Oliver Ellsworth Homestead
Encyclopedia
Oliver Ellsworth Homestead, also known as Elmwood, was the home of the American lawyer and politician Oliver Ellsworth
from 1782 to 1807. The house is in Windsor, Connecticut
. Ellsworth (1745–1807) helped draft the United States Constitution
, served as the third Chief Justice of the United States
and a United States Senator from Connecticut
.
The Georgian clapboarded house includes a portico with Tuscan columns supporting a gable roof and two brick chimneys near the gable ends of the wood-shinqled roof. The name Elmwood derives from the thirteen elm trees Ellsworth planted in honor of the thirteen colonies
.
Elmwood was visited by two sitting Presidents: George Washington
(on October 21, 1789) and John Adams
(October 3, 1799). The house was occupied by the Ellsworth family until 1903 when it was given to the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution
. The homestead was restored in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s and is now a museum.
The house was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1989.
Oliver Ellsworth
Oliver Ellsworth was an American lawyer and politician, a revolutionary against British rule, a drafter of the United States Constitution, and the third Chief Justice of the United States. While at the Federal Convention, Ellsworth moved to strike the word National from the motion made by Edmund...
from 1782 to 1807. The house is in Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
. Ellsworth (1745–1807) helped draft the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, served as the third Chief Justice of the United States
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
and a United States Senator from Connecticut
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...
.
The Georgian clapboarded house includes a portico with Tuscan columns supporting a gable roof and two brick chimneys near the gable ends of the wood-shinqled roof. The name Elmwood derives from the thirteen elm trees Ellsworth planted in honor of the thirteen colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
.
Elmwood was visited by two sitting Presidents: George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
(on October 21, 1789) and John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
(October 3, 1799). The house was occupied by the Ellsworth family until 1903 when it was given to the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
. The homestead was restored in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s and is now a museum.
The house was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1989.