Battle of Post Road and Nearwater Farm
History & Background
Built in 1750 by Nathaniel Weed, Nearwater Farm still stands on the lane named for the original homestead. The location of the historic farm was chosen because of its convenient water access. Today the beach at the end of the land is named Weed Beach for the family that farmed the land for centuries.
Noroton Neck was a favorite of the Loyalist raiders headquartered across the Sound at Lloyd’s Neck. It had ideal beaches where raiding whaleboats could land. It was accessible by a single road, Nearwater Lane, with the Nathan Weed family’s prosperous Nearwater Farm about halfway along the road. It appears to have been the most-raided farm in town.
On August 2, 1781, a large contingent of Loyalists landed at Noroton Neck and turned east on the Country Road into Middlesex, where they proceeded to systematically round up as many cattle as they could find. The alarm was heard in Stamford, where a number of Coast Guard assembled and headed up the Post Road. The Coast Guard arrived at the intersection of Nearwater Lane ahead of the returning raiders.
The Coast Guard, commanded by Lt. Nathan took cover behind the stone wall on the south side of the road, with the corner of Nearwater Lane to their left. The raiders arrived with the captured cattle behind them, and the main body of the Loyalists following. The Coast Guardsmen opened fire, wounding one. As the skirmish continued, the main body of raiders, led by Major Hubbell, took up positions behind a stone wall perpendicular to the road, which gave a clear field on the Coast Guards. Three of the Guards were killed, and the rest quickly fled their exposed position. The raiders and their stolen cattle turned down Nearwater Lane and boarded waiting ships at the end of Noroton Neck. The Coast Guards had taken one wounded captive, “Tory Joe” Smith of New Canaan, who recovered and was exchanged for a captive Patriot some months later.
Based on The Story of Darien Connecticut
by Museum of Darien Historian Ken Reiss
Photograph by Katherine Calderwood – Calderwood Photography
Trail Marker
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