CT Trails Day Walking Tour: Historic Hempsted District

Part of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s CT Trails Day. Free. Join us for a walking tour of the Hempstead Historic District, one of New London’s first African-American neighborhoods. The walk, sponsored by the Hempsted Houses, leaves at 2 p.m. from the National Register site at 11 Hempstead St. It will take about 90 minutes. Hear the stories of the people who lived in this neighborhood and explore how this diverse area evolved. The neighborhood grew up around the Joshua Hempsted House, built in 1678. Residents have included slaveholders, civic leaders, abolitionists, a Revolutionary War hero and at least two enslaved people. Stay afterward for cookies, lemonade and a chance to talk more about the area.