It is not often that people living in a small community can take part in the preservation of its most historic house but the people of this area have that opportunity. The Stanton-Davis Homestead Museum, Inc. has embarked on its first fund raising effort and the property has something to interest most of Stonington's residents.

The corporation was formed to to protect, maintain and preserve the Stanton-Davis Homestead on Greenhaven Rd. in Pawcatuck and its artifacts, for the purpose of creating a public museum and living educational center, open to the public, dedicated to the memory of Thomas Stanton, and the Mohegan and Pequot Indians and the African Americans associated with the history of the homestead It’s location, three miles from Route One means that the house is not familiar to most Stonington residents..

Thomas Stanton left England at the age of 19 to seek his fortune in the New World. He settled in Boston. Four years later, in 1654 he came to Connecticut to set up a post at the mouth of the Pawcatuck River to trade with the Mohegan and Pequot Indian tribes. He learned the Algonquin language which made him invaluable to both Indians and the colonists who arrived about the same time. He bacame the official interpreter for Connecticut and the United Colonies of New England and he was crucial to the transfer of native lands to the settlement of Southeatern New England.

In addition to his trading and diplomatic activities, he became a legislator,county judge, and Stonington town official,all the while retaining the trust and friendship of the local Indians, most importantly of Uncas, the chief of the Mohegan tribe.Among the artifacts in the house are a peace pipe and a Mohegan war club carved from a tree root.

Stanton built the homestead, which is still standing, around 1670. It is a magnificant example of the center chimney house. It is in need of repair although some features are original including the carved bannister of the staircase which was imported from England at the time the house was built.

In 1772 the property was bought by the Davis family,relatives of the Stantons. The property is still owned by the Davises and the original 300 acre land grant is still farmed by them. This makes it the oldest continuously farmed property in the state.For those Stonington residents who love the old houses in town and their construction and preservation the Stanton-Davis Farm should be of interest,and something they would like to support.

As a farm it made a contribution to the American Revolution, functioning as a Provision Farm supplying salt hay to Washington's army. Today that area which supplies the salt hay is still known as the Continental.

One of the more fascinating things about the homestead is that is also functioned as the location of the first school in the area. A second floor bedroom served as a schoolroom.When some repairs had to be made in the 1930's several items from those days were found, including arrowheads, a leather thimble, an inkwell made of horn, a small engraved penknife, the sole of a small child's shoe, and a potato gun. Some local teachers and students have expressed interest in helping the preservation effort and it is hoped more will get involved.

But possibly the most unique artifacts in the house are the primitive drawings in the attic. When the Stantons occupied the house they owned several slaves,and they lived in the attic. This was a fairly common situation but even then there was some ambivalence about the practice because many slaves were allowed to buy their freedom. Probably the most famous of these slaves was a man called Venture Smith who may have been the one who left the drawings made with milk paint. The drawings include two of boats, fishes with what looks like a tally kept of the number of fish caught, and a picture of a pregnant woman in a long dress. Venture eventually bought his freedom and that of his wife and children, and became a entreprenour and land owner in East Haddam, Ct.. Venture left another remembrance behind, a 442 lb. rock which he is said to have picked up and carried.

These drawings are an absolute treasure and preserving them should be of interest to those who study the era of slavery.or the rest of American history.

The Homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. John "Whit" Davis, 11thgeneration descendant of the Davis and Stanton families,and owner and operator of the farm, serves as President of the corporation and Stonington Town Historian Fred Burdick and also a descendant of the Stantons is Vice President and Treasurer.