Avery Homestead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Avery Homestead
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 20 Avery Hill Rd, Ledyard, Connecticut |
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| Area | 22 acres (8.9 ha) |
| Built | Circa 1696 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001614 |
| Added to NRHP | December 14, 1992 |
The Avery Homestead is a very old house in Ledyard, Connecticut. It was built around 1696 in the Colonial style. The house might have started as a small, one-room building. Over time, it grew into the two-story home we see today.
The Avery family has lived in this house for over 300 years. More than twelve generations have called it home! In the 1950s, Amos Avery worked for ten years to make the house look like it did in the 1700s. The Avery Homestead is important because it's a well-preserved example of an 18th-century farmhouse. It shows us how people lived long ago. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
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Exploring the Avery Homestead
The Avery Homestead is on the west side of Ledyard, Connecticut. It faces south on Avery Hill Road. The house looks out over 100 acres of old pasture land. This land has stone walls and stretches down to Stoddards Wharf Road.
Next to the house, there's a shed and a two-story barn. Beyond the barn, you'll find a farm pond. This pond sits in a small valley. A brook flows from the pond for about a mile. It eventually joins the Thames River.
How the House Was Built
The Avery Homestead is a two-story house built in the Colonial style. It's thought to have been built around 1696. The main part of the house follows the Georgian style.
It's believed the house might have started as a small, one-room building. This was common for houses in Ledyard. Special marks on the wood and different window patterns suggest this idea. The house definitely had two stories and two rooms by 1726. This is known because the parlor was used for church services.
Around 1780, the house got bigger. A two-story addition was built at the back. This made the house look a bit like a saltbox house. These changes happened when Theophilus Avery owned the home.
Later, around 1870, the old kitchen part was moved. It became a separate building next to the house. A new section was built, which was an open shed. In 1965, this shed became a shop and office.
The house has a low foundation made of granite blocks. On the west side, the foundation is more visible. This allows for a door to exit from the cellar. Inside, a large stone chimney supports four fireplaces. There's one in the hall, one in the hall chamber, one in the parlor, and one in the cellar. The original kitchen fireplace is very large. It even has a special oven built into its back wall.
The main barn stands tall and is built with strong wooden frames. It has vertical wooden boards on its sides. A small tower with a hip roof on top might have been added later. Photos from 1870 show the barn was already there. We don't know exactly when it was built, but it might be from the 1700s.
The Avery Family Owners
For many generations, the Avery family has lived in the Avery Homestead. The first house was built around 1696 by William Morgan. He built it when he married Margaret Avery.
The house later went to Deacon William Morgan Jr. He used the house for church services starting in 1726. This continued until a proper meetinghouse was built. In 1745, Deacon William Morgan Jr. sold the house to John Wood.
Nine years later, in 1754, the Avery family bought the house back. Theophilus Avery (the first one) owned it from 1757 to 1798. His grandson, also named Theophilus Avery, owned it from 1852 to 1880. Amos G. Avery got the house from his father in 1946.
In 1970, Amos Avery gave 100 acres of land to a land trust. He kept 40 acres around the house. Amos Avery also worked for ten years to restore the house. He wanted it to look like it did in the 1700s. He started in the mid-1950s. He removed plaster from fireplaces and replaced floorboards. He also copied the old wooden wall panels.
When Amos Avery passed away in 1998 at age 96, his oldest son Edward inherited the house. Many old items from the house were sold. This included special baskets made by the Mohegan or Pequot Native American tribes. The Mashantucket Pequot Museum bought some of these baskets.
Why This House Is Important
The Avery Homestead is very important historically. It's a rare example of a farm from the late 1600s and early 1700s. Its rural setting is still very much intact. The way the house, farmyard, and other buildings fit together is like a picture from the 1700s. It helps us imagine what life was like back then.
Many believe the Avery Homestead is the oldest building in Ledyard. It's known for its beautiful craftsmanship and how well it has been kept. The house is also important because of its strong connection to the Avery family. They have owned the house for three centuries. There was only a short nine-year period (1745-1754) when they didn't own it. The Avery Homestead was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
The Historical Plaque
A historical plaque at the Avery Homestead says it's the oldest house in Ledyard. It states the house dates from 1720. However, other evidence suggests it is even older.
This plaque was part of a special program in Connecticut. It celebrated the state's 350th anniversary. There were some disagreements about the program. It was hard to figure out the exact age of old homes. This was because of how they were built and a lack of old papers. But Ledyard recognized the Avery Homestead because Amos G. Avery had good documents about its history.
