the charm of the original house, the entire building is now used for our insurance office.

A little fact about the neighborhood: Next door at 10 Main St. where the Town Hall now stands, is the site where Roger Sherman’s home once stood between the years of 1721-1793. Roger Sherman was a Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four great state papers of the United States: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

We Welcome You to Visit Us

We are so proud of our building and its history and have tried to keep it in its traditional colonial character. We love our beautiful historic house and its historic location on the New Milford Green, overlooking the Gazebo and the Tank.

We welcome you to visit us!