The Gibbon House c.1730

In 1730 Nicholas Gibbon who had inherited more than 3,000 acres of land nearby, bought a 16 acre lot in Greenwich on which he built a replica of a London townhouse he had admired. The brick, fired on the property, was laid in the Flemish Bond pattern brought from Kent, England: this design is achieved by using a red stretcher and blue header producing a definite and attractive pattern. Rubbed brick is a further architectural feature, outlining each door and window opening as well as being used to emphasize the four corners of the house.

The home, appropriately furnished with products of 18th and 19th century artisans, contains a reception hall, a paneled dining room, a formal drawing room and a kitchen dominated by a huge walk-in fireplace in which demonstrations of colonial open-fire cooking are conducted. There is a small store on the back porch where post cards, gifts, and a fine collection of books and pamphlets on the history of the area may be purchased.

On the second floor, in addition to a bedroom, are exhibits of 19th century locally made, rush seated, “Ware” chairs, children’s toys, dolls, and clothing, as well as Civil War artifacts donated by local families.