The War Office is now owned by the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and is opened to the public on Sat. and Sun. 1:30-4:30pm Memorial Day through Labor Day. The SAR sign near the road states it was built circa 1727 for Captain Joseph Trumbull. He intended the structure as a retail/wholesale store. He and son Jonathan established a very lucrative business there making them one of the wealthiest families in Colonial Connecticut. Being involved in every aspect of business from grist mill to ship building the Trumbulls were well known in Connecticut, throughout the country and even the world because they did business with many countries and had their own ships.

Eventually credit problems came to plague Jonathan. Educated at Harvard he was always active in politics as well as commerce. In spite of his financial situation he was voted governor in 1769. When war broke out he continued to serve the people of Connecticut as their governor. In all the other colonies the governor was a Tory sympatherizer and left for Nova Scotia, England or were detained by the patriots. Each colony united militarily under the title of The Council of Safety. He called the Connecticut Council of Safety meetings in his store in Lebanon instead of Hartford because it was safer and he could accomplish more in the purchase and distribution of war goods. Washington relied heavily on Trumbull's capable ability to procure badly needed supplies. He refered to the governor as "Brother Jonathan". Consequently the store became known as the War Office.

For the inquiring historian it can be proven Jonathan's life was interlocked with the great personalities of his day. Washington, Rochambeau, LaFayette, and the list goes on, were known to meet with the governor in the War Office in Lebanon. Up on a hill, it had the advantage of giving a view far and wide of the whole country side. If the British were coming it would hardly be a secret.

The building has a large stone fireplace in the center of the one room. Furnishings are appropriate for the period but it doesn't give the impression it was used for trade as well as a meeting place.

We brought flashlights because we would be guiding people through at night and candlelight was considered dangerous with the crowds. There are no electric lights in the house. It was a unique experience. We felt like we were living there. People came with children and they didn't really want to leave. The children thought there were ghosts in the house because it is so old.

The house is a plain colonial dwelling and has a central chimney and a central staircase. The rooms are parcially panelled and not oversized like Redwood. Furnishings are of the period. Some excellent information about the family geneology and an old map of the layout of Lebanon is in the governor's office upstairs.

Jonathan inherited the house from his father in 1755. He and his father had significantly prospered in trade and were one of the wealthiest families in Connecticut. The house was built in 1735-1736 for Joseph Trumbull, Jonathan's father. John Trumbull the famous Revolutionary War artist and youngest son of Jonathan and Faith Robinson Trumbull, was born in the house. In a book written by the artist in 1841, he explains how involved their lives were with Washington, Jefferson, Rouchambeau, LaFayette and many other prominent persons of that era.

Jonathan was the only governor of a colony in America who was not a Tory sympathizer and continued to be governor before, during and after the war. His store (very near the house during his occupancy but now nearby) had a large turnover of trade, both retail and wholesale, and then it became a meeting place for the Connecticut Council of Safety beginning on June 7, 1775. Over 500 meetings were held there so it became known as the War Office.

In his book, son John explained hard times hit the family business when he was eight or nine years of age (around 1765) but John, like his older brothers, was well educated at Harvard in spite of hard times. Many famous Americans overextended themselves during that era (Jefferson for one) and lived on the verge of bankruptcy.

Always interested and involved in politics, Jonathan became governor in 1769 and remained in that position until 1784. He died the following year.

Some years ago our DAR chapter was host for lunch to a touring group from France who were decended from the French who fought in our Revolution. I had the honor of meeting descendants of Rouchambeau and LaFayette in the front parlor of that house.

The house is open for tours Tuesday through Saturday 1-5pm and Sunday by appointment.