Noah Phelps (1740-1809)

He was born at Simsbury, near Hartford, Connecticut. He gradated from Yale University and at his own expense raised a company of militia during the Revolution. As a Captain, he served under Colonel Ward and saw action at Fort Lee before joining George Washington’s army when he fought at the Battles of Trenton and Princeton. Phelps offered his services as a spy: After Fort Ticonderoga was occupied by the British, he began to frequent a local house where several of the soldiers were billeted. Overhearing their discussions about the fort, its condition, and where they were positioned, he disguised himself as a peddler and headed to Ticonderoga. Under the premise of wanting to get a shave, he entered and took notes of the fort's construction. He returned to his regiment and reported his findings to Ethan Allen which helped the Americans to win a major victory. Back in Simsbury after the war, he built Simsbury House, was a Justice of the Peace and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention (1787). He was Chairman of the town meeting that passed the Articles of Confederation.