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 old house in Coventry, Connecticut. It's a place where history comes alive! This house was built way back in 1739. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Sometimes, people also called it the Deacon Richard Hale House.
Today, a group called Connecticut Landmarks takes care of the house. They run it as a museum, showing what life was like in the late 1700s. It's a great spot to learn about the past!
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Who Was Nathan Hale?
Nathan Hale was a brave spy during the American Revolutionary War. This was a big war where America fought for its freedom from Great Britain. Nathan went to Yale University and then taught school for two years. He taught in East Haddam and then in New London.
During the war, Nathan was captured by the British army. Before he was hanged, he famously said he only regretted having "but one life to give for his country." This showed how much he loved America. His body was never found after he died. There is a monument to him in a cemetery in his hometown of Coventry. Nathan Hale is honored as Connecticut's state hero.
The Historic Hale House
Even though it's called the Nathan Hale Homestead, Nathan Hale himself never lived in this exact house. He did live in a home on the same spot when he was a child. His parents later tore down that first house to build a bigger one for their family.
The sad news of Nathan's death reached his family when they worried about him. His brother traveled to Old Saybrook to ask the army about Nathan. He learned that Nathan had been killed. He was given a trunk of Nathan's belongings, which you can still see in the house today!
After the Hale family, other families lived in the house. Over time, Nathan Hale's story became less known. But a lawyer from Connecticut named George Dudley Seymour became very interested in Nathan's story. He worked hard to make sure Nathan's bravery was remembered.
Seymour helped put up a statue of Nathan Hale at Yale University. Then, he found out that Nathan's father's farm in Coventry was for sale and needed repairs. In 1914, he bought the property. He carefully fixed up the house and filled it with old Connecticut furniture and items, including Nathan's trunk.
He also bought the Strong-Porter House across the street. This was Nathan's grandmother's home and is also a museum. It's also on the National Register of Historic Places. To further honor Nathan, Seymour helped convince the government to create a Nathan Hale postage stamp in 1925.
Mysterious Stories at the Homestead
Some people believe the Nathan Hale Homestead might be haunted! George Dudley Seymour, who restored the house, thought so too. He wrote in his diary that he and a friend once saw the spirit of Reverend Deacon Hale through a window on a rainy night.
People also believe the spirits of Lydia Carpenter, a servant, and Joseph Hale, Nathan's brother, might live there. Another person, Mary Elizabeth Campbell Griffith, who was married to a former caretaker, thought the house might be visited by John and Sarah Hale, Nathan's brother and sister-in-law. These stories add a fun, spooky touch to the old house!
Exploring the Homestead Property
The house is surrounded by the beautiful Nathan Hale State Forest. This forest is looked after by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Right next to the house, there's often a cornfield. In October, friends of the Homestead create a haunted corn maze there. It's a popular event for families!
In front of the house, you'll see a triangular grassy area with maple trees. Nathan's nephew, David Hale Junior, planted these trees in 1812. This spot is known as the Holy Grove. Neighbors used to hold prayer meetings there a long time ago.
Since 2004, the Homestead has also hosted the Coventry Farmers' Market. This market runs every year from the first Sunday in June to the last Sunday in October. It's known as the biggest farmers' market in all of Connecticut!
Images for kids
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The historic Nathan Hale Homestead
See Also
- Captain Nathan Hale Monument, another historic site
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Tolland County, Connecticut
- Connecticut Landmarks also runs other historic house museums, including:
- Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden in Bethlehem
- Butler-McCook House & Garden in Hartford
- Buttolph–Williams House in Wethersfield
- Hempsted Houses in New London
- Isham-Terry House in Hartford
- Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden in Suffield
