Downtown in New Haven in South Central Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
Eli Whitney
Photographed by Michael Herrick, October 23, 2011
1. Eli Whitney Marker
[ west side ]
The inventor of the Cotton Gin.
Of useful science & arts the efficient
patron & improver
[ east side ]
While private affection weeps at his tomb,
his country honors his memory.
[ north side ]
Died Jan. 8, 1825
[ south side ]
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1850.
Location. 41° 18.805′ N, 72° 55.666′ W. Marker is in New Haven in South Central Region, Connecticut. It is in Downtown. It can be reached from the intersection of Grove Street and High Street, on the right when traveling north. Located in Grove Street Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 227 Grove Street, New Haven CT 06511, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Connecticut River Valley and on the Connecticut Shoreline. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Haven County and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Nathaniel William Taylor (a few steps from this marker); David Humphreys (within shouting distance of this marker); Col. Decius Wadsworth (within shouting distance of this marker); Ithiel Town
this page online
Also see . . . Eli Whitney on Wikipedia. (Submitted on November 17, 2011, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Photographed by Michael Herrick, October 23, 2011
2. Eli Whitney Marker
Photographed by Michael Herrick, October 23, 2011
3. Eli Whitney Marker
Photographed by Michael Herrick, October 23, 2011
4. Eli Whitney Marker
Photographed by Michael Herrick, October 23, 2011
5. Eli Whitney Marker
Photographed by Michael Herrick, October 23, 2011
6. Eli Whitney Marker
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, July 17, 2018
7. Eli Whitney
This detail of a 1821 portrait of Eli Whitney by Charles Bird King hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.
“Eli Whitney, the son of a Massachusetts farmer, played an instrumental role in inventing the cotton gin and in creating standardized parts for firearms. These two important developments not only impacted manufacturing in the United States but also influenced nineteenth-century American society. The cotton gin (gin is short for engine) is a device that separates cotton fibers from their seeds. Whitney fabricated the first prototype around 1792 while working as a tutor on a plantation in Georgia. Its efficiency permitted the tremendous expansion of cotton cultivation, fueling the spread of the slave system and the industrial revolution in textile production.
Because the gin was such a simple device, it was easily pirated by Southern planters and Whitney never profited from it. Almost as important was Whitney's subsequent pioneering development of a process for making muskets by having an assembly line put together standardized parts. According to family history, this portrait of Whitney was painted in the summer of 1821.” -- National Portrait Gallery
“Eli Whitney, the son of a Massachusetts farmer, played an instrumental role in inventing the cotton gin and in creating standardized parts for firearms. These two important developments not only impacted manufacturing in the United States but also influenced nineteenth-century American society. The cotton gin (gin is short for engine) is a device that separates cotton fibers from their seeds. Whitney fabricated the first prototype around 1792 while working as a tutor on a plantation in Georgia. Its efficiency permitted the tremendous expansion of cotton cultivation, fueling the spread of the slave system and the industrial revolution in textile production.
Because the gin was such a simple device, it was easily pirated by Southern planters and Whitney never profited from it. Almost as important was Whitney's subsequent pioneering development of a process for making muskets by having an assembly line put together standardized parts. According to family history, this portrait of Whitney was painted in the summer of 1821.” -- National Portrait Gallery
8. The Cotton Gin, invented by Eli Whitney
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 17, 2011, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 2,195 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 17, 2011, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. 7. submitted on July 21, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 8. submitted on November 18, 2011, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania.
