Monthly Archives: February 2015

Reminders of Benedict Arnold in his hometown of Norwich

There’s a new book to remind us of Benedict Arnold and the devastating raid he led on New London and across the river at Fort Griswold.  (Home Grown terror: Benedict Arnold and the Burning of New London, by Eric D. Lehman).

The state maintains an impressive park and museum at Fort Griswold in Groton that focuses on the battle, but 20 miles away in Norwich, where he was born, there are few reminders. Basically, there is a historic marker noting his birth site and a dead-end street bearing his name. There is no parking available there, so I’ve reproduced the marker here.

If you wish to get a feel for a period house with an Arnold connection, visit the Leffingwell House Museum at 348 Washington Street, a short distance away, where a guide will tell you both Arnold and George Washington were entertained, probably at different times. 20141107_145518 (1)

Benedict Arnold homesite