The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route

Let’s Rochambeau!
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail

Connecticut has parts of two National Historic Trails. This one and part of The Shaker National Historic Trail up in Enfield.

While the Shaker trail is contained in a very small area, the W3R NHT essentially traverses the entirety of Connecticut east to west. The effort to identify and commemorate this trail, which travels from Massachusetts down the coast through Washington, DC and Virginia (as well as a water trail), has been on ongoing effort for many years.

The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, October 19, 1781 by Connecticut’s own John Trumbull

As such, sites may be added over time, but I’ll try to keep up with it. After all, this is a National Historic Trail overseen by the National Park Service – to some indeterminate degree anyway.

The National Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route interprets and preserves the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail, commemorating the allied French, and Continental armies during the American War of Independence, and the hundreds of miles travelled to, and from, the victorious Siege of Yorktown in 1781 and 1782.

The military, logistical and cultural significance of the march deserves recognition as a pivotal point in American history. Without the assistance of thousands of French soldiers and sailors, many of whom gave their lives, the outcome of the war could have been different. The W3R-US strives to educate visitors about the crucial aid provided by France to the United States during the American Revolution.

The National Park Service has a fantastic write-up of the history of the march and the revolutionary effort. I’ll only be focusing on the Connecticut sites of course, and will get into their specific histories on each individual page. Sound like a plan? Good, let’s get going.

W3R Historic Sites

Listed alphabetically by town to keep it simple for me.

Daniel White Tavern, Andover
Oliver White Tavern, Bolton
Colonel Henry Champion House, Colchester
Timothy Forbes House, East Hartford
Elm Tree Inn, Farmington
Squire Elisha Pitkin House, Guilford
Old State House, Hartford
Governor Jonathan Trumbull House, Lebanon
War Office, Lebanon
William Williams House, Lebanon
Josiah Bronson Tavern, Middlebury
Daniel Bassett Homestead, Monroe
Samuel Dorrance Inn/Dorrance Tavern, Sterling
Joseph Webb House & Plaque, Wethersfield

W3R Historic Camps

Number represents the order of the dates of stay. FIC refers to “French Infantry Campsite.”

FIC 3, Plainfield
FIC 4, Windham
FIC 5, Bolton
FICs 6, and 45, East Hartford
FICs 7, and 44, Farmington
FICs 8, and 43, Southington
FICs 9, and 42, Middlebury
FICs 10, and 41 at Caleb Baldwin’s Tavern, Newtown
FIC 11, Danbury
FIC 40, Danbury
FIC 46, Andover
FIC 47, Windham
FIC 48, Canterbury
FIC 49, Voluntown
Lauzun’s Legion Campsite in New Haven
Lauzun’s Legion Campsite in Derby
Lauzun’s Legion Campsite in Monroe