Shubel Smith House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Shubel Smith House
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Front view of the Shubel Smith House in 2014
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 515 Pumpkin Hill Rd., Ledyard, Connecticut |
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| Area | 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) |
| Built | 1807 |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001462 |
| Added to NRHP | December 20, 1996 |
The Shubel Smith House, also known as Stonecroft, is a historic house in Ledyard, Connecticut. It was built in 1807 for Shubel Smith, who was a sea captain. This house is one of the best examples of a farmhouse from that time still standing in Ledyard.
In 1996, the Shubel Smith House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical place in the United States. The property includes the main house, a large barn called the "Yellow Barn," and a smaller building. Today, the main house and the Yellow Barn have modern insides and are used as a bed and breakfast called Stonecroft Country Inn.
What Does the House Look Like?
The Shubel Smith House is located in a quiet, rural area of Ledyard. It looks like a farm from the 1800s. The property has the main house, a barn, and a shed or garage. The original barn was destroyed in a big storm called the 1938 New England hurricane in 1938. A new barn was built later on the old foundation.
The house itself is made of wood and has two and a half stories. It has a pointed roof and a chimney in the middle. The outside walls are covered with clapboard, which are long, thin wooden boards. The front of the house has five windows and a door in the center. The door is inside a small, projecting entryway with its own little roof. The corners of the house have decorative columns called pilasters.
Inside the House
The inside of the house is a bit different from other homes built at that time. Usually, the chimney is right in the middle. But here, because the front entryway sticks out more, the chimney is a little further forward. This makes the kitchen, which is behind the chimney, larger than usual. Many parts of the house still look like they did when it was first built. There's even an old weaving loom on the second floor that seems to be from when the house was constructed!
A Captain's Home
The land where the Shubel Smith House stands was bought in 1795 by Charles Smith for his son, Shubel. This was probably because Shubel was getting married the next year. Shubel Smith was a sea captain, and he raised animals on his farm. He would sell these animals in the West Indies.
You can still see many stone walls on the property. People think these walls were used to keep the animals fenced in. Shubel Smith first lived in an older house on the land. Then, in 1807, he built this new house. He even used some materials from the older house to build the new one. The Shubel Smith House stayed in the Smith family for a long time, at least until 1896.
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Side view of the "Yellow Barn"
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NRHP plaque on the house
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Brick reading "1807" in the chimney
