Joshua Hempstead House
Encyclopedia
The Joshua Hempsted House, built in 1678, is a frame building in New London, Connecticut
, and is one of New England’s oldest and best-documented dwellings. Joshua Hempsted lived here his whole life, filling many roles, including farmer, judge, gravestone carver, shipwright, and father of nine children left motherless by his wife’s death in 1716. As a boy, Joshua lived in the house with his parents and 7 sisters. As a young husband and father, he shared the house with Abigail and their 9 children. Later in life, he was joined by enslaved African-American, Adam Jackson, some of his children, hired helpers, and 2 grandsons whom he raised. Joshua kept a diary for nearly 50 years prior to his own death in 1758. It is full of sometimes meaty, sometimes mundane, details of daily life in colonial Connecticut.
The frame house reflects an English medieval style of building with its steeply pitched side gable roof, massive central chimney and cross gables; (the diamond-paned windows are reproductions). A major addition was added in 1728 for Joshua’s son, Nathaniel and his family. It is more modern in style with different shingles and sash windows. The house is furnished with a multitude of colonial artifacts. After Connecticut Landmarks acquired the house in 1942, a major restoration of the house was done using both structural evidence and Joshua’s diary for guidance .
, including:
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, and is one of New England’s oldest and best-documented dwellings. Joshua Hempsted lived here his whole life, filling many roles, including farmer, judge, gravestone carver, shipwright, and father of nine children left motherless by his wife’s death in 1716. As a boy, Joshua lived in the house with his parents and 7 sisters. As a young husband and father, he shared the house with Abigail and their 9 children. Later in life, he was joined by enslaved African-American, Adam Jackson, some of his children, hired helpers, and 2 grandsons whom he raised. Joshua kept a diary for nearly 50 years prior to his own death in 1758. It is full of sometimes meaty, sometimes mundane, details of daily life in colonial Connecticut.
The frame house reflects an English medieval style of building with its steeply pitched side gable roof, massive central chimney and cross gables; (the diamond-paned windows are reproductions). A major addition was added in 1728 for Joshua’s son, Nathaniel and his family. It is more modern in style with different shingles and sash windows. The house is furnished with a multitude of colonial artifacts. After Connecticut Landmarks acquired the house in 1942, a major restoration of the house was done using both structural evidence and Joshua’s diary for guidance .
Connecticut Landmark other museums
Connecticut Landmarks also operates other historic house museumsHistoric house museums
A historic house museum is a house that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home...
, including:
- Amasa Day HouseAmasa Day HouseThe Amasa Day House is a property in Moodus, Connecticut that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.It was built or has other significance in 1816 and 1878.It includes Federal architecture in a standard fashion...
in MoodusMoodus, ConnecticutMoodus is a census-designated place in East Haddam, a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,263 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... - Bellamy-Ferriday House and GardenBellamy-Ferriday House and GardenBellamy-Ferriday House and Garden is a historic house on Main Street North and West Street in Bethlehem, Connecticut. It was built in 1760 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982....
in BethlehemBethlehem, ConnecticutBethlehem is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census. The town center was designated in the 2000 census as a census-designated place .... - Butler-McCook House & GardenButler-McCook HomesteadThe Butler-McCook Homestead was built in 1782. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.The house was in one family for two hundred years, and is also notable for gardens designed by Jacob weideman....
in HartfordHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making... - Buttolph-Williams HouseButtolph-Williams HouseButtolph-Williams House, built in 1711, is one of the oldest surviving homes in Wethersfield, Connecticut. This early 18th century house is built in the traditional style of the Puritan settlers. The house has diamond-paned casement windows and weathered and blackened clapboards...
in WethersfieldWethersfield, ConnecticutWethersfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Many records from colonial times spell the name Weathersfield, while Native Americans called it Pyquag... - Isham-Terry House in HartfordHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
- Nathan Hale HomesteadNathan Hale HomesteadThe Nathan Hale Homestead is a historic home located at 2299 South Street in Coventry, Connecticut. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and was also known as Deacon Richard Hale House.-Nathan Hale:...
in CoventryCoventry, ConnecticutCoventry is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 11,504 at the 2000 census. The birthplace of Captain Nathan Hale, Coventry is home to the Nathan Hale Homestead, which is now a museum open to the public.... - Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden in SuffieldSuffield, ConnecticutSuffield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It had once been within the boundaries of Massachusetts. The town is located in the Connecticut River Valley with the town of Enfield neighboring to the east. In 1900, 3,521 people lived in Suffield; and in 1910, 3,841. As of the...
External links
- Hempsted Houses - Connecticut Landmarks