National Register of Historic Places

Leffingwell Inn

Norwichtown, New London County, Connecticut
Listed
December 28, 1970
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
70000728

About this property

The Leffingwell Inn (now known as Leffingwell House Museum) is a historic inn at 348 Washington Street in the Norwichtown section of Norwich, Connecticut. It is one of Connecticut's oldest buildings, built around 1675, and was an important meeting place during the American Revolutionary War. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. The Leffingwell Inn is located just south of the junction of Town and Washington Streets, at the southern end of the Norwichtown area. It is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, built in stages in the 17th and 18th centuries. The northeastern corner dates to 1675 and was built by Stephen Backus. The Inn was founded by Thomas Leffingwell 2nd, the son of Norwich co-founder Thomas Leffingwell. It was altered and expanded several times over the next century until it reached its present configuration. It is a roughly square structure with two main facades and long sloping roof lines along the other two facades, as if two saltbox houses had been joined at a corner. It has many features dating primarily to the 18th century, including casement windows, wooden paneling, and several kitchen hearths. Most of the architectural features of the house are the handiwork of Benajah and Christopher Leffingwell, who made the most significant alterations and additions in the 18th century. Christopher operated the inn and also established Norwich's first paper mill and a stocking factory. The inn is historically important as a meeting point during the American Revolutionary War. It is now a museum property owned by a local historical society. National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut List of Washington's Headquarters during the Revolutionary War Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. CT-245, "Thomas Leffingwell Inn, 348 Washington Street, Norwichtown, New London County, CT", 10 photos, 13 data pages, supplemental material

Location

348 Washington St.
Norwichtown, New London County, Connecticut
41.54232, -72.08758

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
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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Nearby Historic Sites

East District School
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Lathrop, Dr. Joshua, House
Colonial
0.3 mi
Norwichtown Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Huntington, Gen. Jedidiah, House
Colonial
0.6 mi
Huntington, Gov. Samuel, House
Colonial
0.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Mohegan-Pequot Ancestral Conflicts
1400Pre-Columbian
0.6 mi
Mohegan-Pequot Relations and Uncas 1643
1643Colonial
0.8 mi
Pequot War - Battle of Weinshauks 1637
1637Colonial
10.6 mi
Mystic Fort Massacre (Pequot War)
1637Colonial
11.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Leffingwell Inn listed on the National Register?

Leffingwell Inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 28, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Leffingwell Inn?

Leffingwell Inn is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Leffingwell Inn?

The period of significance for Leffingwell Inn is recorded as the industrial era.

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