This wooden house features exposed joists and a large, central stone fireplace. It is furnished with antique pieces, such as&nbsp;four-poster and rope beds, 17th-century chests, a beehive bake oven, and antique china. The lean-to behind the house was added in 1780 to make extra room for the Harrison family and their eight children. In 1800, Martha Harrison Baldwin sold the house to&nbsp;Joseph Linsley and his family. Martha's mother, however, continued living in the Harrison House alongside the Linsleys for 22 years.&nbsp; Harrison House is a "two by two" house, with two rooms downstairs and two upstairs. The ground floor of the house contains the Parlor to the left (west) and the Hall to the right (east). The Parlor has a distinctive corner cupboard made of pine and&nbsp;decorated with carved rosettes. The Hall was a versatile space, used for eating, working, and gathering. For example, a woman living in the house would have come to the Hall to cook, make candles and soap, weave, spin, and sew. Sleeping quarters were upstairs. The Branford Historical Society uses the Hall Chamber (2nd floor, east side) to display exhibits and artifacts relating to Branford history.

Branford's Harrison House dates to 1724 (Branford Historical Society)

Website

Built by Nathaniel Harrison II in 1724, the Harrison House exemplifies typical 18th-century Connecticut architecture, though it has been modified by various owners over the years. Harrison's grandfather Richard Harrison moved from New Haven to Branford in 1645. His son Nathaniel Harrison I and grandson Nathaniel II participated actively in the town. Nathaniel II  served as a town clerk, a magistrate of the New Haven Colony, and a justice of the peace. In the latter role, he performed numerous marriages for Branford residents. The house was inherited by his son Nathaniel III (1735-1770), and then by Nathaniel III's daughter Martha and son-in-law Nicodemus Baldwin, who was a private in the 5th Battalion during the American Revolution. Since May 2016, the Branford Historical Society has owned the Harrison House.

Harrison House

I looked up Branford and found some excellent tours.

A visit to the Museum is a multi-sensory voyage into the past, from the moanful growl of the motors, to the smell of the electric arc, to the feel of rattan seats and varnished hardwood detailing. Shore Line Trolley Museum and its collections are included on the National Register of Historic Places as the Branford Electric Railway Historic District.

Shore Line Trolley Museum was incorporated in 1945 as the Branford Electric Railway Association, operating on a portion of the old “F” trolley route of the Connecticut Company, which previously provided service from downtown New Haven, through East Haven and into Branford. The main purpose of this museum is to preserve the history and significance of the trolley car. We own more than 100 vehicles, ranging in ages from the late 1800s to the early 1900s in addition to related artifacts and documents.

The Shore Line Trolley Museum

<h4>History of the 29th Regiment</h4>
During the first two years of the Civil War, few white Northerners supported the enlistment of&nbsp;African American soldiers. Reflecting the racial prejudices of the era, few whites believed that African Americans possessed the intelligence, discipline, or valor required to be&nbsp;good soldiers. Had more political leaders looked towards history, however, they would have seen that&nbsp;many African American men exhibited these characteristics while&nbsp;serving&nbsp;in the Revolutionary War-both for the American Patriots as well as the British.&nbsp;As the war continued and the&nbsp;Union army was running short on manpower, losing tens of thousands of men in those first two years. A draft became inevitable, though intensely unpopular. Following the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, President Lincoln and the United States Department of War issued General Order No. 143, which established the Bureau of Colored Troops.
By November of that year, two esteemed New Haven soldiers, Colonel Dexter R. Wright and Colonel Benjamin S. Pardee, proposed a bill to the governor to create a Colored Regiment. By November, Connecticut Governor William A. Buckingham authorized the bill, and by January 1864, more than 1,200 men flocked to military training in Fair Haven as part of the 29th Regiment (and 400 more for the 30th Regiment).&nbsp;
Famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave a speech to the soldiers that January, saying:
<blockquote>You are pioneers of the liberty of your race. With the United States cap on your head, the United States eagle on your belt, the United States musket on your shoulder, not all the powers of darkness can prevent you from becoming American citizens. And not for yourselves alone are you marshaled—you are pioneers—on you depends the destiny of four millions of the colored race in this country. If you rise and flourish, we shall rise and flourish. If you win freedom and citizenship, we shall share your freedom and citizenship.1</blockquote>
By March, the 29th Colored Regiment was mustered into service, first serving guard and picket duty before heading to the siege lines in Virgina (August 1864). After numerous smaller battles between Petersburg and Richmond, the Confederate lines finally broke in 1865; Richmond fell soon after, and the 29th Regiment was among the first to enter the Confederate capital.2

The 29th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers were the first regiment of African American soldiers to serve the Union in the American Civil War. In response to the valor and sacrifice of these men, many white residents of the state became more willing to support the extension of full suffrage for African American men after the war. Established in late 1863, the 29th Regiment began training at a place called Grapevine Point (now called Criscuolo Park), and by 1864, the Black regiment boarded a ship bound for South Carolina and then moved to Virginia, where the regiment participated in a violent siege between Richmond and Petersburg. In fact, by April 1865, the 29th Regiment was part of the last attacks on Richmond, and they were among the first Union soldiers to march through the streets of Richmond.

The Connecticut Twenty-Ninth Colored Regiment, C. V. Infantry Memorial in Criscuolo Park pays tribute to these brave soldiers and their substantial role in both the Union cause and racial equality. The memorial was designed to serve as a teaching tool for those wishing to learn about this important aspect of the Civil War. At its center, an eight-foot-tall, four-sided Black granite obelisk tells the history and story of the regiment and some of its most prestigious members.

Connecticut Twenty-Ninth Colored Regiment Memorial

Although the Five Mile Point Light better reflects the maritime history of New Haven, many local historians often point to the fact that Lighthouse Point Park was also the scene of a prominent Revolutionary War battle, where British soldiers attempted to land on the shore and invade New Haven. With the sale of the land to the government in 1801 for $100, plans were made to build a lighthouse and mark the entrance to the New Haven Harbor.&nbsp;Towards the end of 1805, famed lighthouse constructor Abisha Woodward helped build the original tower on the southwest edge of the harbor. This 30-foot octagonal wooden tower featured 8 oil lamps and 13-inch parabolic reflectors arranged on a circular table, and surrounding the top of a tower, an iron lantern supposedly burned whale oil and was said to be seen from 5 to 12 maritime miles away. Unfortunately, because of its weak light and low elevation, at least one ship crashed upon the rocks and was destroyed.1
Original and Current Structure 
There were six lighthouse keepers who worked at the original structure, including Amos Morris, Jr. (who originally sold the lighthouse land to the government in 1801), Wedmore, Jonathan and William Finch, Elihu Ives, and George W. Hicks. Because of the original lighthouse’s limitations, Congress appropriated around $10,000 for a new lighthouse in 1847.&nbsp;The Five Mile Point Light (as well as most Connecticut lighthouses) featured the trademark octagonal shape and stood over 70 feet, and within the sandstone and brick construction, 74 winding steps once took the lighthouse keepers from its base to the lantern. The first light on this tower used 12 lamps with 20 one-inch reflectors, and by 1855, the light in the tower was upgraded to the iconic fourth-order Fresnel lens.
Lighthouse Point Park 
Trips to Lighthouse Point Park typically include lounging on the public beach, fishing or using the public boat launch, having a picnic, or playing on the swings. However, no matter where visitors are in Lighthouse Point Park, the Five Mile Point Light towers over everything and creates breathtaking panoramas. Because of the long and rich history associated with this landmark lighthouse, it was placed on the on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.2

Sitting on the harbor entrance to the Long Island Sound and located about five miles away from downtown New Haven, the Five Mile Point Light has endured as a prominent and historical New Haven fixture for over 200 years. First established as a 30-foot octagon wooden tower in 1805, the lighthouse currently residing in Lighthouse Point Park stands over 70 feet and draws thousands of lighthouse enthusiasts and park-goers every year. Although the beacon in this iconic New England lighthouse has been deactivated since 1877, the Five Mile Point Light once extended welcoming arms to both ships and sailors entering the Long Island Sound. Furthermore, with the current brownstone and brick lining lighthouse tower dating back to 1847, the Five Mile Point Light showcases the unique lighthouse construction techniques and lighthouse designs prominent throughout New England in the 19th century.

Five Mile Point Light

&nbsp; &nbsp;The steamboat warehouse that the Connecticut River Museum resides in was built in 1878 and to this day is the last steamboat warehouse that is left&nbsp;along the Connecticut River. In 1974, an organization called the&nbsp;Connecticut River Foundation&nbsp;formed, and their goal was to&nbsp;create a museum in the warehouse that was dedicated to the maritime history of the Connecticut River and surrounding areas. The galleries inside of the museum include historic paintings, folk life of Essex exhibits, navigation collections, and yacht and steamboat historical exhibits.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Views of the Connecticut River as it changes throughout history can be seen through a series of paintings that are on display in the art gallery. Beautiful water color paintings that portray the changing industrial buildings and commerce along the river can also be viewed in the art section. In the folk- life&nbsp;section of the museum, visitors can expect to see a vast collection of various handmade tools that were used by the locals of the lower River Valley Essex. Included in the collection of artifacts&nbsp;that inhabitants used for hunting and fishing, as well as a few of the boats that were used for fisherman or river travel. In the navigational department, many more tools such as the old compasses and telescopes used by travelers on the river&nbsp;can be examined. Since the Connecticut River attracted many yacht owners in the 1890s, there is a display that contains models of yachts for the public to enjoy.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When visitors finish their thrilling tour&nbsp;through the Connecticut River Museum, they can continue on their journey through Connecticut maritime enlightenment on the riverfront beside of the museum and even on the river!&nbsp;The very first submarine used during the American Revolution, The Turtle, can be explored on the grounds of the museum. From June to October, visitors can make arrangements to go on a tour of the river aboard the Mary E, and in February and March, American bald eagles can be seen flying over the river.&nbsp;&nbsp;Antique boats shows and boat parades occur throughout the year as well. All of the events are must-see, and will provide children and adults alike with endless learning&nbsp;opportunities through educational programs and tours.&nbsp;

The Connecticut River Museum, located on the riverfront in Essex, Connecticut, preserves the history of both Essex village and the Connecticut River waterway. The museum is ran by volunteers and is a non-profit organization established by The Connecticut River Foundation. The museum is located inside of the National Register Steamboat Dock building, and the learning experience can be enjoyed both inside and outside of the museum. Inside of the museum,historic artwork, artifacts, books and manuscripts that were gathered from the area can be examined, as well as a gift shop. There are various outdoor programs situated along the river that the museum provides to visitors as well, such as guided river cruises and walking tours. The museum is open year-round. 

History around Branford

Harrison House

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information