Danbury

Battle of Ridgefield Site

Battlefield · Main St, Ridgefield, CT 06877

The town of Ridgefield, southwest of Danbury, was the scene of the April 27, 1777 battle in which Connecticut and New York militia under Benedict Arnold and David Wooster intercepted the British force withdrawing from Danbury. Arnold had a horse shot from under him; Wooster was mortally wounded. A historic cannon ball embedded in the Keeler Tavern's exterior wall survives from the battle. The site is about 12 miles from Danbury.

Compo Beach (British Landing Site)

Landmark · Compo Beach Rd, Westport, CT 06880

Compo Beach in Westport (then part of Fairfield County) was where the British force of approximately 1,800 men under General William Tryon landed on April 25, 1777, beginning their march inland to Danbury. A monument marks the landing site. After burning Danbury, the same British force fought its way back to re-embark at Compo Beach on April 28, 1777, under pursuit by Arnold and Wooster's militia.

Continental Supply Depot Site (Downtown Danbury)

Landmark · Downtown Danbury, CT 06810

The area in and around central Danbury where the Continental Army maintained the supply depot that made the town a British military target in April 1777. The depot held tents, flour, pork, clothing, and military stores for Continental forces. The British raid under General William Tryon destroyed an estimated 4,000 barrels of pork and beef, 5,000 bushels of grain, and military equipment essential to the coming campaign season. No original structures survive; the site is marked by historical signage.

Danbury Museum and Historical Society

Museum · 43 Main St, Danbury, CT 06810

The Danbury Museum complex preserves the history of the April 1777 British raid and its aftermath. The museum campus includes the John and Mary Rider House (1785), built after the raid destroyed much of the town. Exhibits document the supply depot that made Danbury a target, the destruction of stores, David Wooster's death, and the town's reconstruction. The site anchors historical interpretation of the raid for the region.

General David Wooster Monument

Monument · Wooster Cemetery, Wooster St, Danbury, CT 06810

Monument to Brigadier General David Wooster, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777, while leading Connecticut militia in pursuit of the British force withdrawing from the Danbury raid. Wooster died five days later at age 67. He was one of the oldest general officers to die in the Revolution. His grave is in Danbury, and the monument honors both him and the men who fought to avenge the town's burning.

Scott-Fanton Museum

Historic House · 43 Main St, Danbury, CT 06810

A 19th-century house museum adjacent to the Danbury Museum campus that preserves period furnishings and local artifacts. The complex provides context for the domestic and commercial life of Danbury before and after the 1777 raid. Original portions of the property date to the post-raid reconstruction period. Operated by the Danbury Museum and Historical Society.