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Coventry, Connecticut: Nathan Hale's Farm and a Glass Factory District

Coventry, Connecticut

Pictures from Coventry

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Nathan Hale Homestead Coventry village Coventry Lake

Coventry was settled in 1709 by about a dozen families from Massachusetts and incorporated in 1712, on land sold to Hartford men by the Native American sachem Joshua. The town takes its name from Coventry, England — chosen in October 1711, the first town in the American colonies to use it. Coventry is best known as the birthplace of Captain Nathan Hale, born on the family farm in 1755, one of eight brothers, six of whom served in the Continental Army during the Revolution. Hale trained as a schoolteacher before being recruited as an early American spy, and was captured and executed by the British in September 1776, at age twenty-one; Connecticut named him its official State Hero in 1985. Beyond farming, Coventry used its three rivers to develop manufacturing — glass flasks, cardboard boxes, and textiles — a past preserved today in the National Historic Glass Factory District and the Museum of Connecticut Glass.

  1. The 1776 farmhouse where Nathan Hale grew up, now a museum.

  2. Billed as the largest farmers' market in the state, on the Homestead grounds.

  3. Occupies the historic John Turner House; free seasonal open houses.

  4. Coventry's guarded swimming beach on Coventry Lake.

  5. A smaller, unguarded town beach on Coventry Lake.

  6. All-day breakfast and espresso drinks.

  7. Small-batch meads on a working farm property.

  8. Hand-tossed Italian thin-crust pizza.

Farm to Revolution

Coventry was settled in 1709 by about a dozen families arriving from Massachusetts and incorporated in 1712, on land sold to Hartford men by the sachem Joshua. Richard Hale bought the family farm in 1740; his son Nathan was born there in 1755, one of eight brothers, six of whom served in the Continental Army. Nathan Hale trained as a schoolteacher before being recruited as an early American spy; captured behind British lines, he was executed in September 1776 at age twenty-one and was named Connecticut's official State Hero in 1985. The farmhouse standing today, the Nathan Hale Homestead, was built the year of his execution and is now a museum. Coventry's later economy turned to manufacturing along its three rivers — glass flasks, cardboard boxes, and textiles — and the town's glassmaking past survives in the National Historic Glass Factory District, where the Museum of Connecticut Glass occupies the historic John Turner House.

Getting there

Coventry has no rail station of its own; nearly every visitor arrives by car. The main route is I-84 to Exit 77 in Vernon, then Route 31 southeast through Tolland into Coventry — Route 31 runs concurrently with US Route 44 for about a mile in town and crosses Route 275. No passenger rail serves Coventry; the nearest CTrail Hartford Line station is Hartford Union Station, roughly a half-hour drive west, and neither Metro-North's New Haven Line nor Shore Line East reaches this part of the state.

Where to eat and stay

Coventry's dining runs from Woke Breakfast & Coffee's all-day breakfast to Wicked Slice's hand-tossed pizza, with Dragonfire Meadery pouring small-batch meads from a working farm property. No hotel, inn, or B&B could be verified operating inside Coventry itself; the nearest confirmed option is the Inn on Storrs, about five minutes from the UConn campus in neighboring Mansfield Center.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Coventry?
By car — I-84 to Exit 77 in Vernon, then Route 31 southeast through Tolland into Coventry. There is no passenger rail station in Coventry; the nearest CTrail Hartford Line station is Hartford Union Station, roughly a half-hour drive west.
What is the Nathan Hale Homestead?
The 1776 farmhouse where Captain Nathan Hale grew up, on the family farm his father Richard bought in 1740. It's operated as a museum by Connecticut Landmarks, open May through October.
Where can I swim in Coventry?
Patriots Park Beach, the town's guarded beach on Coventry Lake (Lake Wangumbaug), and Lisicke Beach, a smaller unguarded beach nearby. Both open Memorial Weekend.
What is the Museum of Connecticut Glass?
A museum founded in 1994 in the historic John Turner House, within Coventry's National Historic Glass Factory District, preserving glass made by Connecticut glassworks. It holds free seasonal open houses.
Is there a hotel in Coventry?
No hotel, inn, or B&B could be verified operating inside Coventry. The nearest confirmed option is the Inn on Storrs, about five minutes from the UConn campus in neighboring Mansfield Center.

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