Burnett's Corner, Connecticut

Burnetts Corner is a village in the town of Groton, Connecticut, and the site of Burnett's Corner Historic District, an historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Burnett's Corner grew up in the 18th and 19th centuries as a crossroads village and stagecoach stop on the Post Road that connected New York City and Boston. It takes its name from Richard Burnett (1801–1890), a former sea captain who operated the Pequot Hotel as an overnight stop on the Post Road. Burnett's Corner was bypassed by the railroad that was built through the area in 1858 and that largely replaced stagecoach travel.

Early in the 20th century, Burnett's Corner was the site of small-scale manufacturing operations, notably including a witch hazel mill built by T. N. Dickinson, Jr., in about 1907 and a ropewalk operated by a twine manufacturer. After the Gold Star Highway was built through the area in the 1930s, Burnett's Corner took on the function of a suburban community, housing people who commute to work by automobile.