Francis Gillette House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Francis Gillette House
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 545 Bloomfield Ave., Bloomfield, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1833 |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004391 |
| Added to NRHP | March 25, 1982 |
The Francis Gillette House is a very old and special house in Bloomfield, Connecticut. It was built in 1833. This house is important because it belonged to Francis Gillette, who was a big leader in the fight against slavery in Connecticut before the American Civil War. It's also unique because it's made of stone, which was unusual for homes built around that time in the area. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
A Special Stone House
The Francis Gillette House is located on the west side of Bloomfield Street. It stands out from other homes built later in the 1900s. The house is set back from the road and faces south.
The main part of the house is shaped like a cube and has two floors. It is built from fieldstone, which is a type of stone found locally. The roof is low and gently sloped. A two-story wooden section extends from the back of the house. The front of the house has three sections. The main door is on the left side.
Who Was Francis Gillette?
The house is most famous because of its connection to Francis Gillette. He was an important person in Connecticut who worked to end slavery. People who wanted to end slavery were called abolitionists.
Gillette was well-known in Connecticut. He started a newspaper called the Hartford Press. He created this newspaper to share ideas against slavery. He wanted to offer a different view from another newspaper, the Hartford Courant.
A Secret Path to Freedom
There is also strong evidence that Francis Gillette helped people escape slavery. He may have offered shelter to those traveling on the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was not a real railroad. It was a secret network of safe houses and routes. These routes helped enslaved people travel to freedom in the North.
Many homes claim to have been part of the Underground Railroad. But for the Gillette House, the claim is very old. It dates back to at least 1886. Experts who study history believe this claim is true. This makes the Francis Gillette House a special place in the history of freedom.
