William Best House

** Freedom Trail Site **

William Howard Best (1924-2006) was Windsor's first African American police officer and a community activist. He began his job as Windsor’s first black police officer in 1951. He served the Windsor Police Department for 18 years until a job injury forced him to retire. Prior to his employment at the police department, Best worked for Colt Industries and was one of the first African Americans to work as a commercial bus driver in Connecticut. Following his retirement from the Windsor Police Department, he opened Wil-Bes Printing on Pierson Road in Windsor. In an effort to ensure that the experiences of African Americans were included in the telling of Windsor’s history, Best generously shared his extensive and invaluable knowledge with all who inquired. Additionally, he and his wife, Jean, were active members of the Windsor Historical Society. A lifelong Windsor resident, William Best had the house at 377 Hayden Station Road constructed in 1953. The land, however, had been in the family since 1873 when his great-grandparents purchased the property.

	Historic Sites	Points of Interest
	Restaurants and Food	Shopping
	Attractions	Freedom Trail
All Points

Old Poquonock Burying Ground
Poquonock Bridge
Pierson House, 1807
Rev. William Russell House, 1755
Founders of Windsor Monument, 1930
John Mason Statue, 1889 & 1996
Farmington River Railroad Bridge, 1867
First Church in Windsor Meetinghouse, 1794
Dr. Hezekiah Chaffee House, ca. 1767
Strong-Howard House, 1757-1830
Horace Hayden Memorial, 1910
Palisado Cemetery, 1633
Bart's Restaurant, 1946
Windsor Grist and Saw Mill, ca 1862
Warham Mill Marker, 1933
Amy Archer-Gilligan House, ca. 1880
Poquonock Fire Company
Union Street Fire Station, 1927
Washington Lodge #70, 1902
Hayden-Thompson Building, ca. 1850
Tunxis Theater, 1922
St. Casimir's Lithuanian Society
World War II Memorial, ca. 1950
Windsor Train Station, 1869-1870
Mullaley Building, ca. 1875
Mason Building, 1908
Col. James Loomis House, 1822
Freight House, ca. 1870
Murphy Building, ca. 1875
World War I Memorial, 1920 & 1957
Old Post Office Building, ca. 1885
Tobacco Reliefs, 1943
U.S. Post Office, 1963
Windsor Federal Building, 1956
John E. Luddy House, 1921
Loomis Fountain, 1903
Windsor Trust Building, 1929
Mack Brick Plaque, 1830
Roger Ludlow Plaque, 1914
Windsor Town Hall, 1965-1967
Veterans of Foreign Wars Building, 1941
Plaza Building, 1929
Huntington House, 1902
Rev. Reuel Hotchkiss Tuttle House, 1865
To the Patriots of Windsor, 1929
Grace Episcopal Church, 1865
Col. Oliver Mather House at the Windsor Public Library, 1777
St. Gabriel Church, 1916
Deerfield World War II Honor Roll
Windsor/Deerfield Garden Apartments
Mills House
Capt. Thomas Allyn House
Stanadyne
Samuel and Elijah Mills House
Taylor and Fenn
The Elijah Barber House
Wilson Fire House
Keney Park
Elm Grove Chapel, 1894 and Cemetery
William Best House
Archer Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church
Drastic Park Dinosaur Sculptures
Joseph Rainey House
Riverside Cemetery
Roger Ludlow School
John Fitch High School
Washington Park
Stony Hill School
Mojo’s Breakfast, Lunch and Catering
Windsor Historical Society

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