Simply Ledyard CT

The Geer Hill Schoolhouse – Ledyard Photo Friday

This one room school house on Colonel Ledyard Highway was built in 1813 and according to a Ledyard Historical Society publication, stands today on the site of a “20 foot square of land” donated by the Geer Family in 1735.

Hurlbutt Road in Gales Ferry

The RE/MAX Realty Group office is located on Hurlbutt Road in the Gales Ferry section of Ledyard.  And yes, the street name has been the "butt" of a number of jokes.  The Hurlbut (with one t) family is given prominent mention in the Ledyard Historic District Commissions Bicentennial Project written in 1976. It appears that the Hurlbuts played an important part in the growth of Gales Ferry Village. John Hurlbut was a wealthy man and when he died left a pretty impressive housing inventory including his own homestead plus two other farms, and a coopers shop.  He also left an estate valued at 2376 pounds.   It was his son Ralph who decided to add the "t" to the Hurlbutt name because he "thought it finished it off".  The RE/MAX Realty Group office, built in 1929, sits on land the Hurlbutt's owned and was formerly the parsonage of the Gales Ferry Methodist Church where Ralph Hurbutt once preached.

I believe most of us with a Hurbutt street address would have preferred he not add that extra "t".  I'm not sure what Ralph was thinking.

Yale in Gales Ferry

Now the varsity quarters of the Yale Crew, this home in Gales Ferry Village was built around 1796. Since that time many additions have been added by the Yale Athletic Association. The building is used during training  for the annual Yale Harvard Regatta, America's oldest collegiate athletic competition, first held in 1852.

Morgan Pond Cemetery

Circa 1771 - Located on Sandy Hollow Road in Ledyard CT

Posted via email from lindadavis's posterous

Ledyard Up-Down Sawmill - Iron Street

The Town of Ledyard owns the 11–acre Sawmill Park, which includes a water powered up-down saw, shingle mill, blacksmith shop, a gristmill, ice harvesting equipment, and other mill artifacts of the Industrial Revolution.  The mill museum is located in an 1860 restored building.  The saw mill is operational from April-May and October-November.  The park with two-acre pond is open year round.

 

 

 

Stephen Perkins House of 1845 - Hurlbutt Road

This unassuming Greek Revival home was built in 1845 by whaling master Stephen Perkins.  Over the years, it has been owned by many old Ledyard families.

Gales Ferry Cemetery - Hurlbutt Road & Military Highway

View from my office on Hurlbutt Road in Gales Ferry.

Gales Ferry Cemetery - Hurlbutt Road

Land was purchased in 1834 for a Burying Ground on Hurlbutt Road. The Gales Ferry Cemetery Association was formed in 1884.  The cemetery,  accepted to the National Register of Historic Place, contains the graves of many of Ledyard’s earliest families including Nathan Lester.

Gales Ferry Free Public Library - Hurlbutt Road

The Gales Ferry Free Public Library was officially opened in 1921 with 1789 books.  A new library was built in 1974.  Both libraries were built with volunteer labor.

Latham A Brown House of 1875 - Riverside Place

The Latham A Brown house is now owned by Yale University and is part of their training facility for rowing races on the Thames River.  In 1878 the Yale Harvard Regatta moved to the area and Yale used this home of Latham Brown for the first time.  The race remains the oldest collegiate event in the nation and is held each year in June.