The Palmer-Warner House was built by John and Mehitable (Chapman Richardson) Warner in 1738 on 1,000 acres inherited by Mehitable. In later generations, the Warners became blacksmiths of local acclaim, and many of their pieces were collected by Frederic Palmer and now adorn the house.

In 1936, Frederic Palmer purchased the house and the 50 acres on which it currently sits with his mother, Mary Brennan Palmer. A preservation architect influenced by the Colonial Revival movement, he set about to restore the house and create a landscape that evoked the 18th century. Palmer was also a founding member of the Antiquarian & Landmarks Society, Connecticut Landmarks’ predecessor organization. He assisted in the acquisition, preservation, and renovation of numerous CTL properties. He also played a major role in the renovation of the Goodspeed Opera House in the 1960s and the preservation work done at the First Congregational Church in East Haddam.

Frederic Palmer turned the Palmer-Warner House, which he lovingly called Dunstaffnage as a nod to his Scottish heritage, into a safe place for his LGBTQ friends, neighbors, and family to gather and enjoy life unhindered by societal norms. Palmer lived in the house with his partner Howard Metzger from the mid-1940s until his death in 1971. Metzger remained in the house until his death in 2005.

The story of Frederic Palmer and Howard Metzger is supported by a wealth of documentary evidence. CTL is fortunate to have diaries, letters, and photo albums that detail their daily lives. We also recently collected oral histories with East Haddam community members and the families of Palmer and Metzger. Through Palmer’s and Metzger’s lives, we are able to view the wider arc of 20th-century LGBTQ history. We seek to be a setting to share multiple viewpoints, and foster conversations around inclusion, individuality, privacy, and privilege.