Today, there is little visible evidence of the house where the fiery abolitionist, John Brown was born. Nevertheless, the site remains a compelling place to visit and contemplate events in the life of John Brown, whose actions have so profoundly shaped the history of America.

The farm house was built in 1785 and was purchased by Owen Brown, John Brown’s father, in 1799. John Brown was born there on May 9, 1800.

The birthplace was restored to its 18th century appearance in 1901 and became one of the first house museums in Connecticut, attracting visitors from Connecticut, the nation, and foreign lands. Unfortunately, a chimney fire destroyed the home in 1918.

Since 1918, the site has been maintained as a clearing in the forest. In 1932 a granite monument was erected. Further historical recognition was secured in 1997 when the birthplace of John Brown became a Connecticut African-American Freedom Trail Site. In the year 2000, the Torrington Historical Society acquired the property in merger with the John Brown Association. Plans are now being formulated to improve visitor services and to construct interpretive trails on the property.

Directions to the site: From downtown Torrington follow CT rt 4 west toward Goshen. Turn right on University Drive following signs for the University of CT and the Freedom Trail. Approximately one mile later turn left onto John Brown Road. The birthplace is about ½ mile on the right. Visitors can park on the roadside and explore the cleared area surrounding the house foundation on the north side of the road.

Of all the sons and daughters ever born on Connecticut soil, perhaps no one has exerted a more profound impact on the nation’s history than John Brown. Born high atop the scenic hills of Torrington on May 9, 1800, the future abolitionist spent the first years of his life imbibing the stern rigors of his father’s old-line Calvinism. Though he soon moved west and for years was plagued by a series of disastrous business ventures, he never abandoned his faith. Indeed, emerging from the 2nd Great Awakening of the early decades of the 19th century as an evangelical Protestant, he eventually dedicated his life to eradicating what he deemed to be American’s greatest sin – the enslavement of human beings.

Enlisting in the burgeoning abolitionist crusade of the 1830s, Brown initially hoped that slave owners might see the error of their ways through “moral suasion.” Still, like many other abolitionists, he warned that if southerners failed to emancipate their slaves voluntarily, an angry God would reap His revenge against the nation via a bloody civil war.

When his plans to distribute guns to slaves to launch a guerrilla war failed, he was captured, tried, convicted of treason, and sentenced to death. Interestingly, Brown seemed to relish his notoriety and perhaps understood that his martyrdom might well bring the nation closer to a civil war that could end in the demise of slavery. At any rate, what is certain is that Brown’s daring actions sent shock waves throughout the country. In the North, he was hailed by many as a hero and Ralph Waldo Emerson predicted that Brown “would make the gallows as glorious as the cross.” In the South, however, he was viewed by most as a typical abolitionist who wanted nothing less than a major slave insurrection. In all, John Brown was indeed “the meteor” who succeeded in polarizing emotions and elevating southern anxieties into a “crisis of fear” that set the stage for the impending Civil War.