Noah Webster House

The Noah Webster House, probably built c. 1748, is the restored birthplace and childhood home of the great lexicographer, Noah Webster. The house, once part of a 120-acre farm, was continuously occupied until it was given to the town of West Hartford in 1962. Through the promotion of education, laws, human rights, and language, Noah Webster helped to create a national identity for a fledgling nation. Though he accomplished much more during his life, Webster is best remembered for authoring two of America’s most influential books, the Blue Back Speller and the American Dictionary.

Museum visitors tour the house with costumed guides and may participate in some hands-on activities, such as flax processing for linen production and wool carding. Visitors will also see early editions of Webster's Dictionary of the American Language and Blue-backed Spellers, as well as china, glassware, a desk, and two clocks that Webster owned as an adult.The Noah Webster House provokes and cultivates an interest in history by telling stories of West Hartford and its residents. Centered in the birthplace of Noah Webster and inspired by his spirit of discovery, we help adults and children create meaning from the past through participatory experiences and access to historical materials.