Andover Connecticut was our next stop in the Great New England Road Trip. Russ was having a mini family reunion there with his cousins, one of whom I hadn’t met yet. We stayed at his cousin’s home, which backed up to the Nathan Hale Homestead and state forest. After socializing, we decided on the spur of the moment to visit the homestead.
Because we hadn’t planned our trip well, the homestead museum was closed, but the grounds were open. Nathan Hale, Connecticut’s State Hero, was born on the property in 1755. After working as a schoolteacher, he was recruited as a Patriot spy but was caught and hanged by the British in 1776. He’s known for uttering his famous last words: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Statues of Hale stand in the Connecticut state capitol, at Yale University, the headquarters of the CIA, and more.
Hale’s dark maroon Georgian-style home has remained intact. If we had been able to go inside, we would have seen that it is furnished with family possessions and other period antiques. As it was, we wandered the grounds and enjoyed soaking up the colonial ambiance. It was easy to imagine a young Nathan frolicking in the nearby forest and working in the family fields.
Not far down the road we found a museum that was open. The Strong-Porter House was built by Nathan Hale’s great-uncle and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the same dark maroon as the Hale homestead. The oldest part of the saltbox-style house dates from 1710 and admission is free. The museum is open Sundays during summer and fall.
The helpful docent showed us the dining room, which was filled with historical information about the importance of taverns in colonial times. We found this of keen interest because we planned to visit a historic tavern that’s associated with my ancestors the next day. (Synchronicity!)
The home’s floorboards were much wider than usual, a testament to the huge trees they were made from. The main parlor has exposed beams, wide paneled wainscoting, and a fireplace cupboard that suggests a much larger chimney once stood there.
We left with a greater appreciation for the basic comforts and hardships people must have experienced during the early years of our country.
Next up: Theodore Parker Church and the Parker Tavern in Massachusetts
For previous posts about our New England trip, view:
Marie's Meanderings 
How wonderful that these historical homesteads still exit. Thanks for the photos and historical tidbits.
Thanks for reading, Diana, and happy Thanksgiving!
Now you’ve started me off an a new trail of historical discovery!
I learned a bit about Nathan Hale in school but would like to learn more, too!
New England is a great region. And a few of its states are relatively lightly populated, which in some ways is a very good thing.
It’s easy in the Midwest to forget all that history sometimes. I’m so glad we were able to make this trip.
So much history in that area. How lucky learn more about taverns before going to the one associated with your family. Thanks for pointing out those floorboards—amazing!
So true, Eilene! I realized I never explained the whole thing about the importance of taverns, but I’ll have a chance to do that in my next post. Happy Thanksgiving!
Fascinating!
“Because we hadn’t planned our trip well” …. ?!? Everything is as it should be, my friend. Feel free to say this back to me at any time. Or…If I could turn back time. Glad you had opportunities to peel back some layers.
Thanks, Sharon. By that trip-planning comment, I meant we hadn’t planned in advance to visit those sites. Our main goal was to visit Russ’s relatives and the homesteads were just a side benefit. But things did work out just fine, I guess!
This is the type of museum I love to visit.
The East Coast seems to have a lot of these museums — so much history!