Capt. Mark Stoddard Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Capt. Mark Stoddard Farmstead
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In 2016
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 24 Vinegar Hill Road, Gales Ferry, Connecticut |
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| Area | 130 acres (53 ha) |
| Built | c. 1770 |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Postmedieval English |
| MPS | Ledyard MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001640 |
| Added to NRHP | December 14, 1992 |
The Capt. Mark Stoddard Farmstead is a very old and special house located at 24 Vinegar Hill Road in the Gales Ferry area of Ledyard, Connecticut. It was built around 1770, which means it's over 250 years old! This farmstead is a great example of a traditional Cape-style farmhouse from that time. It's important because it still looks much like it did centuries ago, and it's kept its quiet, rural setting. This historic property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, recognizing its importance.
Exploring the Capt. Mark Stoddard Farmstead
The Stoddard farmstead is a large property, about 130 acres (which is like 100 football fields!). It's located down a long driveway on the west side of Vinegar Hill Road. On the land, you'll find four main buildings. These include the main Cape-style farmhouse, two barns, and an old outdoor toilet called a privy.
What Does the Farmhouse Look Like?
The main farmhouse faces south and is a 1-1/2 story building made of wood. It has five windows across the front and a large chimney in the middle. A single-story addition, built at the same time as the main house, extends from the back. One of the barns nearby is also thought to be from the 1700s. This makes it a very rare building that has survived for so long!
Inside the house, the rooms are set up around the central chimney. There's a living room (called a parlor) and a hall on either side of the chimney. The kitchen is located behind it. Many of the original walls and wooden details are still there, looking much as they did when the house was first built.
Who Was Captain Mark Stoddard?
The house was built around 1770. The land it sits on might have belonged to the Allyn family before that. Mark Stoddard was a descendant of one of the first settlers in Ledyard. In 1768, he married into the Allyn family, which was another important local family.
Captain Mark Stoddard was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War. This was the war where America fought for its independence from Great Britain. Later, one of his grandsons also served in the American Civil War. This grandson was the captain of a famous ship called the USS Kearsarge. His ship won an important battle against another ship called the CSS Alabama. The farmstead stayed in the Stoddard family until 1919.
