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11/22/2022 03:52 PMThe Henry Whitfield State Museum has announced the awarding of a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service (NPS) for the historic preservation of the structure. A National Historic Landmark and Connecticut State Archaeological Preserve, the Henry Whitfield House is recognized as the oldest house in Connecticut and the oldest stone house in New England, with some claims to it being the oldest stone structure residence of European origin in the New World.
Governor Ned Lamont said in a press release that the museum is an important cultural touchstone that cultivates conversation on the founding of not only Guilford and the State but the country as a whole.
“The Henry Whitfield House is one of the oldest landmarks in New England, and its legacy serves as an historic reminder of the settlement of Connecticut as a colony and the story of how our nation was built,” Gov. Lamont said. “For more than a century, the state has been operating the house as a museum and working to preserve it so that the story of its legacy can be told for future generations. This grant will have a critical role in aiding in that preservation process. On behalf of the State of Connecticut, I thank the National Park Service for recognizing the importance of this landmark here in our state and its role in United States history.”
Museum Curator Michelle Parrish said, the funding will be a crucial component in preserving the structure, but also provide a more nuanced interpretation of how colonists, slaves, indentured servants, and indigenous peoples co-existed during a time of unprecedented cultural upheaval and change.
“The evolution of the Henry Whitfield House through nearly four centuries illustrates our nation’s complex history,” said Museum Curator, Michelle Parrish. “Its construction in the 17th century is a physical reminder of European settler colonialism and the relationship between the area’s Indigenous peoples and English colonizers. It was later the home of a British Loyalist who sold the Whitfield House to a Patriot who housed his refugee family from British-occupied Long Island during the American Revolution.”
According to State officials, the funding for the proposed preservation project will “mitigate critical threats to the building, including repointing the exterior and interior of the stone walls, improving drainage to prevent moisture and water infiltration, and replacing the antiquated and failing electrical and heating systems. The project will also update the building’s existing National Register of Historic Places nomination with a more inclusive narrative to better understand and document the relationship between the Guilford settlement and its Indigenous neighbors…This project will not only preserve the integrity, significance, and safety of this 383-year-old historic resource into its fifth century, but ensure that visitors may continue to expand their understanding of the site, its complex role in our nation’s history, how it impacts our nation’s society today.”
According to a statement from the NPS, The Henry Whitfield House Rehabilitation Project is being supported in part by a grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the NPS. The NPS awarded a total of $7 million in the inaugural round of funding for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Created by Congress in 2020, this round of grants will support 17 cultural resource preservation projects across 12 states.
First Selectman Matt Hoey said the cultural and economic benefits of the museum are an important component of Guilford’s future
“I’m thrilled that they have secured that grant to address some of the issues at the museum,” Hoey said. “I have supported this grant as have other state officials, and we think it is an important piece of cultural history, and anything we can do as a town to protect that is critical.
Staff reporter Ben Rayner contributed to this report.