Morning journal and courier., 1890-01-31
TWO HIsrORIC MANsIoNs.
The Stories Or the AllYn and Nilei
Houses Near New london.


The stories sf the Allyn ana Niles |
Houses Near New London.
New York Times.l
Two of the oldest houses In New London
county are in the town Of Ledyard. and both
have figured in the history of the Union.
Ono 10 the Allyn homestead ct Allyn's
Point, on the Thames river, and the other
tho Rodman Niles mansion, which is situated
far hack from the banks OF the river In the
heart of the town. Both houses are In good
state Of preservation.
The Allyn house has been added to and
repaired 90 frequently that 1t bears little
trace Of its antiquity, and It's age is not
known precisely. II q said to have BEEN
built by Robert Allyn or by one Of his sons.
the middle Of the seventeenth century and
reared large family, descendants of which
are now influential in business circles In
New York and Chicago. Allyn was an
Eneliahman. There was no white settler on
the eastern shore of the Thames river be-
tween New London and Norwich at the time
he occupied the land now known as Allyn's
Point. and for time he was threatened by
the Mohegan Indians. He treated with
them, however, and eventually they became
his friends.
At the cruel massacre Of Groton Heights
In 1871, when Benedict Arnold's British
troops made their memorable sortie upon
brave Colonel Ledysrd In Fort Griswold,
number of Robert Allyn's descendants were
among the minute men In the fort. Several
of them were brutally shot down or bayo-
neted after the fort had been surrendered.
At night, after the British had gone, the
bodies of these patriots were placed In boats
and rowed up the river to Allyn's Point,
where they were laid out upon the spacious
kitchen floor Of the Allyn homestead. The
blood stains from their wounds spread over
the oaken planks indelibly. and they are
have visited the old house since the celebra-
| ton of the centennial of the massacre to see
| them.
The Niles mansion is an immense chin
neyed pile, standing alone amid huge elm
trees over mile from any human habita.
Mon. and on the edge of forest. 1t Is said
to have been erected In 1702, but it is doubt
full If the exact date can be obtained. It is
painted Its original color, the bright red that
| was 80 commonly used In New England
hundred years ago, and the rived chestnut
shingles upon Its roof and sides are still firm
| " held by wrought iron nails, which were
hammered out on Q forge near by in the
days when cut nails were unknown. The
Niles were an old family In these parts.
| Many generations of them were born and
reared in the stately old mansion. Now all
are gone, and the mansion is untenanted for
much of the year. The grave of its lest male
owner bearing the family name, Squire Rod
man Niles, is on the hillside hard by.
When Commodore Decatur's three ships
were blockaded in the Thames river during
the war of 1912 by large feet of British
vessels which lay off New London he was
compelled to Withdraw his feet up the river
tor safety. He finally moored them in a
bend of the river behind Allyn's mountain.
Subsequently, to guard them against surprise,
he built fort On the crown of tho mountain
and had the heaviest guns from his ship
| drawn up there and trained upon New Lon
| don-the direction from which the British
| chips would have to come to attack him.
While this work, which occupied many
months, was going on, Decatur was quarter
| cd for much Of the time ct the Miles mansion,
and he planned many of his strategic ma.
n0uvres there. Tradition says that the Of
hcers were charmed with the beauty of the
bellies of the neighborhood, who used to gath
OF at the Niles house, and that many balls
and merry-makings were had there. Ger
tain 1t is that when Decatur's ships were
| finally released and the officers went away,
| 1t was found that more than one of them
came back to wed the Yankee maidens.