The fort was constructed in 1777 by order of the&nbsp;General Assembly of Connecticut during the Revolutionary War.&nbsp;The fort was named after Governor Jonathan Trumbell, the acting governor of the revolutionary government of the former colony.&nbsp;Though the fort was well-positioned to defend the fort from hostile ships, it was vulnerable to attack by land. For this reason,&nbsp;British forces led by the former American military leader and infamous&nbsp;traitor Benedict Arnold were able to capture the fort with relative ease in&nbsp;1781. Fort Trumbull became an important asset to the American military in their fight against Britain when the two nations were again at war in 1812. Connecticut men rebuilt the fort, this time with more formidable walls and guns that effectively prevented any&nbsp;British ships from entering the Thames River.&nbsp;

The fort has been restored and provides tours and educational exhibits related to American military history.

Built during the Revolutionary War to guard the mouth of the Thames River, this fort also served to defend Connecticut from foreign invasion in the War of 1812. The current fort was constructed between 1839 and 1852-part of a major Congressional appropriation known to historians as the "Third System" of American coastal defenses. The area surrounding the historic fort has served as a US military installation for two centuries. For example, the US Coast Guard's first academy was located at Fort Trumbull from 1915 to 1932. During World War II, the fort as home to the Merchant Marines' Officers Training School.

Fort Trumbull

Contributor

This driving tour includes museums and historic landmarks including lighthouses around historic New London. 

The first lighthouse built here was one of twelve that the British built as part of their coastal defense system, primarily as a way to warn of an approaching French fleet. The newly-formed American government took control of these lighthouses and starting in 1789, they were managed by the United States Lighthouse Establishment, the predecessor to the United States Lighthouse Board. The original lighthouse that was built in the colonial era operated until the current one was built in 1801. The lighthouse used the original lamps until 1855 when a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed. The lighthouse keeper's house was built in 1863 to provide a living space for a lighthouse keeper. Having a home was an important incentive, as work as a lighthouse keeper could be a lonely occupation, especially in remote areas. The light was automated in 1912 and then electrified in 1930. The New London Maritime Society has operated the lighthouse since 2010.

Reaching a height of 90 feet, the New London Lighthouse has been guiding vessels in and out of the Long Island Sounds since its construction in 1801. Still an active navigational aid, it has eight sides and is situated on the west side of the New London harbor entrance. Its light can be seen 15 miles away. The U.S. Coast Guard operates the light but the lighthouse is owned by the New London Maritime Society. The lighthouse is the fourth one to be located at this site; the first was erected in 1760 or 1761. As such, it holds significant historical importance as one of the oldest lighthouses in the country. For this reason, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. At present, the lighthouse is not open to the public on a regular basis. 

New London Lighthouse 

The inscription on the Cold War marker gives a brief synopsis of the
Cold War in order to explain the utility of the U.S. Navy Underwater Sound
Laboratory. The marker explains that, during the Cold War, research done at the
NUSL, locally known as the “Sound Lab,” was a continuation of the work done
during WWII. 

Research at the “Sound Lab” during the 1950s and 1960s was focused
on the Cold War military issues posed by the existence of nuclear submarines
and guided missiles. The lab played a crucial role in the development of
submarine sonar and radio communication systems and antisubmarine sonar systems
for surface craft. Research efforts also included ocean surveillance systems
for continental defense against missile-launching submarines, underwater
acoustic research, and Polaris command communications. More specifically, the
lab can be credited with developing periscopes that incorporated cameras and
high-tech antennas. Most notably, the lab contributed&nbsp;to the development
of the navy’s extremely low frequency (ELF) communications system, which allows
submerged submarines to receive messages.

A marker at Fort Trumbull State Park in New London Connecticut stands to commemorate the creation and importance of the Navy Underwater Sound Laboratory (NUSL). The NUSL, once housed on the grounds at Fort Trumbull, played a crucial role in the research and development of military underwater sound technologies during the Cold War. The facility was closed in the late 90’s succeeding the end of the Cold War earlier in the decade. A 1950’s style research and development lab is also on display at the fort.

Fort Trumbull Cold War Marker

The Maritime Society was established in 1983 to preserve the Custom House, which was under threat of demolition. The museum opened that same year. In addition to running the museum, the Society is also in charge of maintaining the three lighthouses in the area: the New London Harbor light, the Race Rock Light Station, and the New London Ledge Light.&nbsp; The museum features exhibits that explore the city's rich maritime history. Numerous items are on display including ship models, lighthouse lenses and models, and other maritime-related objects and memorabilia. The museum also offers a variety of exhibits that change throughout the year along with educational programs.&nbsp;

Located in the New London Custom House, the Custom House Maritime Museum includes period furniture and exhibits thanks to the New London Maritime Society, the organization that operates the museum. The building was erected in 1835, the peak of maritime trade for the city and a time when New London was the second greatest whaling port in the world. The grand architecture of the Custom House reflects the city's stature in the maritime trade and was designed by Robert Mills, the same architect who later designed the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. 

Custom House Maritime Museum

On the shores of the Thames River and right around the corner from&nbsp;Connecticut College and&nbsp;on the Grounds of the US Coast Guard academy, sets a museum that shows the history of the Coast Guard The museum tells the story of the&nbsp;five different federal agencies that were consolidated into the modern Coast Guard in 1946:&nbsp;The Revenue Cutter Service, The Life-Saving Service, The Lighthouse Establishment, the Steamboat Inspection Services, and the Bureau of Navigation.The museums exhibits are housed in a 50,000 square feet
building that is four to five stories high. The U.S Coast Guard Museum has a
range of ships, uniforms, medals, and a collection of carvings. It also
features figureheads and wood carvings one being from the Coast Guard training
ship Eagle. The
Museum has a few activities you can watch or interact with as you walk through
the Academy. Walking the decks of Braque Eagle and reviewing the Corps
of Cadets is a couple of the main attractions in the Museum.&nbsp; 

The U.S. Coast Guard Museum is a family friendly facility
with interactive exhibits and can occupy hours of your time making your way
through. You can also see The Braque Eagle, and see ships docked near the museum. Finally, there are exhibits that pay tribute to&nbsp;Alexander Hamilton, the&nbsp;first Secretary of the Treasury who is sometimes referred to as the "father" of the&nbsp;United States Coast Guard due to his support of funding for ships and personnel. Another prominent figure gracing the walls of the museum is Douglas Munro, the Coast Guard's only Medal of Honor recipient.

The U.S. Coast Guard Museum can be found on the campus of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.  This museum preserves and shares the history of America’s oldest continuous maritime service through exhibits of artifacts that span over two hundred and twenty years. Highlights of the museum include steamships, paintings, uniforms, and medals. Visitors can also witness performances of historical Coast Guard duties throughout the complex-activities such as raising and lowering flags and demonstrations of basic navigational equipment. The museum also explores the history of coastal defenses and lighthouses from the colonial period to the present.  

U.S. Coast Guard Museum

Founded in 1955 as "The Submarine Library,” the Submarine Force Library and Museum has gained fame over the years for its massive collection of over 33,000 submarine and naval artifacts, 20,000 documents, and 30,000 photographs. In April 1964, the collection was officially handed over to the US Navy and was soon relocated to the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. "Submarine Force Library and Museum" was soon adopted as the new name in 1969. On occasion, exhibits in the museum will be rotated, and so the displays change quite often. The 6,000-volume library is a renowned collection on the history of US submarines and is open to anyone looking for more information on the subject.The Nautilus itself was commissioned in July of 1951 by an Act of Congress, and the keel was laid on June 14, 1952 by President Harry S. Truman at the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. The ship was launched on January 21, 1954 on September 30th, the Nautilus became the first commissioned nuclear-powered ship of the US Navy. The Nautilus broke many undersea speed and distance records due to her nuclear propulsion and also conducted Operation Sunshine in June 1958, a top secret mission to be the first ship to cross the North Pole by sea. Nautilus also served in the Mediterranean Sea in the 1960s, participating in fleet exercises, before being decommissioned on March 3, 1980.

The US Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum, located on the Thames River near Groton, Connecticut is the only submarine museum managed exclusively by the U.S. Navy, which makes it a repository for many special submarine items of national significance, including the "USS Nautilus." The "USS Nautilus" (SSN-571) is the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. It is also known for being the first vessel to complete a submerged transit to the North Pole, which occurred on August 3, 1958. It was decommissioned in 1980 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1982. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

USS Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On 6 September 1781, 800 British soldiers arrived on the
Groton side of the Thames River near Fort Griswold.&nbsp; Along with these 800 troops, another 800
troops arrived on the New London Side.&nbsp;
Both sets of troops were led by General Benedict Arnold, who was a
native of Norwich, Connecticut.&nbsp; The
British soldiers in Groton were delayed due to dense forests and swamps, and
the artillery fell behind the foot soldiers, who came close enough to the fort
to attack it at 10:00am.&nbsp; At the time,
Fort Griswold was being protected by 165 militia and people from the community
who had offered their services.&nbsp; The 165
Americans at the fort were led by Colonel William Ledyard.&nbsp; British commander Colonel Eyre issued a flag
and called for Colonel Ledyard to surrender, however Colonel Ledyard would
not.&nbsp; Colonel Eyre called for Colonel
Ledyard’s surrender a second time, warning that if there was no surrender and
he would have to attack the fort, its protectors would not experience any
clemency.&nbsp; However, Colonel Ledyard once
again denied the call to surrender under the belief that he had reinforcements
on their way.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The British troops then expanded their ranks and charged
the fort.&nbsp; When they came upon the ditch
that is around the fort they encounter gunfire, killing and injuring many of
them.&nbsp; Despite this the British pushed
forward.&nbsp; Colonel Eyre was severely
injured when some of the troops attempted to capture the southwest bastion to
no avail.&nbsp; After avoiding pickets and
having to fight some men, some of the British troops did manage to get control
of a canon at the fort and used it on the fort’s protectors.&nbsp; Major Montgomery commanded another set of
troops and ordered them to advance with bayonets, however this set of troops
were attacked by long spears and Major Montgomery himself lost his life.&nbsp; Some of the British Regulars did arrive at
the entrance and opened it allowing the rest of the British into the fort.&nbsp; After this, Colonel Ledyard commanded his
troops to cease fighting, however some fighting still occurred by both parties.


&nbsp;The American and British tales of what
happened next differ from each other.&nbsp;
According to the American tale, Colonel Ledyard was murdered as soon as
he surrendered and the injured were killed as well.&nbsp; Prior to the surrender, it is said that just
a small number of Americans were dead, however, after the battle and surrender
85 Americans were killed, 5 were close to death, and 36 were injured.&nbsp; According to the British tale however, it is
quiet on the topics of the killing of the Americans and Colonel Ledyard’s death
after the surrender.&nbsp; The whole battle
itself last just 40 minutes.&nbsp; The dead
British soldiers were buried in unmarked graves and their injured troops were
moved down the hill to the river.&nbsp; The
Americans moved many of their injured to the nearby Ensign Ebenezer Avery’s
house.&nbsp; The British brought their
prisoners who could walk onto ships and held them as prisoners of war.&nbsp; Later in the day the British attacked and set
flame to several homes along Groton Bank.&nbsp;
General Arnold claimed that 51 of his men had been killed and 162
injured in the battle; several of the injured men passed away on ships that
were headed back to New York.1

Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park includes monuments and a museum that interpret the history of the Revolutionary War battle that took place at Groton Heights, as well as the burning of New London on September 6, 1781. The Groton Monument and adjacent museum are open throughout the summer, preserving and sharing the history of Fort Griswold. 

Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park

Branford House Morton Plant was born in Branford, Connecticut in 1852. His father, Henry Bradley Plant, was Florida's greatest 19th-century railroad developer, creating a system of railroads that connected the largest cities on the state's west coast. He also built hotels, steamship lines, and telegraph&nbsp;lines to further encourage development (and increased profits). Morton became vice president of the business, which was called the Plant Investment Company, after Henry died in 1899. Morton also inherited two-thirds of his father's estate, which was worth $22 million, in 1902. He used this money to build Branford House, which he named after his hometown. He also became even more successful than his father, becoming the director of many railroads, shipping companies, and banks; he invested&nbsp;in real estate, hotels, and farms as well. He amassed a fortune around $50 million by the time of his death. Additionally, he was very interested in agriculture and built greenhouses, a cow barn, poultry enclosures, and fruit and vegetable fields on his property.&nbsp; The property remained in the family until 1939 when it was sold at auction to the state, which then deeded it to the U.S. Coast Guard. Commanding and executive officers and their families lived in the mansion and it was also used for administrative offices. The fields, greenhouses,&nbsp;and other agricultural structures were torn down to make room for barracks and other Coast Guard buildings. Avery Point Lighthouse A navigational aid was required to be built as part of the agreement that gave the property to the Coast Guard. As a result, the lighthouse was built. In addition to its defensive&nbsp;purpose, it was to also meant to be a memorial to Coast Guard personnel and lighthouse keepers. During the war, it was unlit so as to not aid enemy ships. After the war, it was lit and operated until 1967, at which point the state assumed ownership again. The state then ceded control to the university. The Coast Guard occasionally&nbsp;uses the lighthouse for navigational experiments. It was restored in 2006 and the light was reactivated at the dedication ceremony.

This historic mansion and lighthouse are situated on the University of Connecticut at Avery Point Campus. The 31-room Branford House was built by railroad magnate and philanthropist Morton Freeman Plant in 1904. It was designed by his wife, Nellie, who studied architecture in France, in the Late Gothic Revival style (English architect Robert W. Gibson executed her plans). Interesting features include a two-story fireplace, a winding staircase made with Italian marble, and paneled walls carved by Italian and German craftsmen. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Today, the university rents out Branford House for events. 

Constructed in 1943 (during the height of World War II) to help protect the coast from invasion, Avery Point Lighthouse is located just south of Branford House overlooking Eastern Point Bay. It is notable for being the last lighthouse built in Connecticut. It reaches a height of 55 feet and is octagonal in shape and is an active navigational aid managed by the U.S. Coast Guard, guiding vessels into the cove just to the east and through the waters between Pine Island and Avery Point. It is also significant for being a major Coast Guard training center until 1967, where personnel were taught a variety of skills in life-saving, coastal defense, and navigational aids. 

Branford House & Avery Point Lighthouse

Long before Mystic Seaport’s ships, shops and shipyard, the banks of the Mystic River were filled with…ships, shops, and shipyards. Since the 1600s, this historic area has been a center of shipbuilding. Between 1784 and 1919–the golden age of American maritime enterprise–more than 600 vessels were constructed along the Mystic River. But with the advent of steam power and the decline of wooden shipbuilding after the Civil War, textile manufacturing became Mystic’s dominant industry. 
 As the great Age of Sail gave way to steamships and railroads, wooden ships and boats were turned into firewood and the nation’s seafaring traditions began to disappear, three Mystic residents decided to work together to keep the past alive. 
 On December 29, 1929, Edward E. Bradley, an industrialist; Carl C. Cutler, a lawyer; and Dr. Charles K. Stillman, a physician; signed the papers incorporating the Marine Historical Association, today known as Mystic Seaport. Their dream: create a dynamic, educational institution to preserve America’s maritime culture–and turn the achievements of a past era into an inspirational force for the future. 
 Despite the economic conditions of the Great Depression, Mystic Seaport grew rapidly. Donations of logbooks, photography, ships plans and other maritime artifacts poured into the one-building museum. In 1941, Mystic Seaport acquired the Charles W. Morgan, the country’s last wooden whaleship from the once-great Yankee fleet. Historic buildings from across New England were also moved in to complement the Morgan–and the authentic coastal village area of Mystic Seaport was born. 
 Over the next 50 years, Mystic Seaport experienced explosive growth, amassing the world’s largest collections of maritime photography (over 1 million images) and boats (nearly 500), as well as collecting two million other maritime artifacts. And the 1970s saw the creation of the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard, additional exhibition buildings and several new accredited educational programs.

The Mystic Seaport Museum is widely recognized as the nation's leading maritime museum. It is 19 acres in size and features a recreated New England coastal village and over 500 historic watercraft, four of which are National Historic Landmarks including the "Charles W. Morgan," which is the last 19th-century wooden whaling ship in the world. Constructed in 1841, it was once part of a 2,700-strong American whaling fleet. Visitors to the museum will learn from craftspeople, historians, musicians, and storytellers about what life was like for those who made a living from the sea in the 1800s. The museum also houses a research center that contains two million artifacts including scrimshaw, paintings, models, tools, ship plans, an oral history archive, film and video recordings, and over one million photographs. The center also features a large research library containing 75,000 books. 

Mystic Seaport Museum

The Charles W. Morgan, named after her principle owner, was launched to hunt and kill whales in order to obtain their profitable oil and whalebone. Whale oil had been used for centuries for various things, to include light, lubrication, soap, jute, and textiles. During World War I, whale oil was used to prevent trench foot. By the time the Morgan was launched in 1841, whale oil was used primarily to lubricate the machines that drove the Industrial Revolution. Larger whaling vessels, such as the Morgan, would spend years on a single voyage, stripping whales of their blubber and then rendering it down to oil on deck to prevent the blubber from spoiling.The Morgan is constructed of various types of wood, to include living and white oak, hemlock, and yellow pine. She is over 100 feet in length and has a beam of just over 27 feet, making her wide and slow. She has three masts that can raise over 7,100 square feet of sail and she displaces 314 gross tons. Her upper deck was dominated by large trypots which were used to boil whale blubber, while the typical crew of 30-35 lived in cramped quarters below deck. Lashed to her sides were four, 25-foot whaling boats that the crew used to hunt sighted whales while the Morgan awaited their return at a safe distance. The Morgan’s first captain was Thomas Morton, who successfully returned to New Bedford after a voyage in excess of three years. During the voyage, the Morgan harvested 59 whales that yielded over 2,000 barrels of oil and 5 tons of whalebone. Morton’s share of the profits totaled almost $11,000 which he used to retire from the sea. Over the next 80 years, the Morgan survived hurricanes, ice storms, and angry natives off a South Pacific Island. She hosted 21 captains, over 1,000 sailors, two captain’s wives who served as navigators and harvested over 2,500 whales.In 1859, petroleum was discovered at Titusville, Pennsylvania and this, along with decades of whale hunting which pushed some species to the brink of extinction, brought about the end of the whaling industry. After 37 voyages, the Morgan embarked on her last whaling voyage in 1921. She was then acquired by Colonel Edward Green and saved with the help of Whaling Enshrined Inc. She resided near his estate at South Dartmouth, Massachusetts until 1941 when she was towed to the Marine Historical Association, which would become Mystic Seaport. At this time, Mystic consisted of little more than a maritime museum. The re-created seaport town and living history museum would be built largely around the Charles W. Morgan.The Morgan sat on a bed of gravel and sand and underwent intermittent restorations beginning in 1968. In 1974, she was removed from her bed and underwent extensive hull restoration in dry dock. In 2008, it was decided that the Morgan would be made seaworthy once again. Using 21st century imaging technology to determine which parts of her needed replaced and repaired, the Morgan was made whole once again. The restoration efforts cost $7.5 million, a bit more than her original cost of $52,786. In 2013, she floated on her own for the first time since she arrived at Mystic. The next year, she set sail once again and visited ports along the New England coast to include a return to New Bedford, New London, Newport, Vineyard Haven, Provincetown and Boston. She also, not without some irony, sailed through the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, now a popular whale watching site. Since her arrival at Mystic, over 20 million visitors have walked her deck and she is still the seaport’s anchor.

The Charles W. Morgan, moored at Mystic Seaport, is America’s oldest commercial sailing vessel and only the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) is older.  The Morgan was built and launched from the shipyard of Jethro and Zachariah in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1841.  She spent the next 80 years pulling whales out of the oceans for their oil, derived from blubber, and baleen or whalebone.  She was saved by Edward Green in 1921, arrived at Mystic Seaport in 1941 and went through lengthy restorations in 1968, 1974, and 2008.  The Morgan’s most recent voyage occurred in 2014 when she visited ports along the New England coast.  The Morgan was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.

Charles W. Morgan Whaling Ship

Dr. Dudley Woodbridge earned a degree in theology from Harvard in 1724. He served as a minister to the Groton church but decided to become a doctor in 1739 after his first marriage ended. In 1771, he bought the property on which Whitehall stands and, around this time, married a woman named Sarah Sheldon. They raised nine children, one of whom, a son, died at the age of 12.&nbsp; The home remained a private residence until 1962 when it was donated to the Stonington Historical Society, which opened it as a museum. The Society sold it in 1996 because they could not afford to operate it anymore. The bed and breakfast opened sometime in the late 1990s.

Now a bed and breakfast inn, the historic Whitehall Mansion is one of the finest examples of late Colonial architecture in Stonington. It was built in the 1770s by Dr. Dudley Woodbridge, a successful local physician and member of the state legislature. Whitehall is not at its original location; it was moved twice in the 1960s to give room for highway expansion. In 1979, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Whitehall Mansion

Nathaniel Palmer was born in Stonington in 1799. His father was a shipbuilder and the skills he learned would prove to be crucial to his career. So as his family (and the community) was intimately tied to the sea, it was only natural that he would become a mariner himself. His first sailing experience occurred when he was 14 and hired as a seaman on a blockade runner during the War of 1812. Just four years later, he commanded his own ship, a schooner called&nbsp;Galena, and ran a merchant business. In 1819, Palmer joined a sealing ship called&nbsp;Hersila as second mate. Profits made from seal hunting were extremely high by this time; one ship could earn $20,000, which was a substantial sum back then (most of the demand for seal skins came from China). Despite&nbsp;the risks of sailing in the dangerous waters beyond the southern tip of South America, it was worth the risk. As seal colonies were being depleted, ships had to travel farther and farther south, which is what led to Palmer's discovery of Antarctica. That year, he joined a large fleet that would voyage to the Shetland Islands. Despite being only 21 years old, Palmer was given command of a small sloop called&nbsp;Hero.&nbsp;There were only four other men with him, including a 31-year-old African American second mate, Phineas Wilcox,&nbsp;and a 16-year-old boy. Upon arriving at the Shetland Islands, they realized that the seal colonies there were gone.&nbsp;As a result, Palmer was given the arduous and extremely dangerous task of scouting ahead of the fleet to try to find new seal colonies. He officially discovered Antarctica on November 17, 1820. At first, the significance of this event wasn't obvious to him but as he explored the coastline further, this became clearer. Palmer Peninsula was named after him, and he named Mt. Wilcox in honor of his second mate. The discovery became known worldwide after Palmer met with two Russian warships sent by Czar Alexander I to prove or disprove the existence of Antarctica. Palmer's charts and log entries proved to the Russians the discovery was real. In fact, it was one of the Russian captains who gave Palmer Peninsula its name.&nbsp;&nbsp; Later in life, Palmer made considerable contributions in ship design (he did take several voyages to Antarctica, however) and became wealthy as a result. He focused on designing and owning fast ships (clippers) for freight transportation. It was in this way that, as owner of these ships, he earned substantial profits without sailing them. By the mid-1850s, he was able to essentially retire but he continued to sail and enjoyed yachting. He died in Stonington in 1877.&nbsp;

Constructed in 1854, this 16-room historic home was built by sailor, seal hunter, and explorer Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer (1799-1877), who is notable for discovering Antarctica in 1820, and his brother Captain Alexander Smith Palmer. The discovery marked the end of the age of global exploration which began in the 15th century. The house itself is very well preserved and a fine example of the Italianate style. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark for its architecture and association with Captain Palmer. It is owned and operated by the Stonington Historical Society, which purchased the house in 1994. Inside, visitors will see family furnishings, portraits, artifacts, and variety of other items including memorabilia, ship models (including the 40-foot sailing vessel Palmer used when he found Antarctica), dollhouses, and textiles. There are also exhibits that explore various topics of local history. 

Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House

The first lighthouse built here was erected in 1823. The current one replaced it in 1840. Originally, the building had a flat roof with simulated battlements but it leaked and had to be replaced with the gabled roof. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1889 when on the beacons on the harbor breakwaters were installed. Keepers and their families lived in the lighthouse until 1909 (the keepers maintained the beacon lights). The building was abandoned when a new keeper's house was constructed next door, prompting the U.S. government to sell it to the Society in 1925. It opened to the public in 1927, making it the oldest lighthouse museum in the country.

The Stonington Harbor Light guided vessels across Fishers Island Sound for over 170 years beginning in 1823. The current version of the lighthouse was built in 1840 and is a good example of a mid-19th century stone lighthouse. No longer an active navigational aid, the lighthouse is now a museum operated by The Stonington Historical Society. The lighthouse is 35 feet tall (and 62 feet above the water) and its light could be seen 15 miles away. Inside, a number of artifacts are on display including a cannonball dating to the War of 1812, locally-made stoneware, Chinese items, portrait paintings, a dollhouse, and antique dolls and toys. Visitors can also climb to the top of the tower and enjoy the view.

Naval History of New London and Southeast Connecticut

Fort Trumbull

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources