Nathaniel Phelps, Jr. House (1734)

The house at 192 Hope Valley Road in Hebron is a Colonial Cape built in 1734 by Lt. Nathaniel Phelps, Jr. (1703-1781) His father, Capt. Nathaniel Phelps, Sr. (1677-1746) and uncle, Timothy Phelps (1663-1729), were among the first settlers of Hebron in 1690. The area where the house was erected became known as Hopevale and today’s Hope Valley Road was called the “Highway from Hebron to Hopevale.” Among the house’s later owners were the Rebillard, Porter and Coats families.

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Leonard Kenney House (1829)

In 1829 Leonard Kenney purchased a parcel of the 1728/29 grant to the heirs of John Stoddard, one of the original proprietors of Litchfield. Soon thereafter he erected the house with the current address of 1083 Bantam Road (Route 202) in Litchfield. Leonard Kenney may be the same Leonard Kenney/Kinney who was postmaster for Bantam Falls. The house remained in the Kenney Family until 1881. It was later the home of Merritt Clarke, who sold dry goods and expanded the rear of the house for his business. Begun in 1923, Merritt Clarke’s Store is still in operation today in the house next door, at 1101 Bantam Road.

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