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Bringing Him Home LbNA #63386

Owner:Dulcimer Dame
Plant date:Oct 23, 2012
Location:
City:Coventry
County:Tolland
State:Connecticut
Boxes:2
Found by: Connecticut Croaker
Last found:Jul 6, 2023
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Oct 23, 2012
Find the Coventry Memorial Green at the south end of Coventry Lake, and locate the statue of Nathan Hale. In conjunction with Coventry’s 300th birthday, on a Saturday afternoon in September, 2012, the unveiling of this statue finally “brought Nathan home” to Coventry.
From your position facing the statue, turn left and follow the sidewalk past the Rochambeau memorial , turn left and cross High Street. On this plot of land there have been three churches since 1715. Nathan Hale and his family would have attended the first First Congregational Church here facing the lake, and the second one built in 1769.

In 1849 when a group of people from the church moved down the hill to establish a new congregation called the "Village Church," the ones left behind in the old church building lifted the building off its foundation and turned it 90 degrees so that it faced the Green. State Archaeologist Nick Bellantoni and others determined the exact placement of that building in September of this year (2012). That building was used by First Congregational Church until 1869 when they merged with the Village Church and moved down the hill to the current building. The meeting house on the hill, burned to the ground in 1897.

As you look towards the stone wall, notice a row of trees growing about 5 feet from the wall. Walk to the midway point between the two largest trees in this row, and look towards the wall for a medium size, almost perfect rectangular shaped rock. Under this rectangle, hidden behind a small dark triangle, you will find our State hero, Nathan Hale. You only need to move this triangle to find this box.

Walk (or drive) north to the end of the street (towards the lake). Turn right and you can see ahead, on the left, the obelisk honoring Nathan Hale. Go into this cemetery and take you first right to the end of the cul-de-sac. Turn right and walk ½ way to the 2nd large tree. Three rows of gravestones to your right, you can visit the Hale family graves. The graves of the Hale brothers who fought in the Revolutionary War, and the cenotaph for Nathan and Richard are marked with flags.

Walk back to the main road and follow it toward the back of the cemetery. Stop at the “Contemplation Area” sign. Turn left and walk along the narrow walkway between the walls. Turn right after Dimock and go to the fenced in area. Have a seat on the bench and enjoy a quiet time looking out over the lake. This area was kept open for years in the hopes that Nathan Hale’s remains would someday be returned to Coventry.

When you are ready, return to the entrance to the cemetery and read about the monument. Then turn ½ way around and walk to the stone wall. Look right for a 2 sister hickory tree. Between the tree and the gravestone (or footstone) you will find your obelisk.