Ebenezer Avery House facts for kids
| Established | 1975 |
|---|---|
| Location | 57 Fort Street, Groton, Connecticut |
| Type | Historic house museum |
The Ebenezer Avery House is a special historic home in Groton, Connecticut. It was built a long time ago, probably in the 1760s, and belonged to a man named Ebenezer Avery. This house played an important role during the Battle of Groton Heights in 1781. After the battle, British soldiers brought their injured fighters to this house. In 1971, the house was carefully moved to Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park in Groton and fixed up. Today, it's a museum that helps us learn about the past, and it's looked after by the Avery Memorial Association.
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History of the Avery House
The Ebenezer Avery House has 10 rooms and was built around the 1760s. Its first owner was Ensign Ebenezer Avery. The house was originally located on Latham Street and Thames Street in Groton, Connecticut. Ebenezer Avery was a tailor, but when the Battle of Groton Heights began on September 6, 1781, he bravely went to defend Fort Griswold from the British attack.
The Battle of Groton Heights
The Battle of Groton Heights was a sad day for the Americans. They lost the battle, and their leader, Lieutenant Colonel William Ledyard, was killed. This battle also left almost 100 families without homes.
A House Used for Wounded Soldiers
After the battle, while Ebenezer Avery was away, his house was used in an unexpected way. Some of the American soldiers who were hurt and couldn't walk were taken prisoner. They were put on a wagon to be taken to the British ships. However, the British soldiers let the wagon roll down a hill, where it crashed into a tree. This made the soldiers' injuries even worse.
The wounded soldiers were then placed on the beach, waiting for a boat trip to New York. But Ebenezer Ledyard, who was William Ledyard's brother, offered himself as a hostage. Because of this, the British took the wounded soldiers to Ebenezer Avery's house instead. They put Ebenezer Avery and other injured men inside. The house was later set on fire with the men still inside, but luckily, the fire was put out with great difficulty.
Ebenezer Avery himself was shot in the neck during the battle. He was so badly hurt that he couldn't move or feel anything. One of the wounded soldiers, Stephen Hempstead, said that 35 men were laid on the floor. The British left them alone until two doctors, Dr. Downer and Dr. Prentiss, arrived. Ebenezer Avery eventually got better, but he lost his hearing. He continued to live in the house until he passed away on January 11, 1828, at 81 years old.
When the 100-year anniversary of the battle happened in 1881, people could still see bloodstains in the house. However, those stains are no longer there today. In 1896, a group called the Thomas Starr Society placed a special memorial plaque at the house.
Moving and Restoring the House
In 1970, the Ebenezer Avery House was almost torn down to make way for new apartments. But a man named R. Stanton Avery bought it. He wanted to give it to the Avery Memorial Association to save it.
The Big Move
An architect named Edwin Park looked at the house and said it needed a lot of work to be fixed. The association decided to move the house to Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. On July 24, 1971, they had a meeting to plan the move. The plan was to carefully take the house apart and then put it back together at its new spot. R. Stanton Avery and the Avery Memorial Association shared the costs of this big project. By 1972, moving the house cost $43,000, and the State of Connecticut became interested in helping. The house was then given to the State of Connecticut to be used as a historic house museum.
Restoring to Its Original Look
In 1973, the association talked about selling some land to help pay for fixing up and taking care of the Ebenezer Avery House. The total cost of the move ended up being $80,000. The goal was to earn enough money from investments to cover the house's expenses.
In May 1975, the Ebenezer Avery House officially opened to the public. It had been restored to look just like it did originally. Inside, it was filled with items from that time period. One special item was the sword of Lieutenant Ebenezer Avery, who was a cousin of Ensign Ebenezer Avery and was also killed in the Battle of Groton Heights. Bricks from another old mansion, the Fitz-John Winthrop house, were even used to rebuild the chimney of the Ebenezer Avery House. The Fitz-John Winthrop house was a large 16-room home that was destroyed by a fire in 1962.
Today, the Ebenezer Avery House is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. You can visit it on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
