Capt. Elisha Phelps House
Encyclopedia
The Captain Elisha Phelps House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, was built by David Phelps in 1711. His son Elisha Phelps received the land from his father and expanded the house in 1771. Elisha Phelps along with his brother Noah Phelps and others took part in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga
in 1775. Capt. Phelps was appointed as commissary of the Northern Department by the Continental Congress
.
The house was used as hotel named the Canal Hotel, after the war of 1812. It is located along what was the New Haven and Northampton Canal line.
, on October 17, 1737. His father David (May 7, 1710–December 9, 1760) married Abigail Pettibone (April 25, 1731–October 16, 1787) on April 25, 1731. Both families were descended from original settlers of Dorchester, Massachusetts
and five years later, Windsor, Massachusetts
, who as Puritans arrived in the New World aboard the ship Mary and John in 1630.
He died at age 43 in Albany, New York
on July 14, 1776 as the result of disease contracted from the soldiers he cared for there. After his death, the homestead passed from his widow and surviving children to his brother, Noah Phelps
and until 1962 was the property of his descendants, including Jeffrey O. Phelps.
The Phelps Tavern Museum is part of a 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) complex that includes a museum store, research archives, and period gardens. It is owned and operated by the Simsbury Historical Society.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, was built by David Phelps in 1711. His son Elisha Phelps received the land from his father and expanded the house in 1771. Elisha Phelps along with his brother Noah Phelps and others took part in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga occurred during the American Revolutionary War on May 10, 1775, when a small force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold overcame a small British garrison at the fort and looted the personal belongings of the garrison...
in 1775. Capt. Phelps was appointed as commissary of the Northern Department by the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
.
The house was used as hotel named the Canal Hotel, after the war of 1812. It is located along what was the New Haven and Northampton Canal line.
Family life
Elisha Phelps was born at Simsbury, ConnecticutSimsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...
, on October 17, 1737. His father David (May 7, 1710–December 9, 1760) married Abigail Pettibone (April 25, 1731–October 16, 1787) on April 25, 1731. Both families were descended from original settlers of Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
and five years later, Windsor, Massachusetts
Windsor, Massachusetts
Windsor is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 875 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, who as Puritans arrived in the New World aboard the ship Mary and John in 1630.
He died at age 43 in Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
on July 14, 1776 as the result of disease contracted from the soldiers he cared for there. After his death, the homestead passed from his widow and surviving children to his brother, Noah Phelps
Noah Phelps
Maj. Gen. Noah Phelps , was the son of Lt. David Phelps and Abigail Pettibone Phelps, and was descended from the English immigrant William Phelps). The family settled in Simsbury, Connecticut before 1750, and General Phelps became an active and influential man...
and until 1962 was the property of his descendants, including Jeffrey O. Phelps.
Phelps Tavern Museum
The estate is now known as The Phelps Tavern Museum. The museum uses period rooms and interactive exhibits and galleries to interpret the use of the house as an inn from 1786 to 1849. Three successive generations of the Phelps tavern-keepers are chronicled along with the social history of taverns in New England. From Masonic meetings to ordination balls, the Phelps Tavern hosted townspeople and travelers who arrived by horse, stagecoach and canal.The Phelps Tavern Museum is part of a 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) complex that includes a museum store, research archives, and period gardens. It is owned and operated by the Simsbury Historical Society.