William Ledyard commanded Fort Trumbull and Fort Griswold. On September 6, 1781, both fell to the…read moreBritish after a one hour battle. Ledyard ordered his men to stop firing and lay down their weapons. When the British asked the colonists who commanded the fort, Ledyard said he did and offered his sword to the British, who promptly stabbed him to death with it, and started a massacre of the 80 captured Americans. The marker that honors the town named after him is located in a small plaza with a bench near the entrance to the Ledyard School. It's a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The marker dates to 1976. It's front side is in very poor condition (fading and obliterated lettering), while it's reverse is in pretty good shape. The marker's full inscription reads: Settled by New London pioneers in this conquered Pequot Indian country began long the river at Allyn's Point and Poquetanuck in 1653, then spread down the indian trail to Mystic. Here at the "Center" in 1725 the precise center of that are which became Ledyard was chosen as the site for the new North Parish church of Groton and the training field of the militia was moved. On Septmeber 6, 1781 that militia supported the defender of Fort Griswold. Colonel William Ledyard, when Benedict Arnold sacked New London and Groton. One-third of those massacred came from this North Parish. Its people, recovering slowly, chose in 1836 to name their new town as a memorial to their leader. (Reverse) The first village Gales Ferry (1740) sheltered blockaded Commander Decatur from British attack during the War of 1812. For nearly 100 years (1878-1975) Yale and Harvard crews have trained there for their annual four-mile race along the Thames. Ledyard was the birthplace of: SILAS DEANE (1737-1789) - envoy to France during the Revolution SAMUEL SEABURY (1729-1796) - first Episcopal Bishop of Connecticut JONATHAN WHIPPLE (1794-1875) and ZERAH WHIPPLE (1849-1879) - Quakers, founders of the Whipple Home School for Deaf Mutes, now the Mystic Oral School Erected by the Town of Ledyard, the Ledyard Historical Society, and the Connecticut Historical Commission, 1976.

This monument, known as the Honor Roll, is dedicated to the World War One Veterans from East Lyme,…read moreCT. The East Lyme Honor Roll shares Liberty Green with another memorial dedicated to vets of WW II, Korea, and Vietnam. The World War Honor Roll's inscription reads: "Erected in honor of those who answered their country's call to serve for God and humanity in the, World War 1917 - 1918, by the citizens of the Town of East Lyme, Conn." It bears the names of 114 local vets including three that were killed in action. It's a simple gray granite monument. Over the words "Honor Roll" is an engraving of an American Eagle with two American flags and a shield with stars and stripes. The eagle is flanked by draped banners. The monument is in very good condition at a prominent high traffic corner in Niantic where Main Street (Route 156) and Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 161) intersect.

Temporarily closed because of COVID, the grounds are still open. You can walk around the exterior…read moreand get some great pictures and really, that's as much as I got for other lighthouses this year in Maine so I'm happy. Horton Point Light is a lighthouse on the north side of Eastern Long Island, New York in the hamlet of Southold. The current lighthouse was built and the tower was first lit in 1857. The site is on a bluff 60 feet above Long Island Sound. The tower was automated in 1933 and is now operational. The tower is 58 feet high with the focal plane of the light being 103 feet above sea level. The tower is white with a black lantern and a copper dome. The light has a slow green flash every ten seconds. The lighthouse was a commissioned by George Washington himself in 1790 though the land was not acquired until 1855. It is still an active aid to navigation and when it's open to the public, visitors can climb the tower. [Review 15313 overall, 815 of 2021, round number 200 in New York.]

Horton Point Lighthouse, operated by the Southold Historical Society, is an interesting diversion…read morefor an hour or so if you're in the area. The lighthouse is an operating lighthouse. There's a small local naval history museum on the ground floor open on weekends between Memorial Day and Columbus Day, staffed by volunteers who are knowledgeable, friendly, and warm. Visitors to the lighthouse may climb to the top of the lighthouse when the museum is open. Some dexterity is required to do this, including the ability to climb narrow, winding stairs, and a short ladder. Temperatures in the lantern room can exceed outside temperatures by more than several degrees. I surmise that visiting the lantern room may not be possible when the weather is extremely hot. There's a lovely pebble beach here, assessed by wooden stairs near the parking lot. Both the stairs and the beach, with large boulders strewn about, are very photo worthy. On a clear day, one may see across Long Island Sound to the shores of Connecticut. There's a set of picnic tables on the lighthouse grounds, too. Other Comments: - Waze gave us wrong directions for the last turn. A turn onto Lighthouse Road, which is the correct way to reach the lighthouse's parking lot, should have been the last instruction. Instead of doing this, Waze directed us westward past Lighthouse Road to turn onto a private road. - Parking is $5. Admission to the lighthouse is an additional $5 per individual, or $10 per family. The admission fee comes with a Southold Historical Society "Visitor's Passport," which gives the bearer one free visit to Society's Maple Lane Museum Complex. - Verizon Wireless signal here is wonky -- OK in some places, but non-existent in others. Be sure to coordinate with your group members in-person before you wander the grounds. - There are reasonably maintained men's and women's bathrooms.

9/24/22: Visit! Village of Greenport is adorable!…read more Took the Shelter Island ferry over to the '22 Maritime Festival. We boarded a replica of the Amistad ship. A narrator gave us some of the ship's history. We walked around the festival. Everyone was in a good mood. Lots of cool kiosks with a variety of goods and "Cheer" were for sale. Purchased some lovely lavender from one of the kiosks. : D We stopped where ironworks were demonstrated and beautiful rustic ironwork crafts were sold. (Please check out my pics). Lots of cute shops, pubs and restaurants in the Village of Greenport! A carousel is in the port too! Definitely would return!

Lovely seaport village with plenty of shops, restaurants and cafés…read more Visit the museum by the ferry and railroad. Take a stroll on the piers and see the old carousel. Sail your boat or take a yacht and explore Shelter Island and Sag Harbor nearby on the Peconic Bay. Best wineries and vineyards are here on the East End of New York. All very good. Enjoy!

This camera obscura is one of only 50 in the entire world, only 5 of which are in the US. It was…read moreonly a dollar per person. We waited about ten minutes outside for the people before us to come out. It was a bit cloudy when we were there and I'd love to go back on a clear, sunny day. It was still a neat experience. The educator who showed us the camera obscura was fantastic. He had lived in Greenport for decades and gave us so much history and really fleshed out the experience. It was so much cooler seeing it and hearing stories about the area. This is well worth the $1 it will cost you and would be neat for kids as well. The sign said the it was open from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. this was on a weekday. I believe they are open weekends and weekdays in the summer and only weekends the rest of the year.

There are only 5 in the US and only about 50 in the world. Historically significant and only a…read moredollar to partake. That said, prepare for an experience that lasts only a few minutes and largely depends on a cloudless sky.

We make it a habit to drive down to the Historic District in Westerly and walk around, enjoying the…read moreold building styles, stopping by the farmers market, eating in the many restaurants, strolling through Wilcox Park. This town is a wonderful reminder of the old towns New England was once filled with. The center of the historic district is the monument at the intersection of High Streets and U.S. Rt. 1, just near the Westerly Library. There is on-street parking available throughout the area. This is the place to begin your visit by walking the streets, lined with one-off store fronts, small 'mom and pop' restaurants and beautiful old architecture. It really makes a fun morning adventure. Once you have satisfied your curiosity there, follow the river south along Main Street, to the Farmers Market near the intersection of Union Street. It runs June - October, 10am - 2pm on Thursdays. Check out the state's DEM website for updated info. After picking up some farm fresh foods for lunch or dinner, follow Union Street up the hill back toward Wilcox park and there is a nice brick tower on the left. I'm not sure what the building is used for today, but from the look of the stone foundation, it's quite an old edifice. Continue straight on, across the street into Wilcox Park for a nice stroll under trees. Maybe picnic on the food you purchased at the farmers market, enjoy the magnificent old trees or sit by the pond. There are signs around the park telling the history of the area. If you live in state, try to stop by throughout the year to see it in all it's seasons. If you are visiting the state, be sure to make it one of your stops while visiting the area. Be sure to check out all the spots to visit in town here on Yelp.

Some interesting Durham history nuggets:…read more The land was bought from the "Long Swamp" Indians in 1673. One of Colonial America's earliest lending libraries was founded here in 1733. The starving troops at Valley Forge were fed by supplies carried from Durham to Pennsylvania by two oxen from Durham. Austin, Texas was named for Durham's Moses Austin. Metal toy and box factories! The wonderful Durham fair goes back to 1916. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides. It's located on a green in front of Town Hall and the library, near the intersection of Main Street and Maple Avenue. The marker was dedicated in 1979 and although the paint is in excellent condition, the marker and support posts have been whacked by something (a car or a tree limb?) and you can see a very noticeable split at the bottom of the sign. That's a shame, because there is some very cool stuff highlighted on the marker.

I just love how old some parts of Connecticut are. Take the Town of Lyme for example. The…read morehistorical marker for Lyme relates a ton of history involving the town's settlements, divisions, expansion and growth - all between the years 1663 and 1669. The marker is located on the front lawn of the Lyme Town Hall. It's a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The marker only has text on one side and a blank space on the reverse. The marker is in pretty good shape -the blue background and white lettering are fairly bright and unfaded. I did see some evidence of chipping and peeling at the top left corner. 165 CT towns down, 5 to go