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Yes! George Washington did sleep here on the second of his three visits to New London. On his first visit to New London, he was an officer in the British Army. The second time, when he stayed at the Shaw Mansion, he was commanding Americans who had taken up arms against the British. The bed he slept in is no longer in the mansion, but the table he ate at is. The mansion also served as Connecticut's Naval Office during the Revolution. The house was built for Captain Nathaniel Shaw, a wealthy shipowner and trader. There are lovely grounds and period gardens. An 1780 Gazebo stands at a high point and just below it is an old root cellar. The house is open to the public for tours Wednesday to Friday & Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm and on Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Members free. Nonmember $5. In addition to antiques, paintings, clothing, and period pieces, the mansion contains extensive genealogical records and is open to researchers by appointment. Nonmembers $15. |
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| The New London County Historical Society publishes historical documents and books. In 1999, it published, in a new edition of The Diary of Joshua Hempstead, A Daily Record of Life in Colonial New London, Connecticut, 1. 760 pages. US$75. The Society first published the diary in 1901. To read the introduction to this original edition Click Here. It provides a fascinating account of daily life in Colonial America. Because Joshua kept track of marriages, births, and deaths, it is an excellent source of genealogical data. Joshua was an active man: a judge, a farmer, a surveyor, a shipwright, a carpenter, a town official, a stonecutter. He raised nine children of his own and two grandsons after their father, Joshua's oldest son, died. For most of that time, he was a single parent. His beloved wife died in 1716, after the birth of their ninth child. Their eldest son also died that year. |
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The Oldham Publishing Service 11 Plant Street New London, CT 06320 Send check or money order for US$75 plus $5.00 for shipping. OR CLICK HERE to purchase on line with credit card |