Information
Landmark: Putnam Cottage (Knapp Tavern)City: Greenwich
Country: USA Connecticut
Continent: North America
Putnam Cottage (Knapp Tavern), Greenwich, USA Connecticut, North America
Overview
Putnam Cottage, once called Knapp Tavern, is a historic house museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, known for its key role in the American Revolutionary War and for preserving the look and feel of an 18th‑century tavern and family home, right down to its worn wooden floors.It’s one of the region’s most important Revolutionary War landmarks, where visitors can step inside weathered wooden rooms and get a feel for colonial life, wartime struggles, and the area’s history.Built in the 17th or early 18th century, the place began as a private home, its windows looking out on dusty fields, before turning into a tavern that welcomed weary travelers along the Boston Post Road.The town’s most famous moment came in 1776, during the crack of muskets at the Battle of Ridgefield and the broader retreat of American forces after the British seized New York.General Israel Putnam, a hero of the Revolutionary War, is said to have slipped past British soldiers on horseback, hooves thudding on the dirt road, before ducking into a tavern-an escape that cemented the spot’s lasting place in history.The tavern kept its doors open well into the 19th century, the scent of ale still clinging to its beams, before it was finally preserved as a historic site.Putnam Cottage is a colonial-style, wood-frame building, the kind you’d see in 17th- and 18th-century New England, with weathered boards that creak underfoot.You’ll find exposed beams overhead, wide-plank floors underfoot, and a central chimney anchoring the space, all showing the solid, no-nonsense craftsmanship of the era.The building still holds onto many of its original details-worn wooden beams, hand-cut stone-giving visitors a vivid glimpse into colonial craftsmanship and daily life.The site runs as a house museum, cared for by the Putnam Cottage Association, where creaking floors still echo with the past.You’ll find period furnishings, weathered military gear, and faded documents, along with displays that bring the tavern’s Revolutionary War role to life.Educational programs dive into colonial life, explore military strategy, and trace Greenwich’s history, letting visitors imagine the creak of wooden floors and the bustle of 18th‑century daily life.Living history events, from musket-crackling reenactments to lively guided tours, make the Revolutionary era feel vivid for both kids and adults.The cottage stands as a community landmark, tying neighbors to their shared heritage and the larger tale of the American Revolution in Connecticut, where history feels as close as the creak of its old wooden floors.It’s woven into Greenwich’s historic walking tours, linking visitors to spots like Greenwich Point Park and the brick-lined streets of the old downtown.The museum offers resources for school groups, history buffs, and researchers, with hands-on activities that bring the scent of aged parchment and the weight of history to life.Today, Putnam Cottage holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, a mark of its rich history and cultural value-walls that once echoed with the creak of colonial floorboards still stand.It stands as a tribute to Connecticut’s Revolutionary War past, honoring the courage of local patriots and the area’s key role in winning independence-like the nighttime watchfires once lit along the ridge.The site draws people in with hands-on classes, careful preservation of its old brick walls, and lively seasonal events, keeping its story alive for generations to come.Putnam Cottage, once known as Knapp Tavern, keeps the Revolutionary War alive with its weathered beams and creaking floorboards, preserving colonial architecture while telling stories of heroism, strategy, and the daily routines that shaped one of America’s most transformative eras.
