September 15 (Sunday) 10:00-4:30 State Museum Sunday Free admission
for Connecticut residents at any of the four State Museums on the
third Sunday of the month. Explore four centuries of Connecticut
history through the evolution of the Henry Whitfield House. Reverend
Henry Whitfield and his family were part of the group of English
Puritans who founded Guilford in 1639 for religious freedom. Built of
local granite and restored in the 1930s, the Whitfield House is now
Connecticut’s oldest house, New England’s oldest stone house, and
a National Historic Landmark. Historical Significance Construction of
the Whitfield House began in 1639 — the same year the Taj Mahal was
being built, three years before Isaac Newton was born, and 135 years
before the American Revolution. Through the years, the “Old Stone
House” has undergone many changes, and many families have called it
home. Since 1900, it has been owned and operated by the State of
Connecticut as a public museum. Restored by noted architects Norman
Isham and J. Frederick Kelly in the early 1900s, the house is an
important example of Colonial Revival restoration work. The site is a
State Archaeological Preserve. The Whitfield House stands not only as
a tangible link to Guilford’s Colonial English origins, but as a
testament to the generations that followed and to those who preserved
this piece of America’s history. You can explore these features on
the site: Whitfield House — Take a self-guided tour through three
floors filled with furnishings and artifacts, tour the introductory
exhibit The Old Stone House detailing the house’s history, and test
your observational skills with an educational scavenger hunt. Visitor
Center : Gift Shop – Browse a wide selection of gifts and souvenirs,
including historical reproductions, toys and games, and books for
adults and children. Tourism Information Center – Pick up brochures
and maps, learn about upcoming local events, and get answers to your
travel questions about Guilford and throughout Connecticut. Exhibit
Galleries – Explore history exhibits and hands-on activities that
change each year (included with museum admission). Research Library
– Make an appointment to research your family’s genealogy, local
history, and the 1600s. There is no charge to use the library.
Education Building — Tour history displays and try hands-on
activities in the site’s repurposed 1870s barn. Grounds — Stroll
the landscaped site that features extensive stone walls, a bronze
statue representing Henry Whitfeld, a ship’s cannon from the War of
1812, and a spur of the New England Trail that runs from Long Island
Sound in Guilford through New Hampshire.
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16/09/2019 Last update