Woodbridge Farm

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Woodbridge Farm
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Location29, 30, and 90 Woodbridge Rd., Salem, Connecticut
Coordinates 41°27′38″N72°18′6″W / 41.46056°N 72.30167°W / 41.46056; -72.30167 Coordinates: 41°27′38″N72°18′6″W / 41.46056°N 72.30167°W / 41.46056; -72.30167
Area152 acres (62 ha)
Built1792 (1792)
Architectural styleColonial Revival, Colonial
NRHP reference # 97001467 [1]
Added to NRHPDecember 1, 1997

The Woodbridge Farm is a historic farm property on Woodbridge Road in Salem, Connecticut. The property was developed by Nathaniel Woodbridge in 1791, and it had more than 200 years of cultivation, and many decades of ownership by the Woodbridge family. The property includes an early farmstead, remade in the early 20th century into a Colonial Revival country house. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. [1]

Salem, Connecticut Town in Connecticut, United States

Salem is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,151 at the 2010 census.

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

Contents

Description and history

The Woodbridge Farm is located on southwestern Salem, on more than 150 acres (61 ha) roughly divided by Woodbridge Road between West Road and Connecticut Route 82. All but about 45 acres (18 ha) are wooded, with the open land now mostly taken up by pasture. The main farm complex is located on the north side of Woodbridge Road. A small family cemetery is located in a wooded area east of the farmstead. The farm complex includes the main house and a detached outbuilding, which combine to form a partially enclosed farmyard. The main house has a 2-1/2 story main block, with ells extending to the left and rear, both of 20th-century construction. The main block is of wood frame construction, with a gabled roof, central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. The outbuilding is anchored by a 19th-century barn, set on an even older foundation, from which a series of stables and sheds extend to the north. [2]

Connecticut Route 82 highway in Connecticut

Route 82 is an east–west state highway in Connecticut running for 28.47 miles (45.82 km) from Route 9 in Chester to Route 2 and 32 in Norwich.

The farm was established on a 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) property purchased by Samuel Browne of Salem, Massachusetts in 1700. The Brownes leased the land to tenant farmers, and never lived here. Their land was seized during the American Revolution because William Browne, Samuel's grandson, was a Loyalist who fled to England in 1776. This parcel was purchased at auction by Thomas Shaw of New London, who built the house in 1791 for his nephew, Nathaniel Woodbridge around the time of his first marriage. Sold out of the family in the mid-19th century, it was repurchased by Woodbridge's grandson, Alfred Mitchell, in 1900. The Mitchells oversaw the conversion of the main house into a country estate house, retaining most of the original features in the main house, and adding the ells. At the time of its National Register listing in 1997, the property was owned by Mitchell's daughters. [2]

Salem, Massachusetts City in Massachusetts, United States

Salem is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located in the North Shore region. It is a New England bedrock of history and is considered one of the most significant seaports in Puritan American history.

American Revolution Political upheaval, 1775–1783

The American Revolution was a colonial revolt that took place between 1765 and 1783. The American Patriots in the Thirteen Colonies won independence from Great Britain, becoming the United States of America. They defeated the British in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) in alliance with France and others.

Loyalist (American Revolution) loyalist of the American Revolution

Loyalists were American colonists who stayed loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War, often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men at the time. They were opposed by the Patriots, who supported the revolution, and called them "persons inimical to the liberties of America". Prominent Loyalists repeatedly assured the British government that many thousands of them would spring to arms and fight for the crown. The British government acted in expectation of that, especially in the southern campaigns in 1780-81. In practice, the number of Loyalists in military service was far lower than expected since Britain could not effectively protect them except in those areas where Britain had military control. The British were often suspicious of them, not knowing whom they could fully trust in such a conflicted situation; they were often looked down upon. Patriots watched suspected Loyalists very closely and would not tolerate any organized Loyalist opposition. Many outspoken or militarily active Loyalists were forced to flee, especially to their stronghold of New York City. William Franklin, the royal governor of New Jersey and son of Patriot leader Benjamin Franklin, became the leader of the Loyalists after his release from a Patriot prison in 1778. He worked to build Loyalist military units to fight in the war, but the number of volunteers was much fewer than London expected.

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut Wikimedia list article

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut.

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References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2013-11-02). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Woodbridge Farm". National Park Service . Retrieved April 19, 2018. With accompanying pictures
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