Morton Freeman Plant Hunting Lodge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Morton Freeman Plant Hunting Lodge
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Morton Freeman Plant Hunting Lodge in 2014
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 56 Stone Ranch Road, East Lyme, Connecticut |
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| Area | 105 acres (42 ha) |
| Built | 1908 |
| Architect | Donnelly, Dudley St. Clair |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002691 |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 1988 |
The Morton Freeman Plant Hunting Lodge is a unique old house in East Lyme, Connecticut. It was built in 1908 by a rich businessman named Morton Freeman Plant. This large house was the main building of his private hunting area. It is one of the only hunting lodges from the early 1900s still standing in Connecticut.
Mr. Plant used to fill his land with game birds for hunting. The property was once very large, about 2,400 acres. Today, the lodge and its 105 acres are surrounded by nature areas and a state military training site. This historic place was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
What Does the Hunting Lodge Look Like?
The Morton Freeman Plant Hunting Lodge is in a quiet, natural area in western East Lyme. The lodge sits on 105 acres of land. This land is almost completely surrounded by town nature preserves and a state National Guard training center. All of this surrounding land used to be part of the lodge's property.
There are two buildings on the lodge grounds. The area is mostly wooded, except for the open space where the buildings stand. Stone Ranch Road provides access to the property. The lodge itself is a 1-1/2 story building made of wood. It has a wide, sloping roof that creates a covered porch at the front. Stone pillars hold up this porch.
Windows that stick out from the roof, called dormers, are on three sides of the roof. A smaller, one-story section for services extends from the back of the main building. Inside, the lodge still has its original features. This includes two concrete fireplaces. They were made to look like fireplaces found in old European manor houses from the 1500s.
Who Was Morton Freeman Plant?
Morton Freeman Plant came from a very wealthy family. His father, Henry Plant, made the family's money by building railroads in Florida. Morton took over his father's business in 1899.
Morton Plant was born and grew up in southeastern Connecticut. In 1907, he started buying land in East Lyme and Lyme. He wanted to create a large hunting retreat. By 1914, his hunting property had grown to about 2,400 acres.
The lodge was built in 1908. It was designed by Dudley St. Clair Donnelly. He was a well-known architect in the region. Donnelly designed several buildings for Morton Plant.
Morton Plant passed away in the 1918 influenza pandemic. After he died, his family divided up the large property.
