Governor Samuel Huntington Trust, Inc.

The Governor Samuel Huntington Trust is dedicated to preserving, restoring, and interpreting the birthplace of Samuel Huntington in Scotland, CT. Huntington was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, President of the Continental Congress, President of the United States under the ratified Articles of Confederation, and Governor of the State of Connecticut. Because of his achievements, the property was designated a National Historic Landmark house and site in 1972.

Description:
Our goal is to serve a national audience of all ages and interests. We hope to create an experiential interactive museum that will present opportunities to discover the life of Samuel Huntington, the Huntington family as pioneer settlers in the region, the role of Eastern Connecticut in the politics and economy of the Revolutionary War era and Native American habitation and culture. Through this particular narrative of the house and its occupants, the social, agricultural and cultural history of the region are discovered. This is to be presented with integrity and professionalism through engaging, honest and innovative programs that educate, inform and entertain visitors.
The Gov. Samuel Huntington Trust is organized not for profit under the Non-Stock Corporation Act, Chapter 500 of the CT General Statutes and has been granted a 501(c)(3)status by the Dept. of Internal Revenue Services. Our Board of Directors, made up entirely of volunteers, may seat up to eleven (11) Directors and are elected by the members.

History:
In September of 1994 a concerned group of area residents formed to create the Gov. Samuel Huntington Trust, Inc. for the purpose of raising money to purchase the house from the Town of Scotland. The Town had agreed to hold the house and 4.6 acres for a period of two years allowing the residents to organize and raise the purchase price of $150,000.
In Dec. 1995 the CT Historical Commission awarded the Trust a matching funds grant of $50,000 as reimbursement provided the Trust first purchased the house. With the aid of Sen. Christopher Dodd, the Mohegan Tribe of CT and its financial backers, and David Chase of Chase Enterprises in Hartford, the necessary funds were raised. The Norwich Savings Society provided an $80,000 mortgage loan, interest-free for 15 months, and the Trust made up the balance.
After two years of operation, and a completion of studies and research projects, definitive state support was received as a result of Lieutenant Governor Jodi Rell's endorsement and support of the initiative, to obtain a $300,00 grant from the Bond Commission to cover much-needed preservation work and site expansion. An additional 8.3 acres has been acquired since then to allow for the proper development of the museum. In addition we have been awarded matching grants from the CT Humanities Council, the National Park Service, and the Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor.

Contact people:

Richard Seckla, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email) Channing Huntington, Secretary, (phone), (email) Kevin Ring, Vice-President, (phone), (email)

Address:

36 Huntington Road (Route 14); P.O. Box 231 Scotland, CT 06264 (See a map)

Directions:

From Hartford, take R84 East to R384. Follow R384 to R6 in Bolton. Follow R6 to the blinking light in Columbia, then continue straight to R66 and continue through Willimantic. At the east end of Main St.,. . . (more)   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: None. We are rural!   Nearest Bus Stop: Willimantic, CT, N/A minute walk For maps or information, please see http://www.cttransit.com/