Capt. Nathaniel B. Palmer House facts for kids
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Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, Connecticut |
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| Built | 1852 |
| Architect | Collins & Sons |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000971 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1996 |
| Designated NHL | June 19, 1996 |
The Capt. Nathaniel B. Palmer House is a special old house in Stonington, Connecticut. It was built between 1852 and 1854. This house was once the home of Nathaniel Brown Palmer (1799–1877). He was a famous seal hunter, an early explorer of Antarctic, and a great designer of fast clipper ships.
The house mixes two styles: Greek revival and Victorian Italianate. It was almost torn down, but the Stonington Historical Society saved it in 1995. Now, it is a museum about Captain Palmer. In 1996, the house was named a National Historic Landmark.
Contents
About the Palmer House
The Palmer House sits on a piece of land in Stonington Borough. This land separates Quanaduck Cove from Lambert Cove. The house is on a 4-acre plot. This is all that is left of the large land owned by the Palmer family.
The house is made of wood and is shaped like a square. It has three sections across the front. It is two and a half stories tall. There is also a kitchen section attached. The roof is sloped with a point in the middle of each side.
Special Features of the House
Right in the center of the roof is an eight-sided room called a cupola. It has windows all around, giving a 360-degree view. The main front door has a flat roof over it. This roof is held up by pairs of fancy columns. These columns are called Corinthian columns.
The windows on the front of the house have decorative frames. The roof lines, the porch roof, and the cupola all have decorative tooth-like designs. Inside, the house has a central hallway. There are four rooms on each floor.
Inside the House
The main rooms have beautiful plaster, wood, and marble decorations. Captain Palmer's study on the first floor is very interesting. It has built-in cabinets with shelves for his sea maps. The cabinet doors are made of a special wood called mahogany.
The house was built for Nathaniel Palmer and his brother Alexander in 1852. Captain Palmer lived there until he passed away in 1877. He did not have children. So, he left the house to his niece and her husband. Their family owned the house until 1976. In the early 1990s, the house was in danger of being torn down. But the Stonington Historical Society bought it in 1995 to save it.
Captain Nathaniel Palmer's Adventures
Nathaniel Palmer came from a family of sailors. He went on his first sea trip when he was just 14 years old. Stonington was a big center for hunting seals. Palmer became interested in this in 1819.
Discovering Antarctica
In 1820, Palmer was given command of a small ship called a sloop. This ship was about half the size of Christopher Columbus' ship, the Niña. Palmer's sloop was used to explore ahead of a group of seven larger seal-hunting ships.
During a long ocean journey, Palmer saw the Antarctic Peninsula on November 17, 1820. This area is now called Palmer Land. Palmer's important role in this discovery is also remembered by the American research station there, Palmer Station.
Designing Fast Ships
In his later years, Captain Palmer worked on designing faster sailing ships. In 1843, while on a trading trip to China, he designed an early version of a clipper ship. The next year, a ship called the Houqua was built based on his design. This ship made a record-breaking trip from New York City to Canton, China in just 95 days!
Gallery
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One of the downstairs rooms of the house
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A downstairs china closet
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A downstairs room
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An upstairs room
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An upstairs room
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An upstairs room
See also
