Hale, Nathan, Homestead

About this property

The Nathan Hale Homestead is a historic home located at 2299 South Street in Coventry, Connecticut, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and was also known as Dacon Richard Hale House. Connecticut Landmarks operates the house as a late 18th-century historic house museum. As of 2011 they were working with the attorney general's office on an investigation into their alleged neglect of some of their sites and artifacts. Nathan Hale was a spy for the American Continental forces during the American Revolutionary War. A graduate of Yale, he taught school for two years, first in East Haddam, then in New London. After being captured by the British, Hale reportedly gave a speech stating that his only regret was that he had but one life to give for his country. After he was hanged, his body was not returned and was never found. There is a monument to him in a cemetery in his hometown of Coventry, Connecticut. Despite the name of the property, Nathan Hale never lived in the house that is named for him. As a child, he did live in a home that was located in the same spot. This house was razed by his parents in order to create a larger living space for the family. News of Nathan's death came when his family grew concerned for his well-being. His brother traveled from Coventry to Old Saybrook to meet with the army and inquire about Nathan's whereabouts. He was informed that Nathan had been killed and was given a trunk of his belongings. This trunk is in the house. After the Hale family, the house was sold to a series of other families who used it as a private residence, and the story of Nathan Hale became forgotten as just another story of a fallen soldier. However, a Connecticut lawyer named George Dudley Seymour became fascinated by the story while living in New Haven and was instrumental in the effort to recognize Hale's efforts. After championing the cause of erecting a statue of Nathan Hale at Yale University, Seymour learned that the farm in Coventry, which had been owned by Nathan's father, the Reverend Deacon Richard Hale, was for sale and in disrepair. He purchased the property in 1914 and restored the house to its original dignity, furnishing it with Connecticut antiques and artifacts, including Nathan's trunk. In addition, he purchased the property across the street. Named the Strong-Porter House, it was the home of Nathan's grandmother, and is also a museum and on the list of National Registered Historic Places. In a further effort to recognize Nathan Hale's sacrifice, Seymour also convinced the federal government to print a Nathan Hale postage stamp in 1925. The stamp was designed by artist Bela Lyon Pratt, who also created the statue of Nathan at Fort Nathan Hale in New Haven.

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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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