Built in 1727 as the Trumbull family store, Jonathan Trumbull established the Council of Safety in 1775, which became the backbone of defense for the American Revolution, called Governor Jonathan Trumbull's War Office. Visitors during these times included such prominent names as Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, Marquis de Lafayette,
Thomas Jefferson,
George Washington, and John Jay.
The building was completely restored in 1891: decaying partitions, doors, and window sills were replaced, the roof and sides were reshingled, and the building was given a new stone foundation and chimney. During this restoration, many original documents and letters were recovered.
