Pawcatuck in Stonington in Southeastern Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)

Stonington

Photographed by Michael Herrick, August 26, 2013

1. Stonington Marker

Inscription. Stonington This coastline of Pequot Indian country was first mapped by Adriaen Block from Holland in 1614. The first settlers in 1649 were William and Anna Chesebrough at Wequetequock Cove. The next year Thomas Stanton built a trading post on the Pawcatuck River. Two years later came Walter Palmer, Thomas Miner, and Captain George Denison. John Gallup and Robert Park settled in the Mystic area soon afterwards. In 1658 Massachusetts claimed the town, naming it Southerton. Governor John Winthrop, Jr. obtained the Connecticut Charter from England in 1662, which set the boundaries of the town. It was renamed Mystic in 1665 and Stonington in 1666. Men of Stonington repulsed a British naval attack on the town, both in 1775 and in 1814. The old trades of shipbuilding, whaling, sealing, and the railroad-steamboat terminal have been replaced by light manufacturing and commercial fishing. Today, Stonington’s past maritime glory is reflected in the relics of her Mystic Seaport and Old Lighthouse Museum.
Erected by the Town of Stonington
the Stonington Historical Society
and the Connecticut Historical Commission
1978

Erected 1978

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by the Town of Stonington, the Stonington Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1614.

Location. 41° 21.369′ N, 71° 52.986′ W. Marker is in Stonington in Southeastern Region, Connecticut. It is in Pawcatuck. It is on Stonington Road (U.S. 1) half a mile north of Elm Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pawcatuck CT 06379, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Connecticut Shoreline,

in Greater New London, in Mystic and the Eastern Shore,

and in the Thames River Valley.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in New England,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 London County

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Photographed by Michael Herrick, August 26, 2013

2. Stonington Marker

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Stonington Founders Monument (approx. 0.4 miles away); Wequetequock Burial Ground (approx. 0.4 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.4 miles away); World War I Memorial (approx. 1.4 miles away); Stonington Community Garden (approx. 1½ miles away); John W. Richmond (approx. 1½ miles away); Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House (approx. 1.6 miles away); Stonington Land Battery (approx. 1.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stonington.

Also see . . . Stonington, Connecticut on Wikipedia. (Submitted on September 1, 2013, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)

Old Lighthouse Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Herrick, August 27, 2013

3. Old Lighthouse Museum

Stonington Harbor Lighthouse
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976
(this building does not have a marker)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2013, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 1,470 times since then and 126 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 1, 2013, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.