Ebenezer Avery House Receives Connecticut Humanities Grant

The Avery Memorial Association Nonprofit received a grant for $1,246 from Connecticut Humanities to provide greater access to the Ebenezer Avery House located at Fort Griswold. As an historic home built circa 1750, the house is not easily accessible to visitors with limited mobility. There is no elevator to the second floor and the doorways are fairly narrow, making the home difficult to navigate. The grant money from Connecticut Humanities will allow the Avery Memorial Association to remodel a first floor room into a media room that will offer a virtual tour of the house. The new media room will include full color photo books of the entire house showcasing the rooms and specific artifacts important to the history and tour, and a new laptop computer where guests can view a video of the tour and a PowerPoint presentation of photos of the home. The grant money will also allow the AMA to rewrite the artifact labels throughout the house using a larger font size and highlighting important pieces of the collection. As the site of the last successful British invasion of American soil during the American Revolution, Fort Griswold and the Ebenezer Avery House are an important part of local and national history. For the 2013 season the Ebenezer Avery House will be showcasing a new exhibit, “Samplers of the Avery Women,” featuring newly restored sampler textiles created by Avery women between the late 1700s and the mid-1800s. The House will also host performances by Joseph Potter, Colonial American Magician. The Ebenezer Avery House is located at 57 Fort Street, Groton, CT and is open to the public from Memorial Day through Labor Day on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from noon until 4:00 p.m. Guided tours are also available throughout the year by appointment by calling 860-446-9257 or emailing sglantiere@aol.com. For further information, please call 860-446-9257 or go to http://www.averymemorialassociation.com/ebavery.htm Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is a non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that funds, creates and collaborates on hundreds of cultural programs across Connecticut each year. Connecticut Humanities brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to express, share and explore ideas in thoughtful and productive ways. From local discussion groups to major exhibitions on important historical events, CTH programs engage, enlighten and educate. Learn more by visiting www.cthumanities.org. Founded in 1895, the Avery Memorial Association documents the history of the Groton Avery Clan, preserves all family records and artifacts for future descendents, and educates the public about the historical significance of the Avery family. The AMA operates the Ebenezer Avery House, built by Parke Avery circa 1750 and located at Fort Griswold. After the Battle of Groton Heights on September 6, 1781 the house was used as a makeshift hospital for wounded American soldiers.