Nathaniel Hempstead House facts for kids
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Nathaniel Hempsted House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Photographed in 2007
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Corner of Jay, Hempstead, Coit, and Truman Streets, New London, Connecticut |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1759 |
| Part of | Hempstead Historic District (ID86002112) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000702 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 2, 1970 |
| Designated CP | July 31, 1986 |
The Nathaniel Hempstead House, also known as the Old Huguenot House, is a super old and interesting building in New London, Connecticut. It's now a historic house museum, which means you can visit it to learn about the past!
This house was built around 1759. It's special because it's made of stone and has a unique roof style called a gambrel roof. You don't see many houses like it in New London. Because it looked so different, people used to think it was built even earlier by French Huguenot immigrants.
Today, the Nathaniel Hempstead House is owned by Connecticut Landmarks. They also own the Joshua Hempsted House right next door. Together, these two homes are called the Hempstead Houses museum. The Nathaniel Hempstead House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1970, which means it's recognized as an important historical site.
Contents
What Does the House Look Like?
The Nathaniel Hempstead House is located just west of downtown New London. It sits very close to the road, right at the corner of Hempstead and Truman Streets.
Outside the House
This house is a 1-1/2 story building. This means it has one full floor and a half-story above it, usually with sloped ceilings. Its walls are made from strong, cut granite stones. These stones are laid neatly in rows with mortar holding them together.
The house has a special gambrel roof, which looks like a barn roof with two different slopes on each side. At the ends of the house, you'll see brick chimneys. The front of the house has four windows or doors in a row. The main entrance is in one of the middle sections.
Unique Features
If you look at the back of the house, you'll spot a small dormer. A dormer is a window that sticks out from the sloped roof. This one has a simple shed-style roof. The way the house is built, especially its stone walls and roof style, makes it stand out from other homes built in southern New England during that time.
History of the Hempstead House
The Nathaniel Hempstead House has a fascinating past, full of interesting theories about who built it and why it looks so different.
Who Built It?
The house was built in 1759 by a man named Nathaniel Hempstead. He was the grandson of Joshua Hempstead, whose own home from 1678 is right next door! Even though Nathaniel was English, his house doesn't look like typical English homes from that period in New England.
The Huguenot Mystery
Because the house looks so unusual for the area and time, local stories often said it was built by French Huguenot immigrants. Huguenots were French Protestants who often had to leave France because of their religion. People thought they might have brought their unique building styles with them.
Acadian Connection
Another interesting idea is that the workers who built the house might have been Acadians. Acadians were French-speaking people who lived in what is now Nova Scotia, Canada. In the 1750s, many Acadians were forced to leave their homes in an event called the Expulsion of the Acadians. Some of them were resettled in places like New London.
It's possible these skilled Acadian workers used their building knowledge to construct the Nathaniel Hempstead House. They might have even worked on another important stone building in New London, the Shaw Mansion. This connection makes the house even more special!
