History

Origin of the Name Lordship

The area of Lordship in Stratford, Connecticut received its name, as legend has it, in the seventeenth century. One Mr. Mills owned extensive land here, referred to in early records as Mill's Lordship. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the area was developed into a "summer colony," and the name persisted as the Lordship Park Association.

First Black Family in Lordship

The Elliott Family first tried to purchase these 1.3 acres of land in Lordship in 1952. They were denied by the developer because they were Black. However, the Elliotts persevered and completed construction on the house in 1955. The house became a place for community conversation, with visits from foreign labor delegations, events for the YMCA, and BBQs with Jackie Robinson and his family in the summer.

lordship house Opens

Members of the Elliott family lived here until 2019, when Michael Todd Cohen and Adrian Dallas Frandle purchased the property. They opened the doors of lordship house as a private house with public programs in 2020.