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Before a chimney fire destroyed John Brown's
birthplace in 1918, the house near Torrington, Conn., was quite the tourist attraction. Visitors often posed for photos in front of the late-18th century dwelling, and postcards of the 2 1/2-story building were sold throughout the country. As you can see in the video below that I shot last week, the site is a little less popular today -- I was the only soul on the property in the forest clearing just off John Brown Road. Only foundation stones remain for the house and a small outbuilding nearby; in the middle of the foundation outline, you'll find a large block of granite with Brown's birthdate -- May 9, 1800 -- carved in the center. The 40-acre site is owned today by the
Torrington (Conn.) Historical Society, which has added an interpretive marker for a trail that winds through the woods behind Brown's birthplace.
I volunteered as a living historian and as a member of the USMC Historical Company at HFNHP portraying a private of Marines attired in the 1852 fatigue uniform (worn from 1839 to 1859) and am armed with an authentic M1842 Springfield .69 caliber smoothbore musket and 18" bayonet used by the Corps at the time. I am a native of nearby Charles Town, Jefferson County, WV (where Brown was tried and then executed). I also served our Corps from 1967-1971 with a tour in South Vietnam. If you would like to read the United States Marine Corps - Historical Company's narrative on this event from the Marine Corps’ point of view, please contact me at tmdunne48@gmail.com. Semper Fi!
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