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.
Joshua Hempsted held many positions throughout his lifetime, one of which was headstone letterer. On Wednesday, December 27th, 1749, our diarist writes, “fair & cold I finisht engraving a headstone for Samll Bills wife.” Join headstone carver Andrew Carr as he re-creates a headstone using Joshua’s lettering style with 18th–century carving techniques. A tour of the house is included with admission.
Walking tour of one of New England’s earliest graveyards, with a special focus on those of African descent who are buried there.
