Terry's Plain Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Terry's Plain Historic District
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Field used for militia training in the 17th century
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Pharos, Quarry and Terry's Plain Rds. and the Farmington R., Simsbury, Connecticut |
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| Area | 325 acres (132 ha) |
| Built | ca. 1660 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Greek Revival, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001417 |
| Added to NRHP | December 10, 1993 |
The Terry's Plain Historic District is a special area in Simsbury, Connecticut, covering about 325 acres. It's like a preserved piece of history, showing what a rural area looked like a long time ago. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, which means it's recognized as an important historical place in the United States.
This historic district includes 27 important buildings that show different styles of old architecture, like Greek Revival, Federal, and Late Victorian. Many of these buildings were once part of old farm complexes, including houses and farm buildings like sheds and large tobacco barns.
Contents
What You Can See in Terry's Plain
When you visit Terry's Plain, you can see many historic spots. These include:
- A field where local soldiers, called militia, practiced their drills way back in the 1680s.
- Old barns, like one from around 1840 at 24 Ferry Lane.
- Historic homes, such as the Lucius D. Goodrich House built around 1836.
Early Defenders: The Simsbury Militia
Simsbury became a town in 1670. Soon after, the town needed to protect itself, so they formed a group of citizen soldiers called a "traine band," which is an old name for a militia. We don't know the exact date they started, but records show they were meeting by 1673.
Organizing the Traine Band
On August 11, 1673, a special committee for the militia met in Hartford. They wanted to get ready for any possible attacks. They decided to raise 500 "dragoones" from the state. Dragoones were soldiers who could fight on horseback or on foot. Of these, 160 were to come from Hartford County.
At that meeting, two men from Simsbury, Simon Wolcott and John Griffin, were chosen to lead the Simsbury Traine Band. At that time, the Simsbury group only had seven dragoones.
What Soldiers Needed
The committee gave clear instructions for what each dragoone needed to have:
- A good sword and belt.
- A working musket (a type of gun) or carbine (a shorter gun).
- A pouch for bullets and powder.
- One pound of gunpowder made into cartridges that fit their gun.
- Three pounds of bullets that fit their gun or pistol.
- A horse to help them travel quickly.
Two years later, John Griffin was officially put in charge of the Traine Band as its sergeant.
Simsbury's First Home and Ferry
The very first home built in Simsbury was located in the Terry's Plain area. The land for this house was given to Thomas Ford in 1653. However, the house itself wasn't built until about 1660. Captain Aaron Cook, who was Thomas Ford's son-in-law, built this first home.
In the same general area, a ferry was set up to help people cross the Farmington River. This ferry was called the Pent Street Ferry. We don't know the exact year it started, but a road leading to the ferry was officially created in 1668.
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Plaque noting first home and ferry in Simsbury
Learning Begins: Simsbury's First School
The first school in Simsbury was also located in Terry's Plain. At a town meeting on December 17, 1701, the town decided to "agree with and appoint a school master." This means they planned to hire a teacher.
The first day of school began on January 1, 1702. The town leaders discussed where the school should be located, since the river divided the town. They decided to have the school on both sides of the river. The first three months of school were held in Terry's Plain, and then it moved to a location in "Weatoug" on the west side of the river.
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Plaque noting first school site in Simsbury
Images for kids
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The John Terry House, built around 1780.
