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Hubbard
Street Signs
Albert Hubbard built about 240 homes on about 35 acres in
Wethersfield's old village in the 1920's. One of his legacies was
the creation and placement of 20 specially designed street signs around 1926. Some 70 years later, in one of its most ambitious efforts, the WVIA led effort to restore the worn, damaged and missing "Hubbard House" street signs.
The street sign project was directed by WVIA members Pete and Judy November. They coordinated the project with the
 Wethersfield Historical Society, the Physical
Services Division of the Town of Wethersfield, the Wethersfield Art League and the Wethersfield
Community Television. The cost of this project was approximately $7,000 and was paid for by the WVIA and significant donations by local residents. The fund raising effort, which was considerable, was led by Rick Willard (VIA President since 2001) and Linda Willard (VIA Treasurer since 1998). The 1995 historical research was facilitated by Brenda Milkofsky, director of the Wethersfield Historical Society.
The Hubbard sign project required the specialized services of several skilled trades and professionals. Without the considerable donation of some of these materials and services, the project would not have moved along as it did. The Foundry, Inc., Hartford, CT, made the molds and casted replacement "houses" from the only original uninstalled Hubbard sign. Turnpike Motors' Auto body Shop, under the direction of owner Douglas Fernandez, removed the paint from the old salvageable signs, primed all the signs and, after detail painting, sealed the signs. The Wethersfield Art League, using the original sign as a model, duplicated the same look in each of the 24 new and restored signs, before they were "sealed." West Hartford Pattern Company studied the original brackets and created schematics and prints to guide their recreation from wrought iron. Artistic Wrought Iron, West Hartford, created a new set of specially wrought, scrolled, bent and tapered brackets to support each "house" and to suspend each street sign panel. With these intense efforts, the houses, sign brackets and poles were brought back to better than new condition.
One of the "new" Hubbard House street signs remains on permanent display in the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center at 200 Main Street, Old Wethersfield, a testament to the WVIA's pursuit of and dedication to its prime directive, the beautification of the Town of Wethersfield.
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