Nathan Hale Homestead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Nathan Hale Homestead
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| Location | Coventry, Connecticut |
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| Built | 1739 |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000698 |
| Added to NRHP | October 22, 1970 |
The Nathan Hale Homestead is a special historic house in Coventry, Connecticut. It was built in 1739. This house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It is also known as the Deacon Richard Hale House.
Today, Connecticut Landmarks takes care of the house. They run it as a museum. You can visit to see what life was like in the late 1700s.
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Nathan Hale: A Hero's Story
Nathan Hale was a brave spy during the American Revolutionary War. He worked for the American army. Nathan went to Yale and then taught school. He taught in East Haddam and New London.
The British army captured Nathan Hale. Before he was hanged, he reportedly said something famous. He wished he had more than one life to give for his country.
After his death, his body was never found. There is a monument for him in a cemetery in Coventry. Nathan Hale is known as Connecticut's state hero.
About the Homestead
Even though it's called the Nathan Hale Homestead, Nathan Hale never lived in this exact house. He did live in a different house that stood on the same spot. His parents tore down that first house. They wanted to build a bigger home for their family.
Nathan's Trunk
Nathan's family learned about his death when his brother went to find him. His brother traveled to Old Saybrook. There, he met with the army. He was told Nathan had died. The army gave him a trunk of Nathan's belongings. This very trunk is still in the house today.
Saving the House
After the Hale family, other families lived in the house. Nathan Hale's story became less known. But a lawyer named George Dudley Seymour became very interested in Nathan's life. He lived in New Haven.
Seymour helped put up a statue of Nathan Hale at Yale University. Then he found out that Nathan's father's farm was for sale. The house was in bad shape. Seymour bought the property in 1914. He fixed up the house. He filled it with old Connecticut furniture and items. This included Nathan's trunk.
Seymour also bought the Strong-Porter House across the street. This was Nathan's grandmother's home. It is also a museum and a historic place. To honor Nathan, Seymour helped get a Nathan Hale postage stamp printed in 1925.
Claimed Hauntings
Some people believe the Nathan Hale Homestead is haunted. George Dudley Seymour thought so too. He wrote in his diary that he saw the spirit of Reverend Deacon Hale. This was Nathan's father.
Other spirits are also believed to be there. These include Lydia Carpenter, a family servant. Joseph Hale, Nathan's brother, is also thought to haunt the house. Mary Elizabeth Campbell Griffith, a former caretaker's wife, believed John and Sarah Hale might be there. They were Nathan's brother and sister-in-law.
Exploring the Property
The house is surrounded by the Nathan Hale State Forest. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection takes care of this forest.
Next to the house, a cornfield is usually planted. In October, friends of the Homestead create a fun haunted corn maze there.
In front of the house is a grassy area with maple trees. Nathan's nephew, David Hale Junior, planted these trees in 1812. This area is called the Holy Grove. Neighbors used to hold prayer meetings there.
Since 2004, the Homestead has also hosted the Coventry Farmers' Market. It runs from June to October. It is known as the largest farmers' market in Connecticut.
See also
- Captain Nathan Hale Monument
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Tolland County, Connecticut
- Connecticut Landmarks also runs other historic house museums, such as:
