Wallingford's Oldest Home:
A Look Inside the
Nehemiah Royce House
Nehemiah Royce, oldest surviving son of Robert and Mary Royce, erected this saltbox house in Wallingford, Connecticut in 1672. The Royce family occupied the house for almost 200 years. George Washington visited the house twice, first in 1775 while on his way to take command of the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and again in 1789 when he gave an address to the townspeople in front of the house near the large Elm tree, which was later known as the Washington Elm.
In fact,
the Nehemiah Royce house was often referred to as the Washington Elm house in printed accounts.
The tree was felled by a storm in 1896. The exterior of the house, now located at 538 North Main Street in Wallingford, was extensively restored in 2012 thanks to a generous donation by Chuck Royce. The house is open for special events and tours by appointment through the Wallingford Historic Preservation Trust.
It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Photos courtesy of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Connecticut and Kronenberger and Sons Restoration.