Nathan Denison House
Built in 1790
In 1790, Nathan Denison built this house on the western bank of Abrams Creek in what was then Kingston Township (now Forty Fort). He lived in this house until his death in 1809. While typical of the homes in Connecticut, it was built in a style unusual to Pennsylvania. Visitors will see that the rooms in this type of New England house are arranged around a large central chimney. The stone wall located in front of the Denison House also gives a Connecticut appearance to the house. In Nathan Denison’s time, the wall would have been located along the original property lines instead of so close to the home.
Various members of the Denison family owned the house after the Colonel’s death in 1809. In the later 1800s, porches and several additions changed the character of the home. The Bureau of Historic Sites and Properties of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission restored the 1790 appearance of the house in 1976. The house has been owned by the Luzerne County Historical Society since 2010.
Come Visit
35 Denison Street
Forty Fort, PA 18704
One block off of Wyoming Ave.,
across from the airport
Hours
The Nathan Denison House is open to the public on selected Sundays during the Summer months.
Cost
LCHS Members: Free
Non-member Adults: $5.00
Non-member Children: $3.00 (ages 5-17)
Children Under 5: Free
There is a public restroom and a gift shop at the Denison House
Parking
There is a small parking lot in front of the house and additional parking on the surrounding side streets. Please respect the parking signs in the neighborhood.
Accessibility
Handicapped parking is available. There are steps up to the front and back doors of the house and stairs inside between the first and second floors.
Group Tours at the Denison House
Are you a teacher, scout leader, or run a service organization/club? Do you have a school, church or community group that would like a tour of one of our sites? We’d love to have you!
The LCHS can accommodate groups from 5 to 50 but depending on the number, the tour maybe split into multiple groups. For children’s tours, the content can be tailored for kindergarteners all the way up through high school.
Group tours are available of the Swetland Homestead, Nathan Denison House, and the LCHS Museum. Tours can be arranged to meet your schedule, but advance notice is required.
Please note that additional fees may apply for tours of multiple sites.
Upcoming LCHS Museum Events
Join us for programs that bring history to life. From engaging lectures and tours to family-friendly activities and special exhibits.
Patriots and Tories Tea
The yearly tradition continues! The LCHS will once again host a spring tea, this time with a Semi-Quincentennial twist! And at a new larger venue, the Community Educational Partnership Center of Luzerne County Community College, 521 Trailblazer Drive, Nanticoke PA 18634. Join us on Sunday, April 19th at 1pm as we travel back in time to 1776 and join the ongoing discussions about the coming Revolution! Which side are you on? Do you feel Independence is inevitable? Or do you feel the Crown is the best option for America? Each table will feature re-enactors championing one position or the other, and will encourage you to join the debate and pick a side! Talk 18th century politics and events over a traditional sit down tea. (Which the Crown has taxed heavily, of course!) Tickets are $25 per person and include sandwiches, the tea, and the program. Period dress is welcomed, but not required. Reservations are required for this event, limited tickets are available, and like last year, it will no doubt sell out. For questions or more information, call 570-823-6244 x3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org A special thanks to our hosts:
168th Luzerne County Historical Society Annual Dinner
In honor of America's 250th Anniversary, join us on Tuesday June 16th at 6pm at The Greens at Irem in Dallas PA, as we reflect on the people, places and pivotal moments that shaped Luzerne County and our nation's path to Independence. Our speaker for the evening is Cassandra Coleman, Executive Director of America250PA. Items from the Society's Semi-Quincentennial exhibition will also be on display. From the Revolutionary Era to the stories still being uncovered today, this special event will celebrate our shared past and the legacy we carry forward. Tickets are $75 for LCHS Members and $85 for nonmembers and includes choice of Chicken Franchaise, Pork Tenderloins, Grilled Salmon, or Vegetarian Ratatouille. For more questions or more information, call 570-823-6244 x3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
Nathan Denison's History
Born in Windham, Connecticut, in 1740, Nathan Denison was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehannah Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison married Elizabeth Sill in the first recorded wedding in the area.
Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. In the years 1774, 1776, 1781 and 1782, he served as a Justice of the Peace under Connecticut jurisdiction in Westmoreland County (as the settlers first called Northeastern Pennsylvania). As colonel of the local militia, and second in command to Colonel Zebulon Butler, Denison distinguished himself in the ill-fated Battle of Wyoming and negotiated the surrender of Forty Fort to the British. Forty Fort was named for the forty settlers that originally came to this area from Connecticut.
Both the Pennsylvania and Connecticut governments claimed the Wyoming Valley area. As a court judge, Denison helped resolve the disputed settlement claims. In 1786 when these titles were negotiated for the first time and Luzerne County was formed, he was chosen as the area’s representative to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Executive Council (similar to the present-day Senate).
The Denison Homestead in Mystic, CT
The Denison Homestead of the New England branch of the family is open to the public in Mystic, Connecticut. This historic site was built in 1717, and was the home of this family for several generations when Nathan moved to the Wyoming Valley. His house in Pennsylvania was fashioned after this Connecticut homestead.
