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Homestead of Major General
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Horatio G. Wright
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| In 1807, on a busy street in what was then the southern part of Killingworth,
Edward Wright, Sr. built the house that is now home to the M Sarba Fine Art
Café in Clinton. Wright was a farmer who had served in the Connecticut Militia
during the War of 1812 and lived here with his wife and three sons. Ownership of
the house eventually passed to his first son. (In the basement, there is a
hand-made door that bears Edward Jr. penciled signature, dated 1871.) |
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| Perhaps taking a cue from his father’s military service, his middle son,
Horatio G, Wright, attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. He
graduated in 1841 and achieved the rank of General during the Civil War. He
eventually assumed command of the Union Sixth Corps. General Wright played a
pivotal role in several decisive campaigns, and was wounded twice during the
course of the war. His wife, Virginia-born Louisa Bradford, was a close friend
of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln.
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| During a portion of the next century, the house was owned by members of the
Kelsey family, whose ancestors had been instrumental in founding the town of
Clinton. (In fact, there are painted, signed messages from some family children
on the basement door and walls of the attic dating back to the 1930’s.) The
house later passed into the hands of a Mr. J.R. deCelis an artist from Spain who
sold art supplies and operated a framing studio on site. |
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| The oldest portion of the house extends from the façade to what is now the
serving area. It consists of three large rooms downstairs, four upstairs, and
boasts four original working fireplaces. In later years, the house was expanded
to include what is now the serving area and the rear upper floor. |
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| In 2000, Marek and Barbara Sarba purchased the house. Armed with their vision
of creating a comfortable café where their patrons would be surrounded by
lovely works of original art, they began the process of completely restoring the
almost two-centuries old house. Finally, in June 2002, the award-winning M.
Sarba Fine Art Café opened its doors to the public. |
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Major General Horatio G. Wright
Born March 6, 1820, in Clinton, Connecticut, Horatio Wright graduated second
in the Military Academy class of 1841 and was commissioned in the Corps of
Engineers. He superintended construction at Ford Jefferson at Dry Tortugas, 70
miles west of Key West, Florida, 1846-56. While assistant to the Chief Engineer
of the Army, 1856-61, he was a member of boards to study iron carriages for
seacoast guns and the adaptability of the 15-inch gun for ordnance. He co-wrote
a "Report on Fabrication of Iron for Defenses." From Chief Engineer of
a division at the First Battle of Bull Run, he advanced to command the famous
6th Army Corps, which saved Washington, D.C., from capture in 1864 and
spearheaded the final assault on Petersburg and the pursuit of Lee to Appomattox
in 1865. He commanded the Department of Texas, 1865-66, and served as a member
of the Board of Engineers for Fortifications and many river and harbor planning
boards until he was appointed Chief of Engineers in 1879. While Wright was Chief
of Engineers, engineer officers began a reservoir system at the headwaters of
the Mississippi River and initiated the first substantial federal effort to
control the river's lower reaches. General Wright retired March 6, 1884, and
died July 2, 1899, in Washington, D.C. The
obelisk marking his grave was erected by survivors of Union Sixth Corps, Army of
the Potomac.
Portrait of Major General Horatio G. Wright done by Marek Sarba |
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