John Strong Mansion Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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John Strong House
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Location | 6656 VT 17W, Addison, Vermont |
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Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1795 |
Built by | John Strong |
Architectural style | Georgian, Federal |
NRHP reference No. | 80000326 |
Added to NRHP | May 15, 1980 |
The John Strong Mansion Museum is a cool historic house in Addison, Vermont. It was built way back in 1795-96 by John Strong. He was an important politician in Vermont and a hero from the American Revolutionary War. This house is a fantastic example of a building style called Federal architecture, which was popular in the late 1700s.
Today, the John Strong Mansion is a museum run by the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.). It's open during the summer, usually between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The house is even surrounded by the D.A.R. State Park! This special house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, which means it's recognized as a really important historical site.
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Exploring the John Strong Mansion
The John Strong Mansion stands on the west side of Vermont Route 17W. It looks out over Lake Champlain in western Addison. The house is a large, two-story building made of brick. It has a sloped roof with a triangular shape in the middle of the front.
Architectural Style and Features
The roofline has a fancy edge with small block-like decorations. There's also a half-round, fan-shaped window in the front triangle of the roof. The front of the house is wide and balanced, with five sections. The main door is in the center of the first floor. Above it, on the second floor, is a beautiful, large window with three parts, known as a Palladian window.
The main entrance has wide windows on either side. A gabled porch, added in the early 1900s, covers the entrance. Inside the house, many original details are still perfectly preserved. These include a grand central staircase and decorative frames around the fireplaces.
The History of John Strong and His Home
John Strong was originally from Connecticut. He moved to this area in 1765. He built his first house close to where the mansion stands today. People say it was built on the spot of an old French home that was burned during the French and Indian War.
John Strong served in the Vermont army during the American Revolution. Sadly, his first house was burned down by the British during the war. After the war ended, he rebuilt that house. Then, in the 1790s, he built this impressive mansion as a replacement.
The Mansion Becomes a Museum
In 1934, the Vermont chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution bought John Strong's land. They then gave most of it to the state. This land became the D.A.R. State Park, which now surrounds the historic mansion. The D.A.R. now takes care of the house, preserving its history for everyone to learn from.