Stonington Ct. History
The Town of Stonington, Connecticut is in New London County, Connecticut in the southeastern corner of the state. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck and Wequetequock, and the eastern half of the village of Mystic (the other half being in the town of Groton). The Borough of Stonington occupies a point of land that projects into Little Narragansett Bay. The lack of through traffic or modern industry, together with the borough's role as a fashionable summer residence since the Civil War era, have preserved its Colonial, Federal, and outstanding Greek Revival domestic architecture, while the activity of Connecticut's last remaining fishing and lobstering fleet keep it from being simply a quaint, historic village. There is a large community of Portuguese descent. The History of Stonington The first European colonists came to the town in 1649, on lands that had belonged to the Pequots who referred to the areas making up Stonington as "Pawcatuck" and "Mistack." It was named "Souther Towne" or Southertown, by Massachusetts in 1658, and was renamed as Stonington when Connecticut established its claim over the territory in 1665.
The town of North Stonington was set off as a parish from Stonington in 1724 and incorporated as a town in 1807. During the War of 1812, four British vessels, under the command of Sir Thomas Hardy, appeared offshore on August 9, 1814. The British demanded immediate surrender, but Stonington's citizens replied with a note that stated, "We shall defend the place to the last extremity; should it be destroyed, we shall perish in its ruins." For three days the Royal Navy pounded the town, but the only death was that of an elderly woman who was mortally ill. The British, after suffering many dead and wounded, sailed off on August 14.
The Stonington lighthouse, a low stone building, was the first lighthouse established by the U.S. Federal Government, in 1823. In the 19th century Stonington supported a small fishing, whaling and sealing fleet, with some direct trade with the West Indies, enough in volume for it to be made a Port of Entry in 1842.
The very young Nathaniel Palmer, in charge of the sloop, Hero, was seal hunting in the South Shetland Islands in the Antarctic summer season of 1820-1821. Sent southwards in November to investigate a volcanic eruption on the horizon, he sighted Antarctica. Other famous residents of Stonington have included the explorer Edmund Fanning, who discovered Palmyra Island south of Hawaii; Revolutionary War hero Nathaniel Fanning; the Beaux-Arts architect Edward P. York, of York and Sawyer; the poets Stephen Vincent Benet and James Merrill. More recently, Stonington is the home of 2004 World Series of Poker champion Greg "Fossilman" Raymer. Waylands Wharf Stonington has also been the destination of many famous persons, such as Viggo Mortensen, who rented a home in the area, and his Lord of the Rings costar Elijah Wood; television host Conan O'Brien, whose sister lives in the Borough; and others, such as George Hamilton, Jimmy Fallon, Matt Paige, and Dick Vitale of ESPN fame. Water Street Stonington has been the home to several on-location movie shoots, including Steven Spielberg's Amistad and Julia Roberts breakthrough, Mystic Pizza. It is also a popular tourist destination because of its location near the ocean and several major casinos, its historic charm, and major attractions in the Mystic area such as the Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport and the Mystic Drawbridge. Mystic is located along the Mystic River and is found by many tourists to be fascinating. When visiting please use the cross walks or you could anger local residents. John Winthrop Jr. laid out New London, Connecticut. One of the men who helped him was the blacksmith and gunsmith William Chesebrough of Plymouth Colony. Chesebrough decided he did not like the location very much, so, on his way back to Massachusetts, he chose the present Stonington, on the west bank of Wequetequock Cove.
Old Stonington - Linda Nelson Stocks In 1649 Chesebrough built the first house in Stonington. A marker on the spot where his house stood is located on the cove bank in Wequetequock. It was more than one hundred years before the first house was erected at Long Point, now Stonington. Edward and John Denison, son and grandson of George Denison, a shipbuilder from Westerly, built the house that stood on what is now Cannon Square.
HMS Rose Late in 1774 the British Navy sent their ship the "Rose" under the command of Captain James Wallace to America to stop further smuggling. The people of Rhode Island had destroyed a number of smaller Royal Navy ships that had been sent for this purpose. However, this new ship was so effective in its efforts that the decreased employment lead to a reduction in Newport's population by four-fifths by mid 1775.
The Lamplighter Band on the library lawn Susan Stafford In August 1775 Captain Wallace of the Rose demanded that Stonington surrender its stores of cattle and provisions. William Stanton gathered the Stonington men to a place just north of the square here. Captain Oliver Smith's company soon joined them. Then they marched to Brown's wharf. The British landing force suffered so many losses that Captain Wallace of the "Rose" decided to bombard the village. However, he ultimately gave up as the people of Stonington would not surrender. Subsequently, a fort was built at Stonington. Moreover, the Continental Congress decided to start a Navy to combat the Rose. October 13, 1775 marks the official date of the founding of the American Navy. In 1779, while patrolling the Savannah, Georgia coast, the Rose ran into a French invasion fleet. The captain ordered the ship stripped of all its armament and valuables, and then sunk the vessel. Some of the materials have been recovered and are now incorporated into the restored Rose located in Bridgeport at Captain's Cove Seaport. Reverend Nathaniel Eels was pastor in two Stonington churches, and a leader of an army unit from Stonington during the Revolutionary War. This was the home of Captain Amos Palmer, as well as being home to Whistler's mother and children for a short time. A cannonball fired from the British ship Rose rolled out the front door of this house and past the place where Captain Palmer stood. The captain waited until the ball cooled and then brought it to the American forces and fired it back at the ship, scoring a direct hit. Major George Washington Whistler of Fort Wayne, Indiana became one of the nation's first railroad builders. He started the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and later the Boston, Springfield, and Albany Railroad. He had seven children in all. His second wife was Anna MacNeill Whistler, a sister of Dr. George E. Palmer's wife of Stonington.
Their son, James MacNeill Whistler, became a famous artist. The major and his family lived in Stonington for a short period while he worked on the railroad from Providence to Stonington (leaving in 1840). The family also stayed for a brief period with Mrs. Palmer in Stonington in 1842, while the major (and his future artist son) were in Russia. The artist painted the famous portrait of his mother in 1872.
Cannon Square - Water and Main streets, Stonington, CT This was the site of the first house built on Long Point, now Stonington. Also here are two eighteen pound guns that serve as monuments to the gallant defense of the people of Stonington during the War of 1812. On August 9, 1814, four British vessels entered Stonington harbor. Their commander was Commodore Thomas Hardy. He sent a message saying he was about to destroy the town, but would give the inhabitants an hour to get the women and children out. The Stonington defenders took their stand near the end of the peninsula. The British bombardment began at eight p.m. The American cannoneers' return fire sank one of the barges and forced the bomb-ship to retreat. The land barges tried to land, but a six-pound cannon discouraged them. The bombing stopped at midnight, only to begin again at sunrise the next day. Local militia had arrived by that time. Captain Jeremiah Holmes also arrived. He proved so accurate with the cannon that one of the British ships had to retreat to save itself. The British could only land their troops when the Americans ran out of ammunition. However, just in time, ammunition arrived from New London. The British kept up their bombardment until noon of August 12. They finally gave up and sailed away. The victorious town had not lost a single life, nor a single house. It is estimated that the British bombarded the town with more than 60 tons of metal and 170 bombs.
Stonington Library Many residents of North Stonington fondly remember their years spent in this building during its decades as a school. Although a major renovation was undertaken in 1992, the library retains its historic character. Two life-size marble lions remain vigilant outside its front doors.
Old Lighthouse Mark Sherman 7 Water Street, Stonington, CT (Open Tues-Sun 11-4:30, May-Oct) This is the first government-operated lighthouse in Connecticut, built in 1823 and reconstructed on higher ground in 1840. It was discontinued in 1889. It houses displays of nineteenth century portraits, whaling and fishing gear, swords, cannonballs, toys, articles from the oriental trade, decoys, stoneware, and children's room. There is a special exhibit on Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer, who was born in Stonington in 1799. In the winter of 1820-1821 he discovered the Antarctic continent. Stonington was the focus of the New England sealing industry. Upstairs is a model of the steamboat "Rhode Island" of the Stonington line. Here also are some pictures of the Hotel Wadawanuck which for fifty-six years stood in what is now Wadawanuck Square. Workers built it in 1837 to serve the passengers of the Stonington and Providence Railroad and those of the connecting steamboat line from New York. In addition, there are portraits of "Plymouth Rock" and the "Cornelius Vanderbilt," both of the Stonington Line. In 1882 the last of the crucial Railroad bridges, this one over the Thames River, was completed and Stonington began to fade. By the 1890's workers tore down Hotel Wadawanuck. This lighthouse was once the beacon for the many vessels approaching Stonington's harbor from Long Island Sound. The original 30-foot stone tower, which was built on the Point in 1823, supported a lantern containing ten oil lamps and parabolic reflectors. Its beacon was visible 12 miles at sea. During the next few years, however, storms and shore erosion took their toll on the exposed site. In 1840 the structure was dismantled and the materials used to build a new tower and keeper's dwelling on the present site. The light remained active until 1889 when a beacon was installed on the outer end of a new breakwater protecting the harbor entrance. Stonington's lighthouse became the museum of the Historical Society in 1927. Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House This 16-room Victorian mansion was built in 1852 by two brothers, Captains Nathaniel Brown Palmer and Alexander Smith Palmer. Majestically sited on a high rise of ground overlooking the upper end of Stonington harbor, "Pine Point" offered sweeping water views in all directions. From its octagonal cupola, the family could identify ships arriving from distant ports. Meticulous craftsmanship of the ornate woodwork testifies to the work of shipwrights. Once threatened by demolition, this magnificent home was purchased by the Stonington Historical Society in 1994 and is now preserved in all its beauty. Memorabilia pertaining to Nathaniel's discovery of Antarctica and the Palmer brothers' adventurous lives, as well as other Stonington family portraits, furnishings and artifacts are on display.
Stonington Commons A creative re-use of a five-acre former industrial property on Stonington Harbor has transformed this once-blighted industrial site into a unique waterfront residential community offering coastal public access. Visitors are welcome to stroll the site's 800-foot long waterfront nature path lined with native plantings, watch pleasure craft and fishing vessels ply the waters of this busy harbor from the shade of a waterfront gazebo or fish from a nearby breakwater accessible from the site. It is now also home to the Stonington Yach Club.
Stonington Yacht Club Although the nature path is open only during daylight hours, anglers may access the site to fish from the breakwater at anytime, but please respect the site's residents right to quiet enjoyment of their property. Vessels anchored in Stonington Harbor may access the Borough using the site's dinghy dock. Situated between the Borough's streetscape and the waterfront, Stonington Commons replicates historic mill buildings that were largely destroyed by a fire in 2003 while the site was being redeveloped. The project site is also of historical significance. It served as a military battery that successfully defended Stonington Borough from a British bombardment during the War of 1812. The battery, known as "Grasshopper Fort", served as a gun emplacement from which a cannon defended Stonington during a 3 day British bombardment of August 1814. Visitors interested in Connecticut's industrial past and historic architecture will enjoy viewing the granite foundry building located at the center of the site and the granite factory building located along the property's south entrance leading to the breakwater. The site's oldest remaining original structures, the granite foundry and factory building were completed in 1851.
Sunset, Stonington Harbor - Christine Karpinski Stonington Point offers panoramic views of Fisher’s Island Sound and is adjacent to duBois Beach and the Stonington Old Lighthouse Museum which offers six rooms full of Stonington historical displays and terrific views of the Sound from the lighthouse tower. Fishing is also allowed at this site. duBois Beach duBois Beach is located in the picturesque seaside village of Stonington Borough. Enjoy the site’s shallow water-depths, on-site pavilion, and clean, family-oriented sandy beach.
Regatta of Skipjacks Mark Whitcombe The beach’s 265 feet of shoreline fills up quickly so plan to arrive early. Stonington Community Center lifeguards monitor the beach for your safety. Park at the Stonington Point lot at the end of Water Street. History of duBois Beach Creating a beach for the residents of the Borough of Stonington was a major objective of the SVIA in the late 1940's. When property at the end of Water Street owned by Richard Baum became available in 1950 (which included what is now known as the Point House, the small parcel south of the Point House, and the two joined parcels across Water Street), Coert duBois, then President of the SVIA and Dana Burnet, Secretary, made their decisive move. They agreed to purchase everything for the cost of $20,000. In the words of former Borough resident and local Westerly Sun reporter Elizabeth Trumbull in 1960, "Mr. duBois was able to raise $5,000 almost immediately to secure the estate. For the balance, he and Mr. Burnet put their faith in Stonington on the line and signed personal notes." Their plan was to sell the Point House and its lot for $15,000 to pay off the notes and keep the other parcels, which by a year later they had done. Now owning the future beach property, the SVIA, under the Presidency of Mr. duBois, began the process of raising money to pay for fashioning a beach out of the two western lots. Mr. duBois was largely responsible for raising the total of $50,000 and he, a career diplomat who had retired to the Borough, is credited with making the beach project a truly cooperative community wide effort. As an example, after meeting with Mr. duBois, the Portuguese community set up a committee and after a house-to-house campaign, raised $2,500 towards the beach fund. The beach itself required 500 truckloads of sand, and when another 10 to 20 were needed, the contractor Samuel Romanella donated them as his own personal contribution to the beach. Dana Burnet, at ceremonies dedicating the beach to Mr. duBois in 1960, said "He (did not) want the beach to be simply the gift of a few of our wealthier citizens though we owe a great deal to the generosity of those same citizens. But Coert wanted it to be the people's beach and the people responded. Our local industries responded; the automobile agencies and others all helped with goods or services or money, or all three. The churches helped us. So did the local unions, the fishermen, and various local fraternal, social, religious, and patriotic societies." The SVIA beach was dedicated to the memory of Coert duBois on Thursday, August 4, 1960. Barn Island Wildlife Management Area The 1,013-acre Barn Island Wildlife Management Area is the State's single largest coastal property managed for wildlife conservation. The property provides a diversity of ecoysystem and habitats including hilly uplands, agricultural/open fields, mixed hardwood forests and salt, brackish and freshwater tidal wetlands. The site is a popular hiking, wildlife observation and hunting area. Deer hunting is allowed in-season at this site. Nearly 4 miles of trails are available at this site. Hikers are reminded to exercise caution when using the site during hunting season. Schools Pine Point School is a dynamic partnership of students, faculty and parents of diverse experiences committed to academic excellence. Children are actively engaged in their own learning in a caring and supportive environment. The school stresses the importance of individual accomplishment and the power of collaborative effort. Our mission is to develop in each student: an inquisitive, creative, and disciplined mind a firm foundation of core academic skills a strong sense of responsibility for community and self an appreciation for both the arts and athletics a passion for learning Visit Stonington Vineyards Where To Stay The Inn at Stonington is a Stonington Connecticut Bed & Breakfast located directly on the waterfront in the heart of Stonington Borough. The Inn at Stonington's 18 guest rooms are all unique and the interiors are designed to provide an intimate and comfortable environment. Untouched by commercialism, this charming village is one of the few surviving New England seaside towns that has retained much of its 17th and 18th century flavor. Classic examples of Colonial, Greek Revival, and Federal architecture can be enjoyed on a stroll down any of its quiet, tree-lined streets. The newly constructed Inn at Stonington offers individually decorated rooms with fireplaces and oversized luxury baths with jacuzzis. Most rooms enjoy spectacular views of Fisher's Island Sound. Public rooms include a top floor sitting room overlooking Stonington Harbor, an intimate bar with adjoining breakfast room where we serve a continental breakfast to our guests, and a cozy living room. Our exercise room features state of the art equipment for your most strenuous workout, and bicycles and kayaks are also available to make your visit more fun Throughout the Inn at Stonington the work of local artists are shown including nautical prints and original oil paintings. There are four delightful restaurants within a short walk of the inn. There is also a 400' deepwater dock, 12' at low water, for our guests. All rooms feature fireplaces and oversized luxurious bathrooms; most have jacuzzis. TV, phones, voice mail, modem ports and air conditioning are standard in all rooms. Thanks for visiting... "This data is updated weekly on Saturday nights. Some properties which appear for sale on this web site may subsequently have sold and may no longer be available." Coldwell Banker participates in State-Wide MLS's IDX program, allowing us to display other broker's listings on our site. However, Rhode Island Luxury Homes displays only properties with list prices above $1,000,000.Not everybody can live in paradise, but for the price of a ticket you can at least purchase a temporary admission... Inch for inch, Stonington, Connecticut, may well be New England's prettiest village... surrounded on three sides by salt water... Widely considered the most picturesque seaside village in Connecticut, historic Stonington Borough is a lovingly cared for place of narrow tree-lined streets with stately 18th and 19th century residences, interesting shops, and cozy restaurants. The area has an old-fashioned ambience with neighbors who still gather for farmers’ markets, parades, and entertainment on the square. Yet the main focus of life still revolves around the sea. Also, because of its many amenities and its location at the end of Long Island Sound, Stonington has long been recognized as a major yachting
center. Ocean beaches, tennis, numerous golf courses, horseback riding, and excellent salt and freshwater fishing are just some of the area’s many recreational opportunities. The Town of Stonington, Connecticut is in New London County, Connecticut in the southeastern corner of that U.S. state. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck and Wequetequock, and the eastern half of the village of Mystic (the other half being in the town of Groton). The Borough of Stonington occupies a point of land that projects into Little Narragansett Bay. The lack of through traffic or modern industry, together with the borough's role as a fashionable summer residence since the Civil War era, have preserved its Colonial, Federal, and outstanding Greek Revival domestic architecture, while the activity of Connecticut's last remaining fishing and lobstering fleet keep it from being simply a quaint, historic village. There is a large community of Portuguese descent. The first European colonists came to the town in 1649, on lands that had belonged to the Pequots who referred to the areas making up Stonington as "Pawcatuck" and "Mistack." It was named "Souther Towne" or Southertown, by Massachusetts in 1658, and was renamed as Stonington when Connecticut established its claim over the territory in 1665.
Stonington Point from Western Harbor Ingrid Feddersen The town of North Stonington was set off as a parish from Stonington in 1724 and incorporated as a town in 1807. During the War of 1812, four British vessels, under the command of Sir Thomas Hardy, appeared offshore on August 9, 1814. The British demanded immediate surrender, but Stonington’s citizens replied with a note that stated, "We shall defend the place to the last extremity; should it be destroyed, we shall perish in its ruins." For three days the Royal Navy pounded the town, but the only death was that of an elderly woman who was mortally ill. The British, after suffering many dead and wounded, sailed off on August 14. The Stonington lighthouse, a low stone building, was the first lighthouse established by the U.S. Federal Government, in 1823. Stonington Free Library In the 19th century Stonington supported a small fishing, whaling and sealing fleet, with some direct trade with the West Indies, enough in volume for it to be made a Port of Entry in 1842. The very young Nathaniel Palmer, in charge of the sloop Hero, was seal hunting in the South Shetland Islands in the Antarctic summer season of 1820-1821. Sent southwards in November to investigate a volcanic eruption on the horizon, he sighted Antarctica. Other famous residents of Stonington have included the explorer Edmund Fanning, who discovered Palmyra Island south of Hawaii; Revolutionary War hero Nathaniel Fanning; the Beaux-Arts architect Edward P. York, of York and Sawyer; the poets Stephen Vincent Benet and James Merrill. James Merrill Water Street (1962) is a volume of poems by the American poet James Merrill. It takes its title from the main commercial street of the Borough of Stonington, Connecticut, where he made his home. Merrill was installed as Connecticut's first poet laureate, an honorary, lifelong title that carries no remuneration. James Merrill House The James Merrill House & Writer-in-Residence Program James Merrill, who won many awards including a Pulitzer Prize in 1976, was one of America’s great poets. When he died in 1995, he left his residence in the Borough of Stonington to the SVIA. Upon receiving the property, the SVIA set up the Writer-in-Residence Program to permit promising poets and writers to use James Merrill’s apartment. The future of the James Merrill House and the Writer-in-Residence Program are inseparably integrated. The building at 107 Water Street, where James Merrill lived and wrote for over forty years, is a source of inspiration for poets and writers who themselves are allowed to live and work there. The W-i-R Program is nearly ten years old, and past writer-residents have attested to its value to them while they were there. Furthermore, the use of the building to nurture the creative efforts of others is consistent with the efforts James Merrill himself made to help other artists during his lifetime. The W-i-R Program is the use which justifies and makes possible the preservation of the James Merrill House. Not only the house but the quality of the program it supports is the legacy of James Merrill Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws, also had a summer house located in the Borough. More recently, Stonington is the home of 2004 World Series of Poker champion Greg "Fossilman" Raymer. Waylands Wharf Stonington has also been the destination of many famous persons, such as Viggo Mortensen, who rented a home in the area, and his Lord of the Rings costar Elijah Wood; television host Conan O'Brien, whose sister lives in the Borough; and others, such as George Hamilton, Jimmy Fallon, Matt Paige, and Dick Vitale of ESPN fame. Water Street Stonington has been the home to several on-location movie shoots, including Steven Spielberg's Amistad and Julia Roberts breakthrough, Mystic Pizza. It is also a popular tourist destination because of its location near the ocean and several major casinos, its historic charm, and major attractions in the Mystic area such as the Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport and the Mystic Drawbridge. Mystic is located along the Mystic River and is found by many tourists to be fascinating. When visiting please use the cross walks or you could anger local residents. John Winthrop Jr. laid out New London, Connecticut. Stonington Historical Society One of the men who helped him was the blacksmith and gunsmith William Chesebrough of Plymouth Colony. Chesebrough decided he did not like the location very much, so, on his way back to Massachusetts, he chose the present Stonington, on the west bank of Wequetequock Cove.
Old Stonington - Linda Nelson Stocks In 1649 Chesebrough built the first house in Stonington. A marker on the spot where his house stood is located on the cove bank in Wequetequock. It was more than one hundred years before the first house was erected at Long Point, now Stonington. Edward and John Denison, son and grandson of George Denison, a shipbuilder from Westerly, built the house that stood on what is now Cannon Square.
HMS Rose Late in 1774 the British Navy sent their ship the "Rose" under the command of Captain James Wallace to America to stop further smuggling. The people of Rhode Island had destroyed a number of smaller Royal Navy ships that had been sent for this purpose. However, this new ship was so effective in its efforts that the decreased employment lead to a reduction in Newport's population by four-fifths by mid 1775.
The Lamplighter Band on the library lawn Susan Stafford In August 1775 Captain Wallace of the Rose demanded that Stonington surrender its stores of cattle and provisions. William Stanton gathered the Stonington men to a place just north of the square here. Captain Oliver Smith's company soon joined them. Then they marched to Brown's wharf. The British landing force suffered so many losses that Captain Wallace of the "Rose" decided to bombard the village. However, he ultimately gave up as the people of Stonington would not surrender. Subsequently, a fort was built at Stonington. Moreover, the Continental Congress decided to start a Navy to combat the Rose. October 13, 1775 marks the official date of the founding of the American Navy. In 1779, while patrolling the Savannah, Georgia coast, the Rose ran into a French invasion fleet. The captain ordered the ship stripped of all its armament and valuables, and then sunk the vessel. Some of the materials have been recovered and are now incorporated into the restored Rose located in Bridgeport at Captain's Cove Seaport. Reverend Nathaniel Eels was pastor in two Stonington churches, and a leader of an army unit from Stonington during the Revolutionary War. This was the home of Captain Amos Palmer, as well as being home to Whistler's mother and children for a short time. A cannonball fired from the British ship Rose rolled out the front door of this house and past the place where Captain Palmer stood. The captain waited until the ball cooled and then brought it to the American forces and fired it back at the ship, scoring a direct hit. Major George Washington Whistler of Fort Wayne, Indiana became one of the nation's first railroad builders. He started the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and later the Boston, Springfield, and Albany Railroad. He had seven children in all. His second wife was Anna MacNeill Whistler, a sister of Dr. George E. Palmer's wife of Stonington. Their son, James MacNeill Whistler, became a famous artist. The major and his family lived in Stonington for a short period while he worked on the railroad from Providence to Stonington (leaving in 1840). The family also stayed for a brief period with Mrs. Palmer in Stonington in 1842, while the major (and his future artist son) were in Russia. The artist painted the famous portrait of his mother in 1872. Cannon Square - Water and Main streets, Stonington, CT This was the site of the first house built on Long Point, now Stonington. Also here are two eighteen pound guns that serve as monuments to the gallant defense of the people of Stonington during the War of 1812. On August 9, 1814, four British vessels entered Stonington harbor. Their commander was Commodore Thomas Hardy. He sent a message saying he was about to destroy the town, but would give the inhabitants an hour to get the women and children out. The Stonington defenders took their stand near the end of the peninsula. The British bombardment began at eight p.m. The American cannoneers' return fire sank one of the barges and forced the bomb-ship to retreat. The land barges tried to land, but a six-pound cannon discouraged them. The bombing stopped at midnight, only to begin again at sunrise the next day. Local militia had arrived by that time. Captain Jeremiah Holmes also arrived. He proved so accurate with the cannon that one of the British ships had to retreat to save itself. The British could only land their troops when the Americans ran out of ammunition. However, just in time, ammunition arrived from New London. The British kept up their bombardment until noon of August 12. They finally gave up and sailed away. The victorious town had not lost a single life, nor a single house. It is estimated that the British bombarded the town with more than 60 tons of metal and 170 bombs. Wheeler Library North Stonington Wheeler Library serves as the principal public library for the residents of North Stonington. The building has a rich history. Constructed in 1900 of Westerly granite, the Wheeler School and Library served as the town's secondary school and public library for over forty years. The Wheeler Family financed the building's construction, and provided an endowment which remains our principal source of funding. Many residents of North Stonington fondly remember their years spent in this building during its decades as a school. Although a major renovation was undertaken in 1992, the library retains its historic character. Two life-size marble lions remain vigilant outside its front doors. Old Lighthouse Mark Sherman 7 Water Street, Stonington, CT (Open Tues-Sun 11-4:30, May-Oct) This is the first government-operated lighthouse in Connecticut, built in 1823 and reconstructed on higher ground in 1840. It was discontinued in 1889. It houses displays of nineteenth century portraits, whaling and fishing gear, swords, cannonballs, toys, articles from the oriental trade, decoys, stoneware, and children's room. There is a special exhibit on Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer, who was born in Stonington in 1799. In the winter of 1820-1821 he discovered the Antarctic continent. Stonington was the focus of the New England sealing industry. Upstairs is a model of the steamboat "Rhode Island" of the Stonington line. Here also are some pictures of the Hotel Wadawanuck which for fifty-six years stood in what is now Wadawanuck Square. Workers built it in 1837 to serve the passengers of the Stonington and Providence Railroad and those of the connecting steamboat line from New York. In addition, there are portraits of "Plymouth Rock" and the "Cornelius Vanderbilt," both of the Stonington Line. In 1882 the last of the crucial Railroad bridges, this one over the Thames River, was completed and Stonington began to fade. By the 1890's workers tore down Hotel Wadawanuck. This lighthouse was once the beacon for the many vessels approaching Stonington's harbor from Long Island Sound. The original 30-foot stone tower, which was built on the Point in 1823, supported a lantern containing ten oil lamps and parabolic reflectors. Its beacon was visible 12 miles at sea. During the next few years, however, storms and shore erosion took their toll on the exposed site. In 1840 the structure was dismantled and the materials used to build a new tower and keeper's dwelling on the present site. The light remained active until 1889 when a beacon was installed on the outer end of a new breakwater protecting the harbor entrance. Stonington's lighthouse became the museum of the Historical Society in 1927. Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House This 16-room Victorian mansion was built in 1852 by two brothers, Captains Nathaniel Brown Palmer and Alexander Smith Palmer. Majestically sited on a high rise of ground overlooking the upper end of Stonington Harbor, "Pine Point" offered sweeping water views in all directions. From its octagonal cupola, the family could identify ships arriving from distant ports. Meticulous craftsmanship of the ornate woodwork testifies to the work of shipwrights. Once threatened by demolition, this magnificent home was purchased by the Stonington Historical Society in 1994 and is now preserved in all its beauty. Memorabilia pertaining to Nathaniel's discovery of Antarctica and the Palmer brothers' adventurous lives, as well as other Stonington family portraits, furnishings and artifacts are on display.
Stonington Commons A creative re-use of a five-acre former industrial property on Stonington Harbor has transformed this once-blighted industrial site into a unique waterfront residential community offering coastal public access. Visitors are welcome to stroll the site's 800-foot long waterfront nature path lined with native plantings, watch pleasure craft and fishing vessels ply the waters of this busy harbor from the shade of a waterfront gazebo or fish from a nearby breakwater accessible from the site. It is now also home to the Stonington Yach Club.
Stonington Yacht Club Although the nature path is open only during daylight hours, anglers may access the site to fish from the breakwater at anytime, but please respect the site's residents right to quiet enjoyment of their property. Vessels anchored in Stonington Harbor may access the Borough using the site's dinghy dock. Situated between the Borough’s streetscape and the waterfront, Stonington Commons replicates historic mill buildings that were largely destroyed by a fire in 2003 while the site was being redeveloped. The project site is also of historical significance. It served as a military battery that successfully defended Stonington Borough from a British bombardment during the War of 1812. The battery, known as "Grasshopper Fort", served as a gun emplacement from which a cannon defended Stonington during a 3 day British bombardment of August 1814. Visitors interested in Connecticut’s industrial past and historic architecture will enjoy viewing the granite foundry building located at the center of the site and the granite factory building located along the property’s south entrance leading to the breakwater. The site’s oldest remaining original structures, the granite foundry and factory building were completed in 1851. North Stonington North Stonington Connecticut, was named in 1724 for the stony character of the hilly countryside. During the 1700s, agriculture was the principal business, together with fulling mills, grist mills, and sawmills. Old Manor Farm - The increasing population in the early 1800s and habits of industry and economy brought tanneries, iron works, cabinetmaking shops, dye houses, dry goods and grocery stores, and cottage weaving. Antiques & Accommodations Inn The town became a prosperous and renowned mercantile center during this period. Wheeler Library North Stonington Changing times left dairy farming the principal industry by the turn of the century. Gradually thereafter, the town took on the residential character seen today. North Stonington includes the settlements of Clarks Falls, Laurel Glen, Pendleton Hill, Ashwillet and the village of North Stonington, formerly known as "Milltown" and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sunset, Stonington Harbor - Christine Karpinski Stonington Point offers panoramic views of Fisher’s Island Sound and is adjacent to duBois Beach and the Stonington Old Lighthouse Museum which offers six rooms full of Stonington historical displays and terrific views of the Sound from the lighthouse tower. Fishing is also allowed at this site. duBois Beach - duBois Beach is located in the picturesque seaside village of Stonington Borough. Enjoy the site’s shallow water-depths, on-site pavilion, and clean, family-oriented sandy beach.
Regatta of Skipjacks Mark Whitcombe The beach’s 265 feet of shoreline fills up quickly so plan to arrive early. Stonington Community Center lifeguards monitor the beach for your safety. Park at the Stonington Point lot at the end of Water Street. History of duBois Beach Creating a beach for the residents of the Borough of Stonington was a major objective of the SVIA in the late 1940's. When property at the end of Water Street owned by Richard Baum became available in 1950 (which included what is now known as the Point House, the small parcel south of the Point House, and the two joined parcels across Water Street), Coert duBois, then President of the SVIA and Dana Burnet, Secretary, made their decisive move. They agreed to purchase everything for the cost of $20,000. In the words of former Borough resident and local Westerly Sun reporter Elizabeth Trumbull in 1960, "Mr. duBois was able to raise $5,000 almost immediately to secure the estate. For the balance, he and Mr. Burnet put their faith in Stonington on the line and signed personal notes." Their plan was to sell the Point House and its lot for $15,000 to pay off the notes and keep the other parcels, which by a year later they had done. Now owning the future beach property, the SVIA, under the Presidency of Mr. duBois, began the process of raising money to pay for fashioning a beach out of the two western lots. Mr. duBois was largely responsible for raising the total of $50,000 and he, a career diplomat who had retired to the Borough, is credited with making the beach project a truly cooperative community wide effort. As an example, after meeting with Mr. duBois, the Portuguese community set up a committee and after a house-to-house campaign, raised $2,500 towards the beach fund. The beach itself required 500 truckloads of sand, and when another 10 to 20 were needed, the contractor Samuel Romanella donated them as his own personal contribution to the beach. Dana Burnet, at ceremonies dedicating the beach to Mr. duBois in 1960, said "He (did not) want the beach to be simply the gift of a few of our wealthier citizens though we owe a great deal to the generosity of those same citizens. But Coert wanted it to be the people's beach and the people responded. Our local industries responded; the automobile agencies and others all helped with goods or services or money, or all three. The churches helped us. So did the local unions, the fishermen, and various local fraternal, social, religious, and patriotic societies." The SVIA beach was dedicated to the memory of Coert duBois on Thursday, August 4, 1960. Barn Island Wildlife Management Area The 1,013-acre Barn Island Wildlife Management Area is the State's single largest coastal property managed for wildlife conservation. The property provides a diversity of ecoysystem and habitats including hilly uplands, agricultural/open fields, mixed hardwood forests and salt, brackish and freshwater tidal wetlands. The site is a popular hiking, wildlife observation and hunting area. Deer hunting is allowed in-season at this site. Nearly 4 miles of trails are available at this site. Hikers are reminded to exercise caution when using the site during hunting season. Stonington Ct Schools Pine Point School is a dynamic partnership of students, faculty and parents of diverse experiences committed to academic excellence. Children are actively engaged in their own learning in a caring and supportive environment. The school stresses the importance of individual accomplishment and the power of collaborative effort. Our mission is to develop in each student: an inquisitive, creative, and disciplined mind a firm foundation of core academic skills a strong sense of responsibility for community and self an appreciation for both the arts and athletics a passion for learning Where To Stay In Stonington The Inn at Stonington is a Stonington Connecticut Bed & Breakfast located directly on the waterfront in the heart of Stonington Borough. The Inn at Stonington's 18 guest rooms are all unique and the interiors are designed to provide an intimate and comfortable environment. Untouched by commercialism, this charming village is one of the few surviving New England seaside towns that has retained much of its 17th and 18th century flavor. Classic examples of Colonial, Greek Revival, and Federal architecture can be enjoyed on a stroll down any of its quiet, tree-lined streets. The newly constructed Inn at Stonington offers individually decorated rooms with fireplaces and oversized luxury baths with jacuzzis. Most rooms enjoy spectacular views of Fisher's Island Sound. Public rooms include a top floor sitting room overlooking Stonington Harbor, an intimate bar with adjoining breakfast room where we serve a continental breakfast to our guests, and a cozy living room. Our exercise room features state of the art equipment for your most strenuous workout, and bicycles and kayaks are also available to make your visit more fun. Throughout the Inn at Stonington the work of local artists are shown including nautical prints and original oil paintings. There are four delightful restaurants within a short walk of the inn. There is also a 400' deepwater dock, 12' at low water, for our guests. All rooms feature fireplaces and oversized luxurious bathrooms; most have jacuzzis. TV, phones, voice mail, modem ports and air conditioning are standard in all rooms. Thanks for visiting... Bruce Brast Your Stonington Realtor 877-855-7913 |
