Our History
Ridgefield, Connecticut -- About Our Town
Ridgefield is a town filled with history. Therefore, you may be interested in some of the sights along our Main Street.
Main Street: During the Revolutionary war this street was the battlefield on which General Wooster and General Benedict Arnold distinguished themselves.
The First Congregational Church: The church was first gathered in 1712 and was established on the Village Green. The Green was then located at what is now the head of Branchville Road. The First and Second Meeting Houses were used until the congregation decided to forego the much needed repairs to the Second Meeting House in favor of constructing a new building on the corner lot where it sits today. In 1888 worship services began being held there.
The main building was fashioned from granite blocks quarried here in town. The architect designed the church after a small village church he had seen in Italy. Its architectural style is mainly Romanesque Revival with some Victorian embellishment. The Tower houses the clock and steeple bells; and the 55 sanctuary windows still have the original glass. The five stained glass windows at the rear of the choir loft are known as the Children’s Windows and are part of the original construction.
The Fountain: Cass Gilbert, an architect noted for the design of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., presented this marble fountain to the town of Ridgefield.
Keeler Tavern: Built as a private home in 1773, it was converted to a tavern in 1799 and became a major stopover for carriages traveling from New York. It is the oldest continually maintained Colonial museum in Connecticut and boasts, in its side wall, a cannonball which remains from a battle in 1777 during which the British army attempted to burn down the tavern.
The Whipping Post: Though no sign marks the site, the old village whipping post used to be at the right fork of Branchville Road, where it joins Main Street.
Hawley House: Just beyond the intersection of Branchville Road and Main Street sits the Hawley house. Built in 1713 and owned originally by the Reverend Thomas Hawley, the first minister of The First Congregational Church. It is noteworthy as well, because it is the oldest house in Ridgefield.
The Aldrich Museum: The Aldrich is a world-class museum featuring works of contemporary artists, housed in a post- Revolutionary Colonial building. Behind the Museum there is a permanent sculpture garden.
Lounsbury House (Ridgefield Community Center): Connecticut’s governor, Phineas Lounsbury, constructed this mansion in 1896. He lived there until 1925. The House is a replica of the Connecticut House shown at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The House has 21 rooms and 10 fireplaces. It originally required a staff of 26, who lived in four other houses on the estate. In addition to these structures, the grounds included gardens, a greenhouse, orchards and a windmill. The bell on the front lawn was taken from a Confederate scrap metal collection and was originally marked "this bell is to be melted into a cannon - may it kill a thousand Yankees". In 1953 the town acquired the property which is now maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers.
Please enjoy our town...
Links to Ridgefield web sites: