The Oliver Wolcott House is a historic colonial home in Litchfield, Connecticut

Litchfield, Connecticut

Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...

. Built in 1753 by Oliver Wolcott Sr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence

Declaration of independence

A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...

 and the Articles of Confederation

Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...

, it is the oldest house in the borough.

It was the home of the Wolcott family which furnished three generations of Connecticut governors: Roger Wolcott

Roger Wolcott (Connecticut)

Roger Wolcott was an American weaver and statesman from Windsor, Connecticut. He served as colonial governor of Connecticut from 1751 to 1754.Roger was born to Simon and Martha Wolcott in Windsor, Connecticut...

, his son Oliver Wolcott Sr., his grandson Oliver Wolcott Jr.

Oliver Wolcott, Jr.

Oliver Wolcott, Jr. was United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1795 to 1800 and the 24th Governor of Connecticut from 1817 to 1827.-Youth and education:...

. Roger Wolcott's son-in-law by his daughter Ursula, Matthew Griswold

Matthew Griswold (governor)

Matthew Griswold was the 2nd Governor of Connecticut from 1784 to 1786. He also served as Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice of the Superior Court, during the American Revolution .-Early life:...

, also served as a Connecticut governor.

Many distinguished guests visited the Wolcott House, including Lafayette and 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...

, who stayed there in 1780 during his first visit to Litchfield.
This 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 1971. It is located on South Street, nearly opposite to Wolcott Avenue. The house is not open to the public.

It is a contributing building in the Litchfield Historic District

Litchfield Historic District

Litchfield Historic District, in Litchfield, Connecticut, is a National Historic Landmark historic district designated in 1968 as a notable example of a typical late 18th century New England village...

.

See also

• List of National Historic Landmarks in Connecticut
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Litchfield County, Connecticut