Town #104: New Canaan

New Canaan is not just one of the most affluent towns in Connecticut, it's one of the most affluent in the country. A few years ago CNN named New Canaan the most affluent town in the entire country. So it might be strange to consider what it's known for.

What it's known for: The Glass House

More specifically it's known for the Harvard Five. Five Harvard trained architects settled here and built in the area.

One of these houses was made entirely of glass by Philip Johnson. Today it is one of the most impressive houses on the Historic Register and can be toured in New Canaan. Called (not surprisingly) The Glass House, it definitely lives up to its name. The house was completed in 1949 and other buildings were added to the 47 acres along the way. The main house is simplistic in nature. It's a glass box all with an open floor plan. The only solid structure inside is the bathroom that has a door on one side and a fireplace on the other. The house measures 56 by 32 feet.

Other structures on the grounds include a underground art gallery built into a hill, a library, a guesthouse and a very creative gate that uses a ship's mast. It's a tour unlike anything you've probably ever encountered.

If you're interested in seeing more photos from the day I visited, visit me on Flickr.

New Canaan stats:
Population: 19,984
Size: 22.5 square miles
Villages/Other Communities: n/a
Historic Places: The Hampton Inn (aka The Maples Inn), Hanford Davenport House, John Rogers Studio, Landis Gores House, Maxwell E. Perkins House, Philip Johnson Glass House, Richard and Geraldine Hodgson House