The Stanley-Whitman House dates from 1720 but incorporates earlier features typical of late-17th-century work. One of few surviving 17th- century frame houses in New England, it is a classic New England saltbox, with its typical long, sloping roof to the rear, central chimney, framed second-story overhang with pendants and diamond-paned sash windows.

 The house is currently a museum, highlighting the town’s 18th- and 19th-century history, including threeAmistad related items: a “Kitchen Directory,” stating which Mende were to perform which household tasks on certain days, a watercolor of “Josheph Cinquez” and a letter from the Mende to John Quincy Adams. Also in the museum’s collection are a canteen carved from a coconut shell (said to have been used on the Amistad) and a buttermold said to have been carved by Cinque. These items may be seen by appointment.

The Stanley-Whitman House, a National Historic Landmark, is located at 37 High St. in Farmington. The museum is open Monday-Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Tours of the house are offered May-October, Wednesday-Sunday from 12:00pm to 4:00pm and November-April on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Call 860-677-9222 or visit the house’s website for further information. The Stanley-Whitman House has also been documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey.

Credits and Sources:

National Park Service. "A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary, Amistad: Seeking Freedom in Connecticut." http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/amistad/sitelist.htm.

Photo courtesy of the Stanley-Whitman House