Branford House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Branford House
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Seaward side of Branford House in 2014
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Shennecosset and Eastern Point Roads, Groton, Connecticut |
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| Area | 22 acres (8.9 ha) |
| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | Gibson, Robert Williams |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001158 |
| Added to NRHP | January 23, 1984 |
The Branford House is a beautiful old mansion located in Groton, Connecticut. It sits on the campus of UConn Avery Point. Today, the university often rents it out for special events like weddings.
This grand house was built in 1902 for Morton Freeman Plant. He was a very wealthy financier and a generous person who gave money to good causes. Branford House was his summer home, and he named it after his hometown of Branford, Connecticut. Because of its history and importance, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 23, 1984.
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Building a Dream Home
When Branford House was built in 1902, it cost an amazing $3 million. This was a huge amount of money back then! Morton Plant chose Groton for his summer home because he loved the wide, open views of Long Island Sound from Avery Point. He preferred this quiet spot over the busy high society of Newport.
Unique Design and Cool Features
The design of Branford House was a team effort. Plant's wife, Nellie, who studied architecture at the Sorbonne, helped design it. The house was then built by Robert W. Gibson.
While the outside of the house looks like a traditional Tudor style mansion, the inside is a mix of many different styles. Imagine rooms with "Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, Classical, and even Flemish" designs all in one house! The house also had some very interesting features. It included a huge two-story fireplace and a rare elevator. There were even some curious doors that seemed to lead right into the outside walls!
Gardens and Farms Galore!
Morton Plant liked to think of himself as a 'gentleman farmer'. This meant he enjoyed farming as a hobby, even though he was very rich. He built many large farming facilities on his property. These included huge greenhouses, one of which was used to keep his tropical plants warm in winter. There was also a 22,250-square-foot (2,067 m2) cow barn, places for poultry, and fields for growing fruits and vegetables.
The entire estate was quite large, covering more than 70 acres (0.28 km2). It also had other buildings like carpentry and plumbing shops, and even a boarding house for workers. Plant was bothered by the smell from a nearby fertilizer company. So, he bought the company and turned the area into an orchard where his grandchildren could play.
New Owners, New Uses
Morton Plant passed away in 1918. The estate was then owned by his son and later his daughter-in-law. In 1939, the house was sold at an auction for only $55,000. Soon after, the state of Connecticut bought the property.
The state then gave the property to the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard built the Avery Point Light lighthouse there in 1942, which was first lit in 1944. During this time, the beautiful grounds were changed to make room for barracks for a training center. The house itself became offices and living quarters for officers. Sadly, the west wing of the house, which was used as a chapel, was destroyed by fire in 1963.
Saving Branford House
In 1967, the property was given back to the state. It was then used as a satellite campus for the University of Connecticut. However, many of the buildings, including Branford House, were in poor condition. By the 1980s, the house needed millions of dollars for repairs, which UConn could not afford. There were talks about a private company turning it into a conference center, or even the town taking over the property.
Despite these challenges, Branford House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 23, 1984. Eventually, UConn was able to carry out the necessary renovations. These repairs were finished in 2001. Today, the house is not used for regular classes. Instead, UConn rents it out for various events, allowing many people to enjoy its historic beauty.
