XVI. National Historic Landmarks & Site

CTMQ is Going National!
(Not Really.)

P1020768Connecticut has no national parks or national monuments. That we know.

But we do have national… Stuff. The most important of these are probably the 60 National Historic Landmarks that dot the state. But we also have a National Historic Trail and two National Scenic Trails (okay, parts of all three, but we’ll take it.) There are 8 National Natural Landmarks (more like 7.5), 2 National Scenic Byways and 2 National Heritage Areas (which is actually 2 halves of 2 areas). We also have 1 National Historic Site as well.

Quick Quiz – Name them all. (Hint: Hoang is giving the CTMQ Thumbs up at one that she actually worked on to get the designation above. That’s one.) Give up? Well, that’s why I’m here.

Note: I will not, not ever, attempt to do anything with the National Register of Historic Places places in Connecticut. My man Daniel handles most of them with aplomb.

National Historic Landmarks (61)
National Historic Site (1)

[Note: 90% of the NHL Reports will be from Wikipedia or other (actual) source material.]

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National Historic Landmarks (61)

A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Out of more than 80,000 places on the National Register, however, only about 2,430 are NHLs.

A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a historic district that is recognized as a NHL. It may include contributing properties that have buildings, structures, sites or objects, and it may include non-contributing properties.

NHLs are designated by the United States Secretary of the Interior because they are:

  • Sites where events of national historical significance occurred;
  • Places where prominent persons lived or worked;
  • Icons of ideals that shaped the nation;
  • Outstanding examples of design or construction;
  • Places characterizing a way of life; or
  • Archeological sites able to yield information.


  • Note: If you’re viewing this table on certain versions of Explorer, it looks funky. But you’re using Explorer, so that’s your problem, not mine.

    Town Property NHL Report Museum? Other?
    Canterbury Prudence Crandall House Yes Freedom, Art & Women’s Trail
    Darien Stephen Tyng Mather Home Go Here No No
    E. Granby Old Newgate Prison Yes No
    Easton Ida Tarbell House Go here No No
    Fairfield Birdcraft Museum & Sanctuary Yes US First, Women’s Tr
    Jonathan Sturges House Go Here No No
    Farmington Austin F. Williams House Go Here No Amistad Trail
    Hill-Stead Yes Art & Women’s Trail
    First Church Go Here No Amistad Tr
    Stanley-Whitman House Go Here Yes – Here No
    Glastonbury Kimberly Mansion Go Here No Freedom Trail
    Greenwich Bush-Holley House Yes Art & Women’s Tr
    Groton Nautilus Yes World First
    Guilford Henry Whitfield House Yes CT Oldest
    Hartford Coltsville Go Here Not yet Statuary & Sports
    Harriet Beecher Stowe House Yes – Here Women’s Heritage, Underground RR
    Henry Barnard House Go Here No No
    State Capitol Bldg Go Here Yes – Here No
    Old State House Go Here Yes – Here Women’s Tr
    Mark Twain House Yes No
    A. Everett Austin House Go Here No Wallace Stevens Walk
    Lebanon William Williams House No No
    John Trumbull birthplace Yes No
    Ledyard Mash. Pequot Archeological District Yes No
    Litchfield Tapping Reeve House and Law School Yes US First
    Oliver Wolcott House No No
    Litchfield Historic District Yes No
    Manchester Cheney Bros Historic District Go Here Yes (1, 2,3, 4, 5) No
    Middletown Richard Alsop IV House Go Here Yes No
    Samuel Wadsworth Russell House Go Here No Middletown Heritage Trail
    Montville Fort Shantok Arch. District Go Here No Burial Grounds
    Mystic Emma C. Berry Yes-Here No
    L.A. Dunton Yes-Here No
    Sabino Yes-Here No
    Charles W. Morgan Yes-here No
    New Canaan Philip Johnson Glass House Go Here Yes-Here New Canaan Modern Tour
    John Rogers Studio Yes No
    New Haven Grove St. Cemetery Go Here No Amistad Trail & Oldest/Tour
    Connecticut Hall Go Here No No
    NH Green Historic District Go Here Sort of – Here Fr Trail & Amistad Trail
    Lafayette B. Mendel House Go Here No No
    Yale Bowl No Sports
    Russell Henry Chittenden House Go Here No No
    James Dwight Dana House Go Here No No
    Othniel C. Marsh House Go here Yes - Sorta No
    CT Agricultural Experimental Station Go Here Yes – Sorta US First
    New London Monte Christo Cottage Yes No
    Norwalk Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Yes Women’s Tr
    Old Lyme Florence Griswold House Yes Art Trail, Women’s Tr
    Plainville Charles H. Norton House Go Here No No
    Portland Brownstone Quarries No One Day Event
    Ridgefield Frederick Remington House No No
    Scotland Samuel Huntington Birthplace Yes No
    Stonington Capt. Nathaniel Palmer House Go Here Yes – Here No
    West Hartford Noah Webster Birthplace Yes No
    Edward W. Morley House Go Here No No
    Wethersfield Buttolph Williams House Go Here Yes – Here No
    Silas Deane House Yes Women’s Tr
    Joseph Webb House Yes Women’s Tr
    Windsor Oliver Ellsworth Homestead Yes No
    Woodstock Henry C. Bowen House Yes No

    104large.jpg
    Buttolph-Williams House door knocker

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    National Historic Site (1)

    This one also throws some Nutmeggers for a loop. This is the closest thing we have to a National Park here and it’s a farm. Known for art.

    A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature that was directly associated with its subject. Derived from the Historic Sites Act of 1935, a number of historic sites were established by secretaries of the Interior, but most have been authorized by acts of Congress. At present, there are 79 national historic sites in the National Park System.

    It must be said that this list may double in the near future with the addition of the Colt Armory in Hartford. One would hope anyway… CTMQ friend Bill Hosley (and many others) have been championing this effort for many years, but our state finds other things they find more important at the present. I’ll stay on top of the effort and I believe it will come to be before too long. (I’m writing this on 12/16/2009 for the record.)

    1. Weir Farm National Historic Site, Wilton/Ridgefield
    (Also a museum and on the Art Trail.)

    One response to “XVI. National Historic Landmarks & Site”

    1. Debbie says:

      If you’re thinking of going to Roseland Cottage aka Henry Bowen house in Woodstock, check out this from the Farmers Cow:

      In honor of this event, try a FREE 3 oz cup of The Farmer’s Cow Special Edition Cottage Garden Raspberry Jasmine Ice Cream when you visit Roseland Cottage from Oct 1-15.

      Receive $1.00 OFF admission to Roseland Cottage through October 15th with this coupon.

      http://www.thefarmerscow.com/pdf/promotions/Roseland-Cottage-Coupon-2010.pdf

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