William Best House
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 force him to retire. Prior to 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. In addition, he and his wife, Jean, were active members of the Windsor Historical Society. A lifelong Windsor resident, William Best had the house at 371 Hayden Station Road constructed in 1953. The land, however, has been in the family since the 1870’s when his great grandparents purchased the property in 1873.
