Visiting Vermont, the Home of Gen. John Strong and the Women Who Saved It

I have several times had the opportunity to drive by the impressive Gen. John Strong Mansion, and I have long wished to peek inside. That wish became reality this weekend, when I was given a tour by the outstanding Vermont Daughters who operate it as the oldest home on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain that is open to the public.

John Strong came to Vermont from Salisbury, Conn., at the age of 27 in 1765 and built a small cabin in what is now Addison. The next February, he moved his wife, Agnes, and their three small children to the new settlement. The family lived in the cabin on the shore of Lake Champlain for 12 years, encountering all the hardships common to pioneers. John received a commission as Captain in Col. Ira Allen’s Regiment in 1776, and his growing family moved to safety in Dorset as tensions escalated in the region. 

By 1795, John’s prosperity had allowed for the construction of a substantial brick home, reflecting his stature in the community and set on 360 acres rolling down to Lake Champlain. The elegance of the Strongs’ Federal-style mansion illustrates the rapid economic shift that took place in the region from the time that he had built his austere cabin. It contains a collection representing five generations of this prominent Vermont family, in rooms designed in a Georgian floor plan with wide central hall. Many of the original details and hardware remain intact; particularly fine are several fireplace mantels with molded cornices, rope moldings and dentils. Two chimneys serve six fireplaces, including the large kitchen one with a bake oven. Even the lock and key on the massive front door are original. 

The mansion became subdivided and suffered from some neglect by the early 1900s. In 1932, the Vermont Daughters rescued it and today operate it as an historic site, welcoming hundreds of visitors annually to learn more about this Revolutionary War Patriot, his family and his home.