The Bradford-Huntington House is a historic house at 16 Huntington Lane in the
Norwichtown
Norwichtown is a historic neighborhood in the city of Norwich, Connecticut. It is generally the area immediately north of the Yantic River between I-395 and Route 169.
The portion of the neighborhood from the Norwichtown Green and east of it i ...
section of
Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich ( ) (also called "The Rose of New England") is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River flows south to Long ...
, United States. The house was built in stages, beginning around 1691, and is one of the oldest to survive in the area. It was owned by
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
officer
Jabez Huntington. It is claimed that Huntington hosted
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
here. The house was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1970. It is also a contributing property in the
Norwichtown Historic District
Norwichtown is a historic neighborhood in the city of Norwich, Connecticut. It is generally the area immediately north of the Yantic River between I-395 and Route 169.
The portion of the neighborhood from the Norwichtown Green and east of it i ...
(which was listed on the National Register in 1973).
[
]
Description and history
The Bradford-Huntington House is located northeast of the Norwichtown green, on the west side of Huntington Lane. It stands facing south on a stone foundation, with a large brick fireplace and chimney in the middle of each of two gambrel-roofed wings. It is stories in height, with a gambrel-roofed main section and a clapboarded exterior. The interior has many well-preserved features, including exposed chamfered summer beam, wide floorboards and a winding staircase in the front entry vestibule.[ and ]
The oldest portion of the house, part of its main block, dates to no later than 1691, when it was described as the "new dwelling house" of John Bradford. The house was enlarged in stages by members of the Huntington family, who were early settlers of Norwich. Jabez Huntington, its owner in the late 18th century, was a major general (the highest rank awarded) in the state militia during the American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. In this role, he is believed to have hosted both George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
and the Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revoluti ...
at his home. The house is of architectural interest for its complex construction history, exhibiting differing construction methods over time.
See also
*
*List of the oldest buildings in Connecticut
This article lists the oldest buildings in the state of Connecticut, United States of America. The dates of construction are based on land tax and probate records, architectural studies, genealogy, radio carbon dating, and dendrochronology. Buildi ...
References
External links
*
{{National Register of Historic Places
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Houses completed in 1719
Houses in Norwich, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in New London County, Connecticut
Historic district contributing properties in Connecticut
1719 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies