Courtney, Blumenthal Announce National Historic Landmark Designation For James Merrill House In Stonington

NORWICH, CT —Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior has designated the James Merrill House in Stonington as a National Historic Landmark. In October 2015, Courtney and Blumenthal wrote to Interior asking for the designation stating the following:

“James Ingram Merrill is among the most significant American writers of the second half of the twentieth century. Merrill won every major award for poetry given in the United States, including the Pulitzer Prize, two National Book Awards, and was Connecticut’s State Poet Laureate from 1985 - 1995.

“The National Historic Landmark designation would not just honor the memory of a prominent cultural icon, but it would also strengthen protection and preservation of the James Merrill House. Other prominent Connecticut landmarks, such as the Charles W. Morgan whaling vessel in Mystic, CT, have already been given the National Historic Landmark designation. We hope that the James Merrill House can soon be added to the National Park Service’s list of National Historic Landmarks, and urge the National Historic Landmark Committee to approve this property so it can be preserved for future generations.”

Click here to read the full text of the letter

Click here to view the full press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior

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