Town greens are a piece of history that lie in many European and colonial American towns. Some are forgotten stretches of grass you may pass on your way to work. The green in Lebanon, CT is one such place. It is steeped in rich, deep history.
The Lebanon green is surrounded by historical houses and buildings including former Governor Jonathan Trumbull’s house, the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. house, the William Williams house–which is a private residence–the Dr. William Beaumont house, the Jonathan Trumbull War Office, and the First Congregational Church. All of these buildings stand alongside the mile long green, a place where French general Rochambeau marched through on the way to Yorktown.
The French stationed Armand Louis de Gontaut’s Legion with about 220 soldiers on the Lebanon green for winter quarters from November 1780 to June 1781. The soldiers for the most part were considered well behaved, but they were known for dueling and being disorderly. Armand Louis De Gontaut would later go on to compare Lebanon, CT to Siberia as there was little around aside from what he considered a few huts. Despite that, the town became known as the “heartbeat of the revolution,” thanks to the significance of the Trumbull family and their connection to George Washington.
Michael Honore Associate Editor