Ledyard Historic Properties

History & Architecture

This architectural and historical overview traces the development of Ledyard from settlement as the frontier of the coastal communities of first New London, then Groton, through its establishment as a separate church society and finally, its later growth as an incorporated town. The basic building blocks of the overview are the surveyed historic resources. Throughout this analysis, there has been an attempt to place these resources in the temporal contexts of state and local history and thus, by extension come to an understanding of the role of Ledyard and its people of various stages of the American experience.

A number of factors impact upon a town’s development, including the most essential, the type and quality of its natural resources. But, of special interest to the historian, is the conformance or deviation from historical norms, particularly the responses to circumstances or events that shaped the town and made it what it is today. Although it was based on the colonial cornerstones of land and family, Ledyard was not a “Peaceable Kingdom,” the idealized, highly structured and ordered community envisioned by the Puritans and so rarely achieved. In fact, in a period when religious dissent was not tolerated, Ledyard’s people were highly individualistic; dissident factions rebelled against the conformity of Connecticut Congregationalism at a very early period. It will be found that some of this deviation can be attributed to the historical patterns of scattered settlement and the clannishness of the settler families. But intricate networks of kinship obligation developed between their descendants through intermarriage, which overtime tended to bind the community together. Furthermore, Ledyard has had an unusual historical relationship with Native Americans. In most communities such a relationship, if it occurred at all, was limited to the early settlement period but here it continues to play a major role in the present day. Single events have impacted on town history as well, particularly the Battle of Groton Heights at Fort Griswold in the last staged of the Revolution. The war as a time of hardship and deprivation throughout the state, but few towns were as immediately affected and fewer still suffered the loss of so many lives. (excerpt from "A Historic and Architectural Survey of the Town of Ledyard")

The following is excerpted from the "Introduction To Ledyard"
(contained in a six volume series, Historic Ledyard, prepared by the Ledyard Historical Society)

Ledyard is a town in the southeastern part of Connecticut which, predominantly rural, is rapidly becoming suburban in character. Bordered on the west by the Thames River with its gently rolling, tree covered hills and occasional outcroppings of ledge, it stretches off to the east bordering Mystic and Stonington, and is approximately 40 square miles in area. Originally Pequot Indian territory, the first land grants to the early settlers were assigned as part of New London territory. In 1705, land on the eastern side of the Great (Pequot) River became the independent town of Groton within which the present boundaries of Ledyard existed. Early land records and legal transactions all referred to this location as Groton until 1836 when the residents of this part of the North or Second Society of Groton incorporated and took the name Ledyard. Colonel William Ledyard as the commander of the Colonial forces that died defending Fort Griswold in 1781 at the Battle of Groton Heights which claimed the lives of many local native sons.

Water and waterways were the first highways for early settlers who came to this part of New England. The larger settlements were on the shores of Long Island Sound near the mouth of the rivers at Saybrook, New Haven, and New London. The more adventurous settlers in this area moved inland by river and created Norwich. Early grants of Long Lots along the east bank of the Thames River went to men with names like Gager, Winthrop, Bayley, Allyn, Brewster, Avery, Coit, and others.

Only the Indian trails led across the country between rivers. Many of our present east-west highways follow these basic trails either by river valleys or by ridges. The Mohegan Trail led from the Mohegan territory at Fort Shantok through Ledyard southward to the Indian fishing grounds at Old Mystic, roughly following Route 117 to Spicer Hill Road over Gallup Hill to Mystic. There it met the Pequot Trail, which continued eastward into Narragansett territory. At the intersection of the Mohegan Trail and the road that led southward across Ledyard stands an old Bill store sometimes referred to as a tavern, though there is no evidence to support the title. Bill kept travelers overnight at his home across the road, which might have contributed to the tavern theory.

Religion was the heart of the early society and this section of what is now Ledyard was known as the Second or North Parish of Groton. By 1725, it had organized its own Ecclesiastical Society and immediately designated the geographical center of the parish as the site for a meeting house and two years later erection of the building was begun. The present Congregational churc building is the second on the same site, being built in 1834 and still governed by the Ecclesiastical Society.

Church Hill Road got its name from an Episcopal Church located near the old crossroads. Samuel Seabury, the first Episcopal Bishop in Connecticut, is said to have lived near the site. A Separatist Church existed on Whalehead Road and the Rogerene Quakers organized their own church in the southeastern part of Ledyard in an area that has come to be known as Quakertown.

As the meeting house was also the seat of the governmental body in early New England life, so important activities centered in the immediate area. In Leyard, a training ground was located next to the Meeting House and a Center School was built nearby. The first small white Town Hall building was near the group, across the street from the Grange Hall, which was built in 1907. The Bill Library, built in 1893, is located on “the common” near the church.

As the Center became the hub of activity, new roads and trails intersected the town at this point. The earlier homes in Ledyard were located on these arteries, accessible to traffic and trade. Early land deeds give clues to these highways for in 1669, the Mohegan Trail was referred to as the King’s Highway. In 1728, “the road” led past the Meeting House and a later road is mentioned as coming up from the Ferry past the Center to reach across to Latern Hill. This could well be the same as Stoddard’s Wharf Road, Iron Street, and Indiantown Road. The Center Groton Road led directly to the first Parish in Groton.

After religion, the early inhabitants valued education and the town was divided into as many as fourteen school districts. The names of these small one-room school houses reflect the areas they served and the families who attended - Long Cove School, Lambtown School, and Geer School are just a few.

Jonathan Whipple is remembered as an educator who succeeded in teaching language to his deaf son by oral or lip-reading method and his grandson ran a school in his own home on Colonel Ledyard Highway to educate other deaf children in this manner. This start eventually became the state owned Mystic Oral School.

When Groton was first set off in 1705, the Town Meeting Records state that “the Pine Swamp on the east side where they usually got Masts. ...(was) for the benefit of the inhabitants on both sides of the River.” In 1695, Major General Fitz John Winthrop, later to become Governor of Connecticut, was granted land at Long Cove for the special purpose of erecting a sawmill. Almost every brook and stream and dammed pond in Ledyard has the ruins of at least one mill site. Saw mills, shingle mills, grist mills, and milling in general were all part of the life of the early settlers. The mills came into existence of necessity, were used and then abandoned when there was no longer a need. An extensive series of mill sites with interesting stone work can be seen in the southeastern part of Ledyard along a brook which was dammed twice to form two mill ponds to serve a Paint Mill complex.

The fifty-three recorded cemeteries scattered throughout the town of Ledyard tell a history by themselves. Many are overgrown and often forgotten family plots, though others are cared-for family cemeteries. Two large cemeteries serve the town. The earliest marked headstone is of Lt. John Morgan who died in 1711. The Rogerene Quaker Cemetery is interesting for its unmarked and numbered stones. Mashantucket, the largest state owned Pequot Indian Burial Ground, is within the bounds of Ledyard. The many gravestones of Ledyard identify the influential men who were sea captains, whalers, Revolutionary soldiers, veterans of all the wars and the woman who bore and raised these men and kept the farms going in their absences. 
 

Below Click Street Number to View in Google Maps:

Street Number	Street	Name-Style & Date
2	Allyn Lane	Williams-Allyn House, Cape, 1803
20	Avery Hill Road	Avery Homestead, Colonial, c. 1698-1725
160	Avery Hill Road	Jacob Avery House, Cape, c. 1755
189	Avery Hill Road	Peter Avery House, Colonial/Federal, c. 1785
224	Avery Hill Road	Elisha A. Crary House, Colonial, c. 1780
1917	Center Groton Road	James Etheridge House, Cape, c. 1800
130	Christy Hill Road	Thomas M. Latham House, Cape. 1844
15	Church Hill Road	Gurdon Bill Store, 1819 (National Register, 1982)
16	Church Hill Road	Bill Parsonage, Federal, 1792/c. 1819
75	Church Hill Road	Church Hill District School, c. 1760
76	Church Hill Road	James Allyn House. Cape, c. 1800
15	Coachman Pike	Peter Williams House. Cape, 1790
392	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Whipple School, 19th-c. vernacular, 1872
397	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Jonathan Whipple House, Cape, 1760
429	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Henry Rogers House, 19th-c. vernacukarm c, 1842
528	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Deacon Russell Gallup House, Colonial/Federal, 1826 (National Register, 1987)
610	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Stephen/James Billings House, Italianate, c. 1770/1860
657	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Holdridge House, Cape, c. 1740
690	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Erastus Gallup House, Greek Revival, c. 1835
718	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Bill Library, Queen Anne, 1892
722	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Ledyard Congregational Church, Greek Revival, 1843
722	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Old Town Hall, Colonial Revival, c. 1930
827	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Trustrum Billings House, Cape. 1744
906	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Nathaniel Brown House, Cape 1722
947	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Amos Geer House, Colonial, 1769
992	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Geer Hill School, 18th century
1026	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Isaac Geer House, Cape, 1723
1032	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Joseph A. Clark House, 20th-c. venacular, c. 1910
1055	Colonel Ledyard Highway	Delano Sheldon House, 19th-c. vernacular, c. 1890
1068	Colonel Ledyard Highway	James Geer House, Greek Revival, 1846
73	Gallup Hill Road	Capt. William Morgan House, Colonial/Federal, 1784
204	Gallup Hill Road	Christopher Gallup House, Colonial, c. 1790
241	Gallup Hill Road	Lieut. Benadam Gallup House, Colonial, c/ 1730
272	Gallup Hill Road	Dwight Gallup House, Neo-Georgian/Italianate, 1876
340	Gallup Hill Road	William Noyes House, Colonial/Federal, c. 1735
6	Hurlbutt Road	Gales Ferry School, 1868
20	Hurlbutt Road	Henry Comstock House, 19th-c., vernacular, 1848
22	Hurlbutt Road	Orlando Bolles House, Greek Revival, 1947
23	Hurlbutt Road	Adelbert Alexander House, Victorian vernacular, 1899
24	Hurlbutt Road	Stephen Perkins House, Greek Revival, c. 1845
26	Hurlbutt Road	George A. Bailey House, Greek Revival, 1844
31	Hurlbutt Road	Simeon A. Bailey House, 19th-c. vernacular, 1880
32	Hurlbutt Road	Stephen Hempstead House, Cape, 1826
52	Hurlbutt Road	William Browning House, Cape, 1827
53	Hurlbutt Road	Lucy Hempstead House, Victorian Vernacular, c. 1910
54	Hurlbutt Road	John Allyn, Jr. House, Cape, 1795
55	Hurlbutt Road	Samuel Brown Store, 1899
56	Hurlbutt Road	Stephen Gray House, Greek Revival, c. 1942
57	Hurlbutt Road	John D. Bradford House, 19th-c. vernacular, c. 1950
63	Hurlbutt Road	Sarah Vincent House, Victorian Vernacular, c. 1850
64	Hurlbutt Road	Daniel Copp House, Federal 1796
153	Indiantown Road	George Andrew House, 19th-c. vernacular, c. 1820
164	Indiantown Road	Willam L. Main House, Cape, c. 1780
70	Iron Street	Enos M. Gray House, 19th-c. vernacular, c. 1850
150	Iron Street	Andrew Gallup House, Cape, c. 1809
172	Iron Street	Ledyard Sawmill, 1868
184-R	Iron Street	Avery W. Brown House, Cape, c. 1770
186	Iron Street	Nathaniel & Israel Brown House, Cape, c. 1750
229	Iron Street	Champlin J. Brown House, Cape, c.1800
47	Lambtown Road	Lamb Homestead, Colonial, c. 1720/1830 (National Register, 1991)
85	Lambtown Road	William Lamb, Jr., House, Colonial, c. 1740/1790
99	Lambtown Road	Russell Lamb House, Cape, c. 1790
151	Lambtown Road	Zachariah Crouch House, Cape, c. 1780
225	Lambtown Road	Deacon Benadam Gallup House, Cape, c. 1765
57	Lambtown Road Ext.	Aaron Lamb House, Cape, c. 1805
645	Long Cove Road	Giles Bailey Homstead, Colonial, c. 1760/1790
732	Long Cove Road	Joseph Lewis House, Cape, c. 1765
770	Long Cove Road	Moxley-Stoddard House, Greek Revivial, 1844
802	Long Cove Road	Peter & Amos Lester House, Cape, c. 1760
939	Long Cove Road	Ralph S. Stoddard House, Cape, c. 1775
981-R	Long Cove Road	Joseph Starr House, Colonial, c. 1750
986	Long Cove Road	Robinson Bailey House, Cape, c. 1790
1040	Long Cove Road	Benjamin Bill, Jr., House, Cape, c. 1781
1058	Long Cove Road	Stoddard Tenement, 19th-c. vernacular, c. 1850
1076	Long Cove Road	Grace P. Chase House, Bundalow, c. 1915
1080	Long Cove Road	George A. Bailey House (2nd). Victorian Vern., 1869
1102	Long Cove Road	Charles H. Stoddard House, Italianate, c. 1860
4	Long Pond Road South	Fanning House, Cape, c. 1770
5	Long Pond Road South	John Finegan House, Carpenter Gothic, c. 1860
2	Maple Corners Road	Alfred Rogers House, Victorian Vernavular, 1899
15	Mathewson Mill Road	John Myers House, Greek Revival, 1842
42	Mathewson Mill Road	Prentice Williams House, Cape, c. 1800
74	Mathewson Mill Road	Ezra Geer House, Italianate, c. 1850
12	Meadow Drive	John Hurbutt House, 19th-c. vernacular, c. 1850
2	Military Highway	Nellie P. DeRusha House, Bungalow, c. 1925
42	Military Highway	Wilson Allyn House, 19th-c. verrnacular, 1859
103	Military Highway	Henry S. Bisbing House, Colonial Revival, c. 1910
12	Orchard Drive	Avery-Holmberg House, Colonial/Federal, c. 1910
515	Pumpkin Hill Road	Leonard C. Smith House, Colonial/Federal, c. 1810
35	River Drive	Spencer-Stoddard House, Cape, c. 1750
2	Riverside Place	Thomas Geer House, Cape, 1796
2	Riverside Place	Capt. Latham A. Brown House, Italiante, c. 1875
2	Riverside Place	Yale Boathouse, c. 1910
3	Riverside Place	Delpine L. Fish House, 20th-c, vernacular, c. 1910
5	Riverside Place	Capt. Austin Lester House, Greek Revival, 1846
6	Riverside Place	Abel Bolles House, Cape, 1842
7	Riverside Place	Benajah Davis House, Cape, 1755
8	Riverside Place	Rebecca Bailey House, Greek Revival. 1857
11	Riverside Place	Guy C. Stoddard House, Colonial/Federal, c. 1820
12	Riverside Place	John McDougal House, Victorian Vernacular, 1903
6	Rose Hill Road	David Geer House, Colonial,/Greek Revival, c. 1785/1840
55	Rose Hill Road	David and Joseph Geer House, Colonial, c. 1795
90	Rose Hill Road	Timothy Whipple House, Cape. C. 1750
1679	Route 12	Copp-Newton House, Federal, c. 1800
1761	Route 12	Thomas Allyn House, Cape, c. 1760
1868	Route 12	Sanford B. Stoddard House, Italianate, c. 1840
170	Route 2	Ayer House, Cape, c. 1790
171-R	Route 2	Erasmus Avery House, Greek Rivival, 1833
309	Shewville Road	Charles Eldrege House, Colonial, 1773
351	Shewville Road	Stiles Crandall House, Greek Revival, c. 1840
401	Shewville Road	Capt. Joseph Gallup House, Cape, c. 1755
448	Shewville Road	Ira E. Porter House 20th-c. vernacular, c. 1914
477	Shewville Road	Nehemiah Gallup House, Cape, c. 1840
483	Shewville Road	Henry Gallup House, Colonial, c. 1750
512	Shewville Road	Seth Williams House, Colonial, c. 1780
594	Shewville Road	William Williams House, Colonial, 1803
616	Shewville Road	Schoolhouse, District #7, c. 1820
574-R	Shewville Road	Wilcox-Stanton House Cape, c. 1800
777	Shewville Road	Philip Gray, Jr., House, Cape, c. 1765
972	Shewville Road	Amos L. Latham House, Colonial, c. 1780
1004	Shewville Road	Capt. Thomas Fanning House, Cape, 1746/1789
1011	Shewville Road	Shewville Millhouse, c. 1860
18	Sleepy Hollow Pentway	Asa Perkins House, Cape. 1770
5	Spicer Hill Road	Ebenezer Brown House, Cape, c. 1740
50	Spicer Hill Road	Abel Spicer House, Cape, c. 1740
204	Spicer Hill Road	Capt. John Morgan House, Cape,c. 1720
9	Spicer Hill Road Ext.	Benjamin S. Gray House, Cape, c. 1760
116	Stoddards Wharf Road	Franklin Brewster House, Cape, 1819
128	Stoddards Wharf Road	David Chapman House, Cape, c. 1750
27	Thomas Road	Isaac G. Geer House, Victorial Vernacular, c. 1890
49	Town Farm Road	Wiliam Williams 2 House, Colonial, 1725/1836
10	Vinegar Hill Road	Elijah Newton House, Cape, c. 1770
24	Vinegar Hill Road	Capt. Mark Stoddard House, Cape, c. 1770
43	Vinegar Hill Road	Amos Lester House, Cape, c. 1800
68	Vinegar Hill Road	Capt. Elisha Satterlee House Cape, c. 1810
153	Vinegar Hill Road	Nathan Lester House, Federal/Colonial, 1793 (National Register, 1972)
14	Whalehead Road	John Chapman House, 18th-c. Vernacular, c. 1791
50	Whalehead Road	Elder Park Allyn House, Cape, c. 1755
128	Whalehead Road	Simeon A. Stoddard House, Greek Revival, c. 1840
180	Whalehead Road	Capt. Washington Avery House, Cape, c. 1780