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British prisoners once slept beneath its roof, a future president's relatives walked its halls and centuries-old craftsmanship still frames its entrance -the property at 1653 Main St., South Windsor is on the market for $1.45 million.
The house was built in 1757-58 for merchant Ebenezer Grant, a collateral relative of President Ulysses S. Grant. Ulysses descended through Ebenezer's brother, Noah. According to the National Register nomination, Matthew Grant gave land to his son Samuel, who built a house on the site in 1695. That earlier structure is believed to have been incorporated into the rear ell of Ebenezer's house.
According to the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places nomination form for the house, prisoners of war were held in East Windsor Hill during the Revolutionary War. The document states that British general Richard Prescott and William Franklin, the Loyalist - or "Tory" - governor of New Jersey and son of founding father Benjamin Franklin, were lodged in the Grant house. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 because of its historical significance.
According to the listing agent Jacob Wint, the house has undergone extensive restoration after it was sold in 2024 for $399,000. Among the updates are new electrical systems, all-new plumbing, asbestos removal and widened doorways, but it still aims to keep its historic aesthetic. The house retains exposed hand-hewn beams, original Georgian paneling and a central staircase with original spiral-turned balusters. The 4,480-square-foot house now has four bedrooms, two full bathrooms and one half bathroom.
"What was done was to make it as original and as premium as possible. Everything was done aesthetically, but it was also done with longevity," Wint said.
According to the National Register nomination, the main doorway is an "outstanding example of Connecticut River Valley regional woodwork." Its paneled double doors, fluted pilasters, fern-like carvings, denticulated cornice, rosettes and broken-scroll pediment give the composition what the document calls a "strong Jacobean feeling."
The property spans 5.47 acres and has outbuildings and an authentic tobacco barn.
Real estate tracking firm Redfin listed the median sale price for the property's 06074 ZIP code at $406,129 over the three months ending May 2026. Redfin notes that average properties in the area sell for about 6% above list price and go pending in around 10 days, while hot homes can sell for about 11% above list price and go pending in around seven days.
The property at 1653 Main St., South Windsor, is listed by William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty. Listing agent Jacob Wint can be reached at 413-531-1535.
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