We are grateful to the homeowners for sharing a visual and historic description of their property: The story of this enduring stone home begins long before its walls were raised. The land itself traces back to Colonel Jonathan Palmer (1746–1810), a veteran of the Revolutionary War, whose holdings later passed through the hands of the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad during the expansion of rail through Stonington. In 1851, the property found its defining steward in John F. Trumbull (1796–1874), a New York–based merchant whose ventures spanned both land and sea. With interests in eight whaling ships, Trumbull brought both ambition and permanence to the site, constructing the stone residence and its accompanying carriage barn using locally quarried granite. That same year, he built a stone manufacturing facility at the southern edge of Stonington Borough—also of granite—which evolved from producing horseshoe nails to supplying muskets during the Civil War era. Trumbull, a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, was also known to be a friend of Abraham Lincoln, who is said to have visited him here when traveling through the region. The home remained in the Trumbull family until 1926, its legacy shaped further in the mid-20th century by Coert and Margaret DuBois, who owned the property from 1945 to 1969. Coert DuBois, commissioned as a Major in the U.S. Army in 1917, served in France during World War I, overseeing forestry operations critical to the war effort. He later entered the U.S. Foreign Service, with postings that included Paris, Naples, Batavia, India, Geneva, and Havana. Upon retiring to Stonington, the DuBois family became deeply involved in civic life, most notably organizing the creation of the beach at the Borough’s southern tip—now a cherished local landmark bearing their family name. Over the course of its 175-year history, the home has been stewarded by just a dozen families—a testament to its quiet permanence and enduring appeal. Today, the property is home to artist K Hartmann and her husband. With working studios both within the main house and above the carriage barn, Hartmann paints primarily in oils and watercolors, drawing inspiration from the coastal beauty of Stonington Borough. Her work, exhibited regionally and online, reflects a deep connection to place—continuing the home’s long tradition as both a residence and a site of creative and historical significance. Gardens: The current garden, reimagined in 2023, marks a deliberate departure from what once stood: an overgrown, fragmented landscape shaped by decades of competing styles. In its place, a cohesive vision emerged—one that honors the property’s history while restoring a sense of order and intent. Key legacy plantings, including the mature cherry tree, wisteria, rhododendrons, climbing roses, and yew hedges, were thoughtfully preserved. Everything else was cleared back to the sandy soil, creating a blank canvas for renewal. Inspiration came from the home’s original Victorian era, interpreted through the lens of a small-scale parterre à compartiments design. The result is structured yet intimate—formal without feeling rigid. Passersby often remark, “It looks like Jane Austen could live here,” a sentiment the design quietly embraces. Rather than traditional vegetable plots or loosely arranged flower beds, the garden prioritizes composition and atmosphere. Climbing roses, both heritage and contemporary varieties, now trace the lines of the existing stone wall—an element visible in historic photographs of the property—reestablishing a connection to its past. Underfoot, stone has replaced turf, offering a more sustainable and visually enduring ground plane. Though newly planted, the garden carries a sense of permanence—a young landscape, perhaps, but one with an unmistakably old soul.