Ebenezer Avery House

Last updated

Ebenezer Avery House
Ebenezer Avery House
Established1975
Location57 Fort Street, Groton, Connecticut
Coordinates 41°21′16″N72°04′53″W / 41.35436°N 72.08149°W / 41.35436; -72.08149
TypeHistoric house museum
Website www.averymemorialassociation.com

The Ebenezer Avery House was originally located on Latham Street and Thames Street in Groton, Connecticut. The construction date is unknown, but it is believed to be from the 1760s and was the house of Ebenezer Avery. It was the home where the British brought their injured soldiers after the Battle of Groton Heights on September 6, 1781. In 1971, the house was moved to Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park in Groton and restored. The historic house museum is maintained by the Avery Memorial Association.

Contents

History

The Ebenezer Avery House is a 10-room house constructed around the 1760s. It was owned by Ensign Ebenezer Avery. [1] [2] It was originally located on Latham Street and Thames Street in Groton, Connecticut. [2] Avery was a tailor who answered the call for battle on September 6, 1781 and went to defend Fort Griswold from British attack. The Battle of Groton Heights ended with the American defeat and the death of Lieutenant Colonel William Ledyard. It resulted in nearly 100 families being left homeless. [2] [3]

Part of the Ebenezer Avery House history is how it came to be used after the battle while its owner was absent. [2] Some of the wounded from the battle were taken prisoner—those unable to walk, including Stephen Hempstead—and placed on a wagon with others to be taken down to the fleet. The British soldiers allowed the wagon to run down the hill, where it stopped when it struck a tree, throwing some of the men off the wagon and aggravating their injuries. [4]

The wounded were set upon the beach in preparation for the boat trip to New York, but Ebenezer Ledyard, the brother of William Ledyard, offered himself as hostage. [3] The British took the wounded to Ebenezer Avery's house and placed Ebenezer Avery and other wounded inside and had them "parolled". The house was later set on fire with the men inside and "with difficulty extinguished". [3] In the battle, Avery was shot in the neck "which cut the cords, and left him senseless as one of the dead." [3] Hempstead said that 35 men had been laid upon the floor and the British left them, unattended and uncovered, until Dr. Downer and Dr. Prentiss arrived. Ebenezer Avery recovered but lost his hearing, and he continued to live in the house until his death on January 11, 1828 at age 81. [3] The blood stains were still visible at the time of the centennial of the battle in 1881, but no longer are present. [5] In 1896, the Thomas Starr Society placed a memorial tablet on the site. [6]

Move and restoration

In 1970, the Ebenezer Avery House was in danger of being torn down to construct apartments and R. Stanton Avery purchased it [7] [8] with the intention of turning it over to the Avery Memorial Association. [9] Architect Edwin Park assessed the house as in need of extensive reconstruction, and the association discussed the plan to move it to Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. [9] The association held a meeting on July 24, 1971 to discuss the movement plan which involved disassembling and reassembling the house at its new location. The project to move the house was a shared cost between R. Stanton Avery and the Avery Memorial Association. [8] By the 1972 meeting, the total cost of the relocation was $43,000 and the act provoked interest from the State of Connecticut. [10] The house was donated to the State of Connecticut for use as a historic house museum. [7]

In 1973, the association debated over the sale of land to cover costs of restoring and maintaining the Ebenezer Avery House. [11] The total cost of the move was listed at $80,000, and the intention was to have enough income generated by interest to cover the cost of the house. [11] In May 1975, the Ebenezer Avery House was opened after being restored to its "original condition" and filled with period items, including Lieutenant Ebenezer Avery's sword, a cousin of Ensign Ebenezer Avery killed in the Battle of Groton Heights. [2] According to Leary, bricks from the Fitz-John Winthrop house in Bluff Point State Park were reclaimed and used to reconstruct the chimney of the Ebenezer Avery House. [12] Fitz-John Winthrop's house was a 16 room mansion that fell into disrepair before being destroyed by a fire in 1962. [12]

The Ebenezer Avery House is opened from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New London, Connecticut</span> City in Connecticut, United States

New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. The city is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ledyard, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

Ledyard is a Town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, located along the Thames River. The town is named after Colonel William Ledyard, a Revolutionary War officer who was killed at the Battle of Groton Heights. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 15,413 at the 2020 census. The Foxwoods Resort Casino, owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, is located in the northeastern section of Ledyard, on the reservation owned by the tribe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groton, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

Groton is a town in New London County, Connecticut located on the Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The Naval Submarine Base New London is located in Groton, and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer is also a major employer. Avery Point in Groton is home to a regional campus of the University of Connecticut. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 38,411 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Groton Heights</span> Battle of the American Revolutionary War 1781

The Battle of Groton Heights was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 6, 1781 between a small Connecticut militia force led by Lieutenant Colonel William Ledyard and the more numerous British forces led by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold and Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Eyre.

Avery House may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Trumbull</span> United States historic place

Fort Trumbull is a fort near the mouth of the Thames River on Long Island Sound in New London, Connecticut and named for Governor Jonathan Trumbull. The original fort was built in 1777, but the present fortification was built between 1839 and 1852. The site lies adjacent to the Coast Guard Station New London and is managed as the 16-acre Fort Trumbull State Park by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Griswold</span> United States historic place

Fort Griswold is a former American defensive fortification in Groton, Connecticut named after Deputy Governor Matthew Griswold. The fort played a key role in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, in correspondence with Fort Trumbull on the opposite side of the Thames River. Griswold defended the port of New London, Connecticut, a supply center for the Continental Army and friendly port for Connecticut-based privateers who targeted British shipping. The 17-acre site is maintained as Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Route 12</span> State highway in Connecticut, US

Connecticut Route 12 is a state highway that runs between Groton and the state line in Thompson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Ledyard</span> American military officer (1738–1781)

Lieutenant-Colonel William Ledyard was an American military officer who served in the Connecticut Militia in the Revolutionary War. During the conflict, he commanded Fort Griswold in Groton, Connecticut, which was successfully attacked by British forces led by Benedict Arnold. In the battle, the fort was overrun by the British, and Ledyard surrendered his sword to an Loyalist officer, who immediately killed him with it.

The 54th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Dorsetshire Regiment in 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Avery (American colonist)</span>

James Avery, also referred to as Captain James Avery, was a Cornish-American landowner, legislator, and a military captain in King Philip's War. He is commonly known to be the founder of a clan or family, commonly known as the "Groton Avery's". Although he was born in Cornwall in 1620, he grew up and lived in the Massachusetts Bay for the majority of his life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perkins-Bill House</span> Historic house in Connecticut, United States

The Perkins-Bill House is a historic house at 1040 Long Cove Road in the Gales Ferry section of Ledyard, Connecticut. Built circa 1775 by Solomon Perkins, Sr., it is locally significant as a well-preserved gambrel-roofed Cape of the period, and for the role played by Perkins, his son Solomon, Jr., and Benjamin Bill, Jr., the house's next owner, in the American Revolutionary War. All three were defenders of the fort in Groton that was attacked by British forces under the overall command of Benedict Arnold in the 1781 Battle of Groton Heights. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Lambert (Lambo) Latham was a black hero during the American Revolutionary War at the battle at Fort Griswold in Groton, Connecticut on September 6, 1781. After his commander, Colonel William Ledyard, was killed, Latham continued to fight and was stabbed 33 times by British soldiers. Latham died of his wounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groton Monument</span> Granite monument in Groton, Connecticut

The Groton Monument, sometimes called the Fort Griswold Monument, is a granite monument in Groton, Connecticut. It is dedicated to the defenders who fell during the Battle of Groton Heights on September 6, 1781. The monument was originally 127 feet (39 m) high, but it was changed in 1881 to commemorate the centennial of the Battle of Groton Heights; the cupola was removed and replaced by an iron-capped pyramid in emulation of the Bunker Hill Monument. The Groton monument bears a plaque describing the events of the Battle of Groton Heights, and another plaque with the names of the Americans who died in the battle. Lightning destroyed the capstone in 1918 and damaged the adjacent Monument House Museum which features exhibits about the Revolutionary War. Visitors can climb the monument and visit the museum from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Groton Monument is located in Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, which includes Fort Griswold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groton Bank Historic District</span> Historic district in Connecticut, United States

The Groton Bank Historic District, commonly known as Groton Heights, is a primarily residential 50-acre (20 ha) historic district in the City of Groton in Connecticut. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avery Homestead</span> Historic house in Connecticut, United States

The Avery Homestead is a two-story Colonial-style home in Ledyard, Connecticut that was built circa 1696. Evidence suggests that the house may have begun as a single-story, one-room house and later expanded to a two-story, two-room house by 1726. The house underwent major additions and renovations by Theophilus Avery and later his grandson, Theophilus Avery. In the mid-1950s, Amos Avery began a decade-long restoration effort to return the house to its 18th-century appearance. The Avery Homestead is historically significant as a well-preserved example of an 18th-century farmhouse with fine craftsmanship. The home is also historically important because more than twelve generations of the Avery family have resided there over the course of three centuries. The Avery Homestead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopeville Pond State Park</span> Park in Griswold, Connecticut, US

Hopeville Pond State Park is a public recreation area located on Hopeville Pond, an impoundment of the Pachaug River, in the town of Griswold, Connecticut. A portion of the 554-acre (224 ha) state park occupies the site of the lost village of Hopeville. The park manager's house occupies Avery House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park offers fishing, swimming, camping, and trails for hiking and biking. It is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluff Point State Park</span> State park in New London County, Connecticut

Bluff Point State Park is a public recreation area and nature preserve on an undeveloped peninsula located between the Poquonnock River and Mumford Cove on Long Island Sound in the town of Groton, Connecticut. The state park's 806 acres (326 ha) encompass a barrier beach, steep cliffs, forested sections, and tidal wetlands; 778 acres (315 ha) are designated as a coastal reserve. Recreational opportunities include hiking, mountain biking, boating, saltwater fishing, and shell fishing. The park is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haley Farm State Park</span> Public recreation area in Groton, US

Haley Farm State Park is a public recreation area that preserves Colonial-era farmland as open space in the town of Groton, Connecticut. The site of the state park once formed part of the lands granted to Governor John Winthrop and later became a dairy farm. The park's 267 acres (108 ha) are connected to the adjacent Bluff Point State Park by way of a pedestrian bridge over railroad tracks. Park activities are restricted to bicycling and walking. The park is managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The Avery Memorial Association of Groton, CT is a family organization founded in 1895 after the burning of the old Avery Homestead. It was incorporated as a non-profit institution in 1896.

References

  1. 1 2 Goodman, Mary. "The Ebenezer Avery House in Groton, CT". Avery Memorial Association. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Kimball, Carol (10 June 1975). "Avery House welcomes visitors at state park". The Day. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Randall, Willard Sterne (1990). Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor . William Morrow and Inc. p.  589. ISBN   978-0-7607-1272-6. OCLC   136936465.
  4. ↑ Allyn, Charles (1999) [1882]. Battle of Groton Heights: September 6, 1781. New London: Seaport Autographs. ISBN   978-0-9672626-1-1. OCLC   45702866.
  5. ↑ "Ensign Ebenezer Avery House". The Day. 28 July 1988. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  6. ↑ "(Untitled)". The Washington Post (Washington, District of Columbia). 15 April 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Avery House Takes Shape". The Day. 23 June 1972. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Association Will Discuss Avery House Restoration". The Day. 7 July 1971. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Ebenezer Avery House Restoration Discussed". The Day. 22 July 1970. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  10. ↑ "Avery Association Meets". The Day. 22 July 1972. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Association Considers Sale Of Acre For Park". The Day. 26 July 1973. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  12. 1 2 Leary, Joseph (2004). A Shared Landscape: A Guide & History of Connecticut's State Parks & Forests. Friends of the Connecticut State Parks, Inc. p. 20. ISBN   0974662909.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.