Caleb Baldwin Tavern

The Caleb Baldwin Tavern is a historic house at 32 Main Street in the Newtown Borough Historic District, located in Newtown, Connecticut, United States. Built c. 1763,[2] the two-and-a-half-story house it is considered historically significant for its role in movement of French forces of Rochambeau, in which the building housed some of the army's officers in June 1781, en route to the Siege of Yorktown. It also an example of traditional 18th-century New England architecture, and retains some details from that time period.[2] It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 23, 2002.[1]

Caleb Baldwin Tavern
32 Main Street
Location32 Main St., Newtown, Connecticut
Coordinates41°24′46″N 73°18′31″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1763 (1763)
Architectural styleColonial, Federal
Part ofNewtown Borough Historic District (ID96001458)
MPSRochambeau's Army in Connecticut, 1780-1782 MPS
NRHP reference No.02000869[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 23, 2002
Designated CPDecember 20, 1996

Description and history

The former Caleb Baldwin Tavern is located in Newtown's village center on the east side of Main Street (Connecticut Route 25), a short way south of its junction with Church Hill Road (United States Route 6). It is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, with a side gable roof and shingled exterior. The roof is pierced by two brick chimneys. Its main facade is five bays wide, with sash windows arranged symmetrically around the center entrance. The entry is sheltered by a Victorian-era porch with jigsawn brackets and a spindled frieze. The entry is flanked by pilasters, which support an arched moulding an sunburst fanlight. A secondary entrance is located on the south side of the building, sheltered by a 20th-century shedroof porch. The interior follows a centerl hall plan.[2]

The tavern was built about 1763, and represents a good early example of the two-chimney center hall plan. It was one of several buildings that played host to French officers in 1781 and 1782, when the army of Rochambeau marched across Connecticut between Virginia and Providence, Rhode Island. The Baldwins are known to have hosted Claude Blanchard, Rochambeau's commissary who arrived in advance of the troops to arrange housing and supplies.[2]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Clouette, Bruce (February 1, 2001). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Caleb Baldwin Tavern". National Park Service. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
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