The oldest house in Windsor is the Loomis Homestead, located on the campus of Loomis Chaffee school. The oldest part of the house is now the south ell, built by Joseph Loomis in 1640. His son, Deacon John Loomis built the main section in 1688, the year he died, possibly for his son Timothy. In the 1870s, planning began for what would become Loomis Chaffee, established by five Loomis siblings, children of Colonel James Loomis and Abigail Sherwood Chaffee, who had all lost their own children. The school’s first buildings, completed in 1913-1916, were designed to match the axis of the Loomis Homestead, several degrees off of true north. The old house itself remained in the Loomis family until Miss Jennie Loomis deeded it to the Loomis Institute in 1901. She continued to reside in the house until her death, in 1944. Then it became a residence for a member of the Loomis Chaffee School faculty and continues as a museum and memorial to the Loomis family.

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Loomis Homestead (1640)
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15 thoughts on “Loomis Homestead (1640)

  • May 3, 2014 at 9:29 am
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    What are the museum hours in June. Family wishes to visit the homestead.
    I am 9th generation granddaughter of Joseph Loomis

    Thank you

  • May 4, 2014 at 11:23 am
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    To get that information you should contact the Loomis Chaffee school.

  • March 14, 2016 at 8:54 pm
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    I am writing a book, and wanted to include the Loomis Homestead. My question is, what persentage of the house is original from the 1640 section, and from the 1788 section? Thank you for your response.

  • April 29, 2016 at 10:03 pm
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    My Great grandmother Permelia Loomis Wight is a direct descendant according to my daughter’s research.

  • January 26, 2017 at 3:26 pm
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    My sisters and I are planning a trip to CT in June or July. We are 11th great grandchildren of Joseph Loomis. We would love to visit the homestead. Can you let me know what hours it may be open in the summer? So appreciate any information you can give us.

    Thanks for your time,
    Gwen Chappell
    442 Burdick Ct
    Grand Forks ND 58203

  • March 7, 2017 at 10:36 pm
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    This is an incredible find!
    Joseph Loomis was my 10th great grandfather.

  • March 20, 2017 at 2:28 pm
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    I would really love to come and visit the house and see the property it self I want to come out this summer for a visit since I was doing my family history on Ancestery.com and I am also related to Joseph Loomis who is my 11 great grandfather on one of my side of the family on my grandfathers side of course from the St. John side my name is William Ratermann based out of Califorina and I would love to know more on him and the rest of the family then with more information please which would help then I am related through his daughter Sarah who married Richard that is the relation.

  • August 29, 2017 at 1:08 pm
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    What are the hours of visitation at the homestead? Are the grave sites there near the home? I’ll be in the area this Sunday or Monday.
    Thank you.

  • March 11, 2021 at 11:54 am
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    hey there my great uncle recently discovered that we are related to this family. i don’t know the generational details but hey some cool family history

  • March 22, 2021 at 3:15 am
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    I am confused. How can a father have built the original section of the house at one time (1640) and his SON have built the main portion of the house 148 years later (1788). I suppose if the father was, say, 20 years of age when he built the first part of the house but waited until he was 80 years of age to start a family, (sixty years would by then have passed), then his son waited until he was 88 years of age to extend the house, it could work. But is that plausible or likely, or indeed something close to how it did actually did happen?

  • September 14, 2021 at 9:33 am
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    Deacon John Loomis is my husband’s 11th Great Grandfather!

  • September 18, 2021 at 12:19 am
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    I have a loomis decendant and he needs help to get home.

  • October 16, 2021 at 6:17 pm
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    My girlfriend is a Loomis descendent. We passed by the Loomis Homestead for photos. We were curious if there was any visitation allowed, and knocked on the door. We talked very briefly to the current resident. She told us that while it is part of the college campus, it is nonetheless a private residence and not open for visitation.

  • May 26, 2023 at 4:09 am
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    It’s unbelievable that a website dedicated to historical information publishes a huge mistake and nobody noticed. It’s barely impossible for a colonial era man to rebuild, in 1788, a house built by his father in 1640, or 148 years before.

  • May 27, 2023 at 11:43 pm
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    H. Castro-
    Thank you for pointing out the typo where twelve years ago I put 1788 instead of 1688. It has been corrected.

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