List of National Historic Landmarks in Connecticut facts for kids
Connecticut is home to many amazing historic places! Some of the most special ones are called National Historic Landmarks. These are places that the United States government officially recognizes as super important to the history of our country. Think of them as VIPs among historic sites! While there are many historic spots listed on the National Register of Historic Places, only the very best and most significant ones get the special title of National Historic Landmark.
Contents
- Connecticut's National Historic Landmarks
- Homes of Famous People
- A. Everett Austin House
- Henry Barnard House
- Henry C. Bowen House (Roseland)
- Bush-Holley House
- Russell Henry Chittenden House
- Prudence Crandall House
- James Dwight Dana House
- Silas Deane House
- Oliver Ellsworth Homestead
- Florence Griswold House and Museum
- Hill–Stead
- Samuel Huntington Birthplace
- Philip Johnson Glass House
- Kimberly Mansion
- Othniel C. Marsh House
- Stephen Tyng Mather Home
- Lafayette B. Mendel House
- James Merrill House
- Monte Cristo Cottage
- Edward W. Morley House
- Charles H. Norton House
- Capt. Nathaniel B. Palmer House
- Frederic Remington House
- John Rogers Studio
- Samuel Wadsworth Russell House
- Harriet Beecher Stowe House
- Jonathan Sturges House
- Ida Tarbell House
- John Trumbull Birthplace
- Mark Twain Home
- Noah Webster Birthplace
- Henry Whitfield House
- William Williams House
- Oliver Wolcott House
- Important Buildings and Sites
- Barnum Institute of Science and History
- Birdcraft Sanctuary
- Buttolph–Williams House
- Cheney Brothers Historic District
- Coltsville Historic District
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
- Connecticut Hall, Yale University
- Connecticut State Capitol
- First Church of Christ
- First Presbyterian Church
- Fort Shantok Archeological District
- Grove Street Cemetery
- Litchfield Historic District
- Lockwood–Mathews Mansion
- Mashantucket Pequot Reservation Archeological District
- New Haven Green Historic District
- Old New-Gate Prison
- Old State House
- Portland Brownstone Quarries
- Tapping Reeve House and Law School
- Stanley-Whitman House
- The Steward's House, Foreign Mission School
- Joseph Webb House
- Austin F. Williams Carriagehouse and House
- Yale Bowl
- Historic Ships
- Homes of Famous People
- Former National Historic Landmarks
- See also
Connecticut's National Historic Landmarks
Connecticut has many incredible National Historic Landmarks. Let's explore some of them!
Homes of Famous People
Many landmarks are houses where important people lived or worked.
A. Everett Austin House
This house in Hartford was once the home of Arthur Everett Austin Jr.. He was a very creative director of the Wadsworth Atheneum museum. His house was known for being a lively social spot!
Henry Barnard House
Also in Hartford, this was the home of Henry Barnard. He was a very important educator who helped create the public school system we have today in America.
Henry C. Bowen House (Roseland)
Located in Woodstock, this beautiful Gothic Revival summer house was visited by three different U.S. presidents! It's also known as Roseland Cottage.
Bush-Holley House
In Greenwich, this house was the center of the Cos Cob Art Colony from about 1890 to 1920. Many American Impressionist artists gathered and created art here.
Russell Henry Chittenden House
This New Haven home belonged to Russell Henry Chittenden, who is often called the "father of American biochemistry."
Prudence Crandall House
In Canterbury, this house was the home of Prudence Crandall. She was an abolitionist and educator who fought for equal rights and education for African American girls.
James Dwight Dana House
This New Haven house was designed by Henry Austin and was the home of James Dwight Dana, a famous Yale geologist.
Silas Deane House
In Wethersfield, this was the home of Silas Deane. He was a member of the Continental Congress and America's very first diplomat!
Oliver Ellsworth Homestead
This homestead in Windsor was the home of Oliver Ellsworth, who became the third Chief Justice of the United States.
Florence Griswold House and Museum
Located in Old Lyme, this house was a popular boarding house for American Impressionist artists like Henry Ward Ranger and Childe Hassam. It's now a museum!
Hill–Stead
This Colonial Revival house in Farmington is also an art museum. It's a beautiful example of early American design.
Samuel Huntington Birthplace
In Scotland, this old "saltbox" style home was where Samuel Huntington grew up. He was a very important American statesman, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the first president of the Congress of the Confederation.
Philip Johnson Glass House
This amazing house in New Canaan is a modern masterpiece made of glass and steel. It was designed and lived in by the famous architect Philip Johnson.
Kimberly Mansion
This Glastonbury mansion was the home of sisters Abby and Julia. They were suffragists who bravely fought their town over the issue of "taxation without representation" – meaning they didn't want to pay taxes if they couldn't vote!
Othniel C. Marsh House
This New Haven house was the home of Othniel Marsh, a Yale paleontologist who studied ancient fossils. It's now part of the Yale School of Forestry.
Stephen Tyng Mather Home
In Darien, this was the home of Stephen Tyng Mather. He was a conservationist who helped create the National Park Service and was its first director.
Lafayette B. Mendel House
Another New Haven home designed by Henry Austin, this house belonged to Lafayette Mendel, a Yale biochemist.
James Merrill House
This house in Stonington was the home of James Merrill, a very important American writer from the second half of the 20th century.
Monte Cristo Cottage
In New London, this cottage was the home of Eugene O'Neill, a famous playwright who won the Nobel Prize.
Edward W. Morley House
This West Hartford home belonged to physicist Edward W. Morley. He is known for his work on the atomic weights of hydrogen and oxygen, and for the famous Michelson–Morley experiment.
Charles H. Norton House
In Plainville, this was the home of Charles H. Norton, who invented important precision grinding equipment.
Capt. Nathaniel B. Palmer House
This house in Stonington was the home of Nathaniel Palmer, a brave explorer and seal hunter who was one of the first to explore Antarctica!
Frederic Remington House
In Ridgefield, this was the home of painter and sculptor Frederic Remington. He is famous for his amazing artworks showing the American West.
John Rogers Studio
This studio in New Canaan was where John Rogers, a popular 19th-century sculptor, created his famous works.
Samuel Wadsworth Russell House
This beautiful Greek Revival mansion in Middletown was designed by Ithiel Town. It's now part of Wesleyan University.
Harriet Beecher Stowe House
In Hartford, this was the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe. She was a famous writer and abolitionist in the 19th century, best known for her powerful book Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Jonathan Sturges House
This early Gothic-revival cottage is located in Fairfield.
Ida Tarbell House
In Easton, this was the home of Ida Tarbell, a famous journalist and author known for her "muckraking" investigations that exposed problems in society.
John Trumbull Birthplace
This home in Lebanon was where Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull lived, and where his son John Trumbull was born. John Trumbull is known as the "painter of the Revolution" for his historical paintings.
Mark Twain Home
From 1874 to 1891, this Hartford house was the home of the famous author, speaker, and satirist Mark Twain. He wrote many of his classic books here!
Noah Webster Birthplace
This house in West Hartford was the birthplace of Noah Webster, the American lexicographer who created the first American dictionary.
Henry Whitfield House
Located in Guilford, this is the oldest house in Connecticut, built all the way back in 1639!
William Williams House
In Lebanon, this was the home of William Williams, another signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Oliver Wolcott House
This Litchfield home belonged to Oliver Wolcott, a soldier and politician who also signed the Declaration of Independence and served as Governor of Connecticut.
Important Buildings and Sites
These landmarks are significant buildings or areas that played a big role in history.
Barnum Institute of Science and History
This building in Bridgeport is the only one left that is connected to the famous 19th-century entertainer P.T. Barnum.
Birdcraft Sanctuary
Located in Fairfield, this is the oldest bird sanctuary in the United States! It's where Mabel Osgood Wright started the idea of "birdscaping" – designing gardens to attract birds.
Buttolph–Williams House
This house in Wethersfield is a great example of traditional early New England design.
Cheney Brothers Historic District
In Manchester, this district includes a 19th-century silk mill and a traditional "company town" where the workers lived.
Coltsville Historic District
This historic district in Hartford was originally just the home of arms maker Samuel Colt, called Armsmear. Later, it grew to include the Colt Armory (where guns were made), worker housing, and Colt Park.
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
This New Haven site is home to the very first state agricultural experiment station, where scientists study plants and farming.
Connecticut Hall, Yale University
This building in New Haven is the oldest building at Yale University.
Connecticut State Capitol
The beautiful Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford was designed by Richard Upjohn. It features Gothic and French Renaissance styles and has a famous gold leaf dome.
First Church of Christ
This church in Farmington is famous because it was where the freed slaves from the La Amistad ship found refuge.
First Presbyterian Church
Also known as the Fish Church, this church in Stamford is a major example of Modernist church design.
Fort Shantok Archeological District
This important archaeological district in Montville was a Mohegan settlement and the home of the 17th-century leader Uncas.
Grove Street Cemetery
This cemetery in New Haven is the final resting place for many famous people from Yale and New Haven, including Roger Sherman, Noah Webster, and Eli Whitney.
Litchfield Historic District
This district in Litchfield is a very well-preserved New England town from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was the state's first historic district!
Lockwood–Mathews Mansion
This grand mansion in Norwalk was built in 1864 in the Second Empire style.
Mashantucket Pequot Reservation Archeological District
This large area on the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation in Ledyard contains important archaeological remains that tell the story of Pequot history.
New Haven Green Historic District
This large town green in New Haven includes three historic churches and is a central part of the city's history.
Old New-Gate Prison
In East Granby, this was a colonial prison. During the American Revolutionary War, people who supported the British (called Loyalists) were held here.
Old State House
This Federal-style building in Hartford was designed by Charles Bulfinch and finished in 1796. It served as Connecticut's state house for many years.
Portland Brownstone Quarries
These quarries in Portland have been active since 1690! They were the source of huge amounts of brownstone used to build many buildings in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and other cities.
Tapping Reeve House and Law School
Located in Litchfield, this was the first law school in the United States that was separate from a college or university. Famous graduates included Aaron Burr, Jr. and John C. Calhoun.
Stanley-Whitman House
This house in Farmington is a classic example of a 17th-century New England "saltbox" style home.
The Steward's House, Foreign Mission School
In Cornwall, this site was part of the first "foreign" mission school located in the U.S. It tells us a lot about education and social ideas in the early 19th century.
Joseph Webb House
This house in Wethersfield was the site of a very important meeting in 1781 during the American Revolutionary War. General George Washington met with French General Rochambeau here.
Austin F. Williams Carriagehouse and House
In Farmington, this house served as temporary living quarters for the Africans from the Amistad ship. It was also a "station" on the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people escape to freedom.
Yale Bowl
This famous stadium in New Haven was a model for other "bowl" stadiums like the Rose Bowl. It's home to the Yale Bulldogs football team and hosts "The Game" against Harvard.
Historic Ships
Connecticut is also home to some very old and important ships!
Charles W. Morgan (Bark)
Moored at Mystic Seaport, this ship is the only wooden ship left from the 19th-century American whaling fleet. It's a true survivor!
Emma C. Berry
Also in Mystic, this vessel is one of the oldest commercial ships still existing in the United States.
L. A. Dunton (schooner)
This classic fishing schooner, found in Mystic, is one of the last fishing vessels built that relied only on sails.
Sabino (Passenger Steamboat)
The Sabino, located in Mystic, is one of only two remaining "mosquito fleet" steamers. These small steamboats used to travel on the inland waters of the United States.
USS NAUTILUS (nuclear submarine)
In Groton, you can see the USS Nautilus. This was the world's first submarine powered by nuclear energy!
Former National Historic Landmarks
Sometimes, a landmark might lose its special status. This usually happens if the building is destroyed or changed too much.
First Telephone Exchange
This building in New Haven was where the very first commercial telephone exchange was located. Sadly, the building was torn down in 1973 and replaced by a parking garage.