On your left, you’ll spot a stately three-story granite mansion, with a wide porch running along the front-trust me, all that stone and those old-school columns are tough to miss.
Welcome to the Shaw Mansion, a house with more stories than your average binge-worthy series. Picture it: 1756, Nathaniel Shaw Senior-wealthy merchant, big ambitions-hires Acadian refugees, who’d been driven out of Nova Scotia, to build him a home with serious staying power. They didn’t skimp on the granite, either. You’ve got a central hall running through the place and a mahogany staircase any ship captain would envy. The Shaws weren’t just big on granite-they were big in business, and during the American Revolution, this wasn’t just a family home; it was the headquarters for Connecticut’s naval operations. And yes, Connecticut had its own navy back then. The real money, though, came from privateers-basically legal pirates. They snagged 155 enemy ships, which meant *serious* cash. Back then, a single captured vessel might fetch a few thousand pounds-today, that could mean millions.
The revolution wasn’t all high seas adventure, though. During Benedict Arnold’s infamous raid in 1781, flames threatened the Shaws’ mansion. Local legend says a neighbor-thinking fast-doused the fire with vinegar, saving the house. Sadly, her own home didn’t survive, but people dubbed it the “vinegar house” for generations.
In 1907, the house traded hands to the New London County Historical Society, but the Shaws just…kept living there for a while. Today, the mansion holds antiques, artifacts, and a research library-a treasure chest for history buffs.
Ready for the next chapter? Joshua Hempsted House is just a 6-minute walk northwest.
