Ethos

Lebanon, Connecticut: Heartbeat of the Revolution

Lebanon, Connecticut

Pictures from Lebanon

See all 3 photos →
Lebanon Green Wadsworth Stable Governor Jonathan Trumbull House

Lebanon was incorporated by the Connecticut General Assembly on October 10, 1700, on land granted to Major John Mason in 1664; it was the first town in the colony given a Biblical name, chosen by a son of Rev. James Fitch for the height of the land and a cedar forest. Jonathan Trumbull, the only sitting colonial governor to take up the Patriot cause at the war's outbreak, held more than 500 of the Council of Safety's 1,000-plus meetings in his Lebanon War Office, earning the town the label "Heartbeat of the Revolution." At least 677 Lebanon men served in the militia and Continental Army — over half the adult male population — and about 220 hussars of Lauzun's Legion camped on the green from November 1780 to June 1781. William Williams, Trumbull's son-in-law, signed the Declaration of Independence here in 1776. Eleazar Wheelock preached in Lebanon from 1735 to 1770 before founding Dartmouth College.

  1. Lebanon's history from the Paleo-Indian era to the 1990s.

  2. A National Historic Landmark run by the Connecticut DAR.

  3. Home of Washington's military secretary and future House Speaker.

  4. A mile-long green, one of the nation's largest.

  5. A 50-mile rail-trail crossing Lebanon.

  6. A 114-acre nonprofit animal sanctuary with ticketed visits.

  7. Burgers, ribs and a Mexican menu on Trumbull Highway.

  8. A deli counter steps from the Trumbull House.

A mile-long green and a Council of Safety

Lebanon's mile-long town green is one of the largest in the nation and the only one still partially used for agriculture; it is ringed by a 20th-century reconstruction of the 1804-1809 meetinghouse (destroyed in the 1938 hurricane), the Revolutionary War Office, and the homes of the Trumbull family. George Washington reviewed Lauzun's French cavalry during a Lebanon stopover on March 4-5, 1781, likely lodging at Jonathan Trumbull Jr.'s house. Lebanon is also the birthplace of Dr. William Beaumont, the Army surgeon known as the "father of gastric physiology" for his studies of human digestion; his father Samuel's circa-1790 house survives as a restored museum. By 1725 Lebanon already had sawmills, gristmills, tanners and coopers, and by 1756 its 3,274 residents made it the sixth-largest town in the colony.

Getting there

Lebanon is a car-trip town with no station of its own: most visitors exit CT Route 2, the Hartford-to-Norwich expressway that clips the town between Colchester and Bozrah, and follow Route 207 or Route 87 (Trumbull Highway) into the town center, roughly 20 miles east of Hartford and 20 miles north of New London. The nearest CTrail service is Shore Line East, whose eastern terminus, New London, is about 20 miles south; the CTrail Hartford Line reaches Hartford, about 20 miles west, from New Haven and Springfield.

Museums on the green and where to eat

The Lebanon Historical Society Museum & Visitors Center, open year-round Wednesday through Saturday, traces the town from its Paleo-Indian site to the 1990s and includes a hands-on Revolution gallery. The Governor Jonathan Trumbull House & Wadsworth Stable, a National Historic Landmark run by the Connecticut DAR, opens on the second Saturday of each month through November, while the Historical Society's Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House Museum opens Fridays and Saturdays through early October. Blue Iris Farm, a 114-acre nonprofit animal sanctuary, offers ticketed day visits and retreats rather than overnight stays. For food, Roberto's Log Cabin serves burgers, ribs and a Mexican menu on Trumbull Highway, and the Lebanon Green Store, a two-tenths-of-a-mile walk from the Trumbull House, is the closest deli-sandwich stop to the historic sites.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Lebanon?
By car — exit Route 2 and follow Route 207 or Route 87 (Trumbull Highway) into the town center. There is no passenger rail station in Lebanon; the nearest CTrail service is Shore Line East at New London, about 20 miles south, or the Hartford Line at Hartford, about 20 miles west.
Is there a train to Lebanon?
No. No CTrail, Shore Line East, Metro-North or Amtrak line serves the town.
What is the Lebanon Green?
A mile-long green, one of the largest in the nation and the only one still partially used for agriculture, ringed by the Revolutionary War Office, the Trumbull family homes and a reconstruction of the 1804-1809 meetinghouse. About 220 hussars of Lauzun's Legion camped just west of it from November 1780 to June 1781.
Is there a hotel in Lebanon?
No hotel, inn or bed and breakfast could be verified in Lebanon. The nearest lodging is The Spa at Norwich Inn, about 15 miles southeast.
What museums are on the Lebanon Green?
The Lebanon Historical Society Museum, the Governor Jonathan Trumbull House & Wadsworth Stable, and the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House Museum — all within walking distance of each other, with seasonal weekend and Friday-Saturday hours.

Some booking links on this page earn Ethos a commission at no extra cost to you.

Connected pages

Nearby

Same region