Connecticut schools, parks and buildings have been named for Roger Sherman, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Now, more than two centuries after his death, Sherman has made it into the Connecticut Hall of Fame.
"After 292 years, it's about time," said Lisa Roush, curator of the New Milford Historical Society and Museum.
Roger Sherman, who lived in New Milford, was inducted into the hall last Wednesday.
Though it seems the honor is long overdue, the Hall of Fame was created only seven years ago.
In 1745, Sherman moved to New Milford from New Fairfield. He became a prominent New Milford landowner, owned a mercantile business near the present Town Hall and surveyed much of Litchfield County, where he extended his personal land holdings.
Sherman was a local politician and became New Milford's representative to the Connecticut Assembly in 1755.
"Never one to stand on the sidelines, Roger Sherman knew that in order to obtain freedom and liberty and to get out from under the yoke of oppression, a revolution was necessary," said state Rep. Cecilia Buck-Taylor, a Republican who represents New Milford.
"Sherman was an early supporter of the American fight against the British. His well-deserved recognition in the Connecticut Hall of Fame acknowledges his prominence in both Connecticut and American history," Buck-Taylor added.
The nearby town of Sherman is named for him.
Roger Sherman was one of 56 men to sign the Declaration of Independence, and was one of a committee of five to help draft the document. He signed the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution.
The Roger Sherman exhibit in the New Milford Historical Society Museum on Aspetuck Avenue includes duplicate documents, a large diorama and a time line depicting Sherman's work and accomplishments.
It also features a lithograph of John Trumbull's painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, with Sherman standing prominently at the front with Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Hancock.