Located at 24 Woodbine Street, the historic Porter Inn is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Naugatuck and a reminder of the community’s ties to the American Revolution. Built around 1752 by David Porter and his son Thomas, the inn originally stood closer to the Naugatuck River along the main road between New Haven and Waterbury.

After flooding of the Naugatuck River in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, the building was moved uphill to its present location. Although modernized over time, the structure has changed little in overall form and remains a recognizable historic landmark within the borough.

In the eighteenth century, inns served an important role in everyday life. They provided food, lodging, and a gathering place where travelers exchanged news. Because the Porter Inn stood along a heavily traveled route through the Naugatuck Valley, it quickly became a natural meeting place for travelers, stage drivers, and local residents. News from coastal cities often reached inland communities through these informal networks long before official reports arrived.

This role became especially important during the summer of 1779. On July 5 of that year, British forces landed at West Haven and marched into New Haven as part of a series of raids along the Connecticut coast during the Revolutionary War. As word of the invasion traveled north through the valley, the Porter Inn became a center of communication and activity.

According to local accounts, a rider hurried along the road carrying urgent news that British ships had appeared off West Haven. The message quickly spread through the Porter family and their neighbors. Thomas Porter and his son Ethel were active members of the local militia and immediately began alerting residents throughout the area. Children, family members, and servants carried warnings to nearby homes and farms as the alarm spread across the community.

The news caused panic in New Haven, where residents fled the city in wagons, on horseback, and on foot. Many traveled north toward Waterbury, passing through the Naugatuck Valley. Throughout that day and evening the Porter Inn received a steady stream of travelers and militia members. Some stopped briefly for food and information, while others remained to rest after their difficult journey.

Militia units from surrounding towns also passed through the area as they moved south to respond to the British attack. Among them was Major Phineas Porter, the innkeeper’s brother, who stopped at the inn while traveling toward New Haven with other troops. Throughout the day, the building became a place of constant activity, filled with soldiers, evacuees, and neighbors sharing news and preparing for the uncertain events ahead.

By nightfall, the inn was filled to capacity. Troopers gathered on the porch while weary travelers crowded inside. The Porter children reportedly hid some food in an attic hallway to make sure their family would have something left after feeding so many unexpected guests. By the following morning, many of the soldiers had moved on, and the refugees continued their journey north toward safety.

Local tradition later linked the Porter Inn to General George Washington’s army, and a commemorative plaque affixed to the building reflects that enduring memory of its Revolutionary-era role. While stories passed down through generations sometimes blur the line between history and legend, the events surrounding the British invasion of 1779 clearly show how this small inn became an important gathering place during a moment of crisis.

Today, the Porter Inn serves as a private residence. Thousands of vehicles pass the house each day, often without realizing that this quiet building once stood at the center of a dramatic moment in the Revolutionary War.

Source: Naugatuck Stories and Legends - William G. Leuchars