Elisha Phelps
Encyclopedia
Elisha Phelps was a United States Representative from Connecticut
. He was the son of Noah Phelps
and father of John Smith Phelps who was a United States Representative from Missouri
. He was born in Simsbury, Connecticut
. In 1800, he was graduated from Yale College
and from Litchfield Law School
. He was admitted to the bar in 1803 and began practice in Simsbury.
Phelps was member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
in 1807, 1812, and 1814-1818. He was elected as a Democratic-Republican
to the Sixteenth Congress (March 4, 1819-March 3, 1821). He was again a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1821 and served as speaker. He served in the Connecticut Senate
1822-1824 and was elected as an Adams
candidate to the Nineteenth and Twentieth Congresses (March 4, 1825-March 3, 1829). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1828. After leaving Congress, he was Connecticut comptroller 1831-1837 and again a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1829 and 1835 and served as speaker in 1829. He was appointed a commissioner to revise and codify the state laws in 1835.
Phelps died in Simsbury in 1847 and was buried in Hop Meadow Cemetery.
His home, which he built in 1820, has been renamed the Amos Eno House
, after a subsequent owner. It still stands in Simsbury and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. He was the son of Noah Phelps
Noah Phelps
Maj. Gen. Noah Phelps , was the son of Lt. David Phelps and Abigail Pettibone Phelps, and was descended from the English immigrant William Phelps). The family settled in Simsbury, Connecticut before 1750, and General Phelps became an active and influential man...
and father of John Smith Phelps who was a United States Representative from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He was born in Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...
. In 1800, he was graduated from Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
and from Litchfield Law School
Litchfield Law School
The Litchfield Law School of Litchfield, Connecticut, was the first formal school offering training for the legal profession in the United States. It was established in 1784 by Tapping Reeve, who would later became the Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court...
. He was admitted to the bar in 1803 and began practice in Simsbury.
Phelps was member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
in 1807, 1812, and 1814-1818. He was elected as a Democratic-Republican
Democratic-Republican Party (United States)
The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along...
to the Sixteenth Congress (March 4, 1819-March 3, 1821). He was again a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1821 and served as speaker. He served in the Connecticut Senate
Connecticut Senate
The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 94,600 inhabitants. Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits...
1822-1824 and was elected as an Adams
National Republican Party (United States)
The National Republicans were a political party in the United States. During the administration of John Quincy Adams , the president's supporters were referred to as Adams Men or Anti-Jackson. When Andrew Jackson was elected President of the United States in 1828, this group went into opposition...
candidate to the Nineteenth and Twentieth Congresses (March 4, 1825-March 3, 1829). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1828. After leaving Congress, he was Connecticut comptroller 1831-1837 and again a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1829 and 1835 and served as speaker in 1829. He was appointed a commissioner to revise and codify the state laws in 1835.
Phelps died in Simsbury in 1847 and was buried in Hop Meadow Cemetery.
His home, which he built in 1820, has been renamed the Amos Eno House
Amos Eno House
The Amos Eno House is a historic home in Simsbury, Connecticut. It is also known as the 1820 House.-Prior to Amos Eno:The house was built in 1822 by Elisha Phelps, who was given the land by his father, Noah. Noah Phelps was a graduate of Yale University, a lawyer and a judge. The first floor...
, after a subsequent owner. It still stands in Simsbury and is on the National Register of Historic Places.