Nathan Hale Birthplace, Coventry Connecticut

We visited the Nathan Hale School in New London earlier in our stay here.   On our last full day here we traveled 26 miles to Coventry, Connecticut to see where this hero was born.   The house he was born in is no longer there, as the family of 12 had outgrown their 800 square foot house and had started building a bigger home in back of the original structure.   Nathan and two of his brothers joined the Army of the Revolution and went off to war.   Meanwhile his father and remaining family built the current house.   Nathan never saw it finished.

George Washington asked for volunteers to spy on the British, and 21-year-old Nathan Hale volunteered.   He had no spy training and was caught by the British on his first assignment.   As he was being hung, he said "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

The house we visited remained in the family until 1913.   A rich collector purchased the house and we have him to thank for saving this historic site.

When touring the house today, we learned about the colonial way of saving eggs over the winter.   The eggs are totally covered with lard and placed in a crock and covered with sand.   That preserved the eggs for use during the winter.

This was an interesting tour, and we totally enjoyed our guide.   She gave us an assignment since we're from Minnesota --- why is there a statue of Nathan Hale on Summit Avenue in St. Paul????