Joshua Hempsted House

The 1678 Joshua Hempsted House, owned by Connecticut Landmarks, is open to the public and contains a family archive of early abolitionist papers. An 1843 letter by Mary Hempsted Bolles is among the collection, in which she challenges her church’s position on slavery. A school was established in the house by Mary’s father and among the students were several African American children, which was unusual for the period. Hempsted descendants continued to stand against slavery throughout the 19th century.

This season, Connecticut Landmarks is undertaking a significant restoration project on the upper levels of the 1678 Joshua Hempsted House. With the expertise of structural engineering company DeStefano & Chamberlain, along with the guidance of Preservation Connecticut and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), we are developing a plan to restore the structural integrity and control the moisture and pest damage within the house. Jim DeStefano and his team performed a structural assessment of the house mid-May and will be working closely with Connecticut Landmarks on this project.

For the safety of our visitors and our historic property during this work, tours of the house during regular open hours are canceled until further notice. Tours will be accommodated by appointment only, as the restoration schedule permits. Please contact Site Administrator Lynette Fisher at hempsted@ctlandmarks.org if you would like to schedule a tour.