The Dr. Philip Turner House is a historic house at 29 West Town Street in
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. Possibly built in the late 17th century, it is one of the oldest houses in Norwich, and well-preserved example of vernacular architecture. At the time of the
American Revolutionary War it was probably owned by Dr. Philip Turner, a leading surgeon for the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
.
It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1970.
Description and history
The Dr. Philip Turner House is located in Norwich's Norwichtown neighborhood, on the north side of West Town Street near its junction with Sturtevant Road. It is a colonial-era "half house", stories tall and three bays wide, with clapboard siding and a large chimney behind the entrance, which is in the rightmost bay. Some of its exterior siding is fastened with hand-cut nails and exhibits feathering typical of early clapboards. The interior is basically two chambers on the ground floor, with a parlor in front and kitchen in the rear. There are two bedrooms on the upper floor, with original wide pine floors and period wainscoting.
[
Turner served with the ]Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
through much of the war, acting as a surgeon at the Siege of Boston
The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. New England militiamen prevented the movement by land of the British Army, which was garrisoned in what was then the peninsular town ...
before being appointed Surgeon General of the army's Eastern Department in 1777, a post he held until the war's end. He later became a staff surgeon for the United States Army.[
]
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut
*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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Dr. Philip, House
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Houses in Norwich, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in New London County, Connecticut