COLLECTIONS
FURNITURE
North Stonington had a thriving cabinet-making industry in the 1700's and 1800's, centered around the Shunock River. New London County had its own unique style: This highboy, donated by Elizabeth Haddad, is a fine example.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
This Gale piano was owned by the Wheelers, a family of merchants whose entrepeneurship in the 1800's kept over 600 weavers employed. George Wheeler lived in the Homestead, and Dudley Wheeler was instrumental in supplying the Horace Babcock Dye House, which sat on their property. (Babcock owned the building but the Wheelers owned the land under it.). Income from their stores and weaving allowed them to decorate their home with elegant pieces like the Gale piano.
CLOCKS
In the 1800's Connecticut was home to some of the most famous clock makers in the world. The Historical Society owns and displays several colonial and federal period clocks.
AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS
North Stonington farms and natural resources fueled the early industrial age, providing wood and wool for cabinet and cloth making. By the end of the Civil War, factory based industries moved from small mill towns like ours to larger cities like New London, and the dairy industry became the main industry in North Stonington.
ARTWORK
With their paintings, drawings and photography, Harriet Main Greene (daughter of Stephen Main) and her son Fredrick Stewart Greene created a treasure trove of images of the countryside in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Their work is on display throughout the Homestead.
