Historic Buildings of Connecticut

Exploring the Nutmeg State One Building at a Time

Groton

9 West Mystic Avenue, Mystic (1889)

The Gothic Revival Cottage pictured above is located at 9 West Mystic Avenue in Mystic. It was built in 1889.

Powder Magazine, Fort Griswold (1843)

At Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park in Groton is a powder magazine. It was built in 1843 and served the fort‘s nineteenth-century river battery. The battery was paired with a larger one across the Thames River at Fort Trumbull.

Portersville Academy (1839)

Portersville Academy in Mystic was built in 1839 by the Town of Groton as its Fifth District School. Mystic was then called Portersville. It was constructed by Amos Clift (1808-1878), a local builder who also built many homes in Mystic Bridge. Originally located north of the Union Baptist Church on High Street, the building was moved in 1887 to its current address at 76 High Street, where it served as Mystic’s First Voting Hall until 1958. Portersville Academy was acquired and restored by the Mystic River Historical Society in 1975-1978. It is now open to the public as a museum.

John Heath House (1862)

At 169 High Street in Mystic is an Italianate house built in 1862. It was the home of John Heath, a carpenter and builder

Milton H. Ricker House (1869)

Update (07/03/2014): The photo above is a more recent image of the house submitted by Victor Di Paglia.

The Victorian Italianate house with a Mansard roof at 43 Pearl Street in Mystic (Groton) was built in 1869 for Milton H. Ricker, a patternmaker. Ricker was Mason. He married Lucena Baylies Murphy in 1863. (more…)

Thomas Ryley House (1859)

The Thomas Ryley House, at 44 Pearl Street in Mystic, was built in 1859. It is a Gothic Revival-style house that also has Italianate overhanging roofs with brackets.

Capt. William Clift House (1838)

At 193 High Street in Mystic stands a house that began as a Greek Revival-style three-bay gable-front home, but was much expanded in later years with large Queen Anne-style addition with a tower. The early section of the house was built in 1838 by Captain William Clift (1805-1882), a Mystic ship captain. The house stayed in the Clift family until 1918 and in 1939 it was deeded to the Mystic Home. Since 1976, it has been owned by Noank Baptist Group Homes. Called High Street House, it provides therapeutic services for six young women, ages 14-18, who are transitioning back to their families from more secure facilities.