National Historic Landmark

Kimberly Mansion

Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut
Listed
September 16, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74002178

About this property

The Kimberly Mansion is a historic house at 1625 Main Street in Glastonbury, Connecticut, United States. It was the home of Abby and Julia Evelina Smith, political activists involved in causes including abolitionism and women's suffrage. By contesting the assessment on their property and protesting against "taxation without representation," they brought international attention to the cause of women's rights. The Smith family hosted abolitionist meetings and lectures in their home and on their lawn. They collected signatures for an anti-slavery petition and sent it to former president John Quincy Adams to present to Congress. The motto of our government is 'Proclaim liberty to all inhabitants of the land!' and here, where liberty is so highly extolled and glorified by every man in it, one-half of the inhabitants are not put under her laws, but are ruled over by the other half, who can take all they possess. How is Liberty pleased with such worship? The town responded by seizing their Alderney cows, auctioning them off and attempting to auction their farm as well. The sisters were able to buy the cows back and fought the town in court, ultimately winning. The case brought wide national attention to the sisters, their cows and the cause of women's suffrage. The sisters came from an accomplished and nonconformist family. The sisters' parents were Zephaniah Smith, a lawyer and former Sandemanian minister, and Hannah Hickok, an amateur mathematician and poet. There were three other sisters: Hancy, an inventor; Laurilla, an artist and Cyrinthia, a poet. Julia also knew classical languages and in 1855, she finished the first complete translation of the Bible into English by a woman. She published the translation herself in 1876 as an example of the accomplishments that women are capable of. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974 for its association with the Smith sisters and its role in their protest. The large wooden two-story farmhouse was built in the early 18th century by the Connecticut politician Eleazer Kimberly. Zephaniah Smith bought the house in 1790. List of National Historic Landmarks in Connecticut National Register of Historic Places listings in Hartford County, Connecticut

Location

1625 Main St.
Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut
41.68954, -72.60659

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

South Glastonbury Historic District Boundary Increase
Listed
0.8 mi
Glastonbury Historic District
Listed
1 mi
Williams, J. B., Co. Historic District
Listed
1 mi
South Glastonbury Historic District
Listed
1.2 mi
Welles-Shipman-Ward House
Industrial
1.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Kimberly Mansion listed on the National Register?

Kimberly Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 16, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Kimberly Mansion?

Kimberly Mansion is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Kimberly Mansion a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Kimberly Mansion has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Kimberly Mansion?

The period of significance for Kimberly Mansion is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Kimberly Mansion?

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