Get into the spirit of the season & meet the ghosts of New Londoners who have ghoulish stories to tell – hear their tales & talk with them if you dare! Experience the city's oldest house at twilight & make s’mores over an open fire.
Connecticut Landmarks' Hempsted Houses has partnered with the Homeless Hospitality Center to collect donations of winter clothing to benefit the New London community. We will be accepting new hats and gloves in all sizes, and new and gently-used coats in all sizes. Donations of children's winter coats are especially appreciated.
Escapism Productions invite you to attend this production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible., with the unique backdrop of the Hempsted Houses in New London, CT! This haunting theatrical experience unfolds on April 20, 21, 27, and 28. Unlike conventional venues, this rendition invites you to bring your own chairs or blankets and immerse yourself in the ambiance of the Hempsted Houses' grounds. Venture with us into this classic show that delves the depths of human nature.
Join us as we dedicate a Witness Stone in memory of Adam Jackson, who was enslaved on the property for more than three decades. Students from The Williams School share their journey learning about the lives of Adam and his family. The installation will take place on the grounds, accompanied by remarks from members of the community and student project presentations.
Join Living Historians Joseph McGill of the Slave Dwelling Project and Tammy Denease of Hidden Women Productions as they commemorate Juneteenth in this special virtual presentation. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, announced in 1865 by Union Soldiers in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved were now free.
Gather around the campfire for a community conversation on the grounds of the Hempsted Houses to commemorate historic and present-day struggles toward freedom and hear more about the work of Joseph McGill of the Slave Dwelling Project and Tammy Denease of Hidden Women Productions.
Join Joseph McGill of the Slave Dwelling Project as well as staff from the Hempsted Houses and the Shaw Mansion as we continue the conversation around the truthful narrative of American history and the legacies of slavery.
Join Connecticut Landmarks for a Juneteenth celebration with the City of New London, highlighting the African American history of the Hempsted Houses and the surrounding New London neighborhood, with partners.
Pastor Michael Cagle leads participants in community for a spiritual and lively non-denominational church service followed by performances by The Jim Hunter Jazz Group and the New London Public Schools Bands.
Spend an afternoon with Hempsted staff on the Thames River Heritage Water Taxi to learn about New London's history. This tour will explore the stories of a fugitive slave, Black Revolutionary Patriots, Black Governors and Whalers, the Amistad and more.
Cruise along the Thames River and hear about sites along the Thames that sparked authors' imaginations to write their stories. Explore books that tell the tales of the people and events that inspired them like Night of the Moonjelllies, Love and Brutality: The Mysterious Saga of Gallows Road, For Adam's Sake: A Family Saga in Colonial New England; Diary of Joshua Hempsted, Morton F. Plant and the Connecticut Shoreline, Venture Smith: The First Slave Narrative, Jordan Freedman Was My Friend, and Ice Diaries - the incredible true story of Capt. William R. Anderson and his crew's harrowing top-secret mission aboard the USS Nautilus, and more. As these authors attest by their writing, the Thames truly is one river with a thousand stories.
Spend an afternoon with Hempsted staff on the Thames River Heritage Water Taxi to learn about New London's history. This tour will explore the stories of a fugitive slave, Black Revolutionary Patriots, Black Governors and Whalers, the Amistad and more.
Ever wonder what it was like to work in the 18th century? Travel back to the colonial era with the Nathan Hale Fife and Drum encampment as they recreate life as a Revolutionary War soldier. Learn about 18th-century tools and techniques used in the historic trades with demonstrations by woodworker, carpenter & Joiner John Baron and Blacksmith Baird Wech-Collins who will forge a variety of tools and hardware.
Spend an afternoon with Hempsted staff on the Thames River Heritage Water Taxi to learn about New London's history. This tour will explore the stories of a fugitive slave, Black Revolutionary Patriots, Black Governors and Whalers, the Amistad and more.
Cruise along the Thames River and hear about sites along the Thames that sparked authors' imaginations to write their stories. Explore books that tell the tales of the people and events that inspired them like Night of the Moonjelllies, Love and Brutality: The Mysterious Saga of Gallows Road, For Adam's Sake: A Family Saga in Colonial New England; Diary of Joshua Hempsted, Morton F. Plant and the Connecticut Shoreline, Venture Smith: The First Slave Narrative, Jordan Freedman Was My Friend, and Ice Diaries - the incredible true story of Capt. William R. Anderson and his crew's harrowing top-secret mission aboard the USS Nautilus, and more. As these authors attest by their writing, the Thames truly is one river with a thousand stories.
