New London is a seaport city that sits on the Thames River in southeast Connecticut. The town was originally founded in the mid-17th century to serve as a base for naval operations during the American Revolutionary War. In the same war, New London was burned by Benedict Arnold to destroy the town’s storage of goods and its fleet.
After the war, New London emerged as a major whaling port, at one the second largest in the U.S. Much of the wealth brought in during this period can still be seen in the city’s preserved 19th century architecture.[1]
Today, New London has nothing much except a U.S. Naval Submarine base and a U.S. Coast Guard Academy.[2] Recently, New London came to forefront of national news when the Supreme Court ruled that it was legal for the city to condemn private property and hand it to private developers to create a pier, mall, and office complexes. The justification was that the increased tax revenue from the development served the public interest requirement needed to exercise the power of eminent domain.[3] It remains to be seen how many tourists this new development will attract. As it stands, the only notable attraction of New London is the childhood home of Eugene O’Neill, the famous playwright. His home is known as the Monte Cristo Cottage and is located at 325 Pequot Avenue. Today, it houses a museum. In nearby Waterford, you’ll find the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. This is the site of new theatrical productions put on by contemporary playwrights. It is located at 305 Great Neck Road.[4]
References:
Chase, Suzi Forbes, and Ann Lee. New England. New York: Macmillan General Reference, 1994. ISBN: 0671878999.
“New London, Connecticut.” < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London%2C_Connecticut>
[1] New London
[2] Chase, 185
[3] New London
[4] Chase, 185
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