When you think of the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, you think of lilacs. Each spring, the stunning variety of lilacs curated by Caroline Ferriday and her mother scent the gardens and show off their fleeting blossoms in shades of purples, pinks, and even whites. Tour the gardens to learn about the long history of the lilacs on the property and how we care for them.
When you think of the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, you think of lilacs. Each spring, the stunning variety of lilacs curated by Caroline Ferriday and her mother scent the gardens and show off their fleeting blossoms in shades of purples, pinks, and even whites. Tour the gardens to learn about the long history of the lilacs on the property and how we care for them.
Phelps-Hatheway staff will guide you step-by-step as you create a unique work of art with blooms grown by Suffield’s own Willow View Farm. This workshop is sure to bring a smile to your face as you work those muscles to make a masterpiece!
Inspiration is everywhere in the Litchfield hills! Join best-selling author Martha Hall Kelly to discuss her books (Lilac Girls, Lost Roses, Sunflower Sisters, The Golden Doves) and the history that sparked her imagination over afternoon tea at the exquisite Winvian Farm. This intimate event will include a talk and Q&A from the author herself, and light refreshments including assorted tea sandwiches, crudites, fruit, and sweet treats.
Sip cider and connect with Scotland during a trail walk around the beautiful Palmer-Warner led by Portland & District Pipers. Enjoy local cider tastings from Yankee Cider Co. including a signature “Dunstaffnage” bourbon designed to take you to the Scottish Moors through hints of Highland peat smoke. Bring your friends to test your knowledge in a round of Celtic-themed pub trivia, with prizes for first- and second-place teams.
The Mattatuck Museum is sharing pieces from its significant art and history collections with visitors to the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden. Works exploring the themes of women, 20th-century art, and local art will complement the beautiful furniture, art, and objects collected over decades by Caroline Ferriday. Peruse the halls and discuss the artworks and their significance as you learn about the home and its occupants.
Expand your knowledge of Hartford’s architectural treasures by venturing east and west of Main Street. Understand the historical and cultural significance of buildings along South Prospect Street, from the 1788 Amos Bull House to the BPO Elks Lodge, to the Hartford Times Building. To the west, explore more of the city’s South Downtown neighborhood on Elm and Gold Streets.
On Saturday, September 21, Connecticut Landmarks and Mattatuck Museum members will receive free tour admission to celebrate the opening of the Mattatuck Museum's exhibit at the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden. Complimentary celebration packets with refreshments will be distributed after tours. Supplies are limited and pre-registration is recommended to reserve your packet.
Accomplished stone artisan, gardener, and horticulturist Andrew Pighills discusses the evolution of stone walls and structures from colonial times to present day, and how they fit into the garden and broader landscape past and present. Born in Yorkshire England, Andrew received formal training with The Royal Horticultural Society at Harlow Carr Gardens. Andrew spent thirty-one years building dry stone walls in the Yorkshire Dales and English Lake District and continues his work here in the U.S. as a professional member of The Dry-Stone Walling Association of Great Britain.
Get into the “spirit” of the season! Our special, candlelit tours will take you around the property and into the house, all the way up to the dark, shadowy attic. Hear long-standing and new Homestead ghost stories from staff members and spooky encounters reported by guests, as featured on the Syfy channel’s Ghost Hunters.
Public art and monuments create a shared understanding of the events, people, and ideas that a city values. Set out from the Butler-McCook House to explore the artistic treasures and monuments of Hartford along Main Street, in Bushnell Park, and at the State Capitol Building.
1885 - The residents of Blackwood Lake have received a curious letter from the Widow Whitlock. Mrs. Josephine Whitlock invites you to celebrate the life of the recently deceased Luther Whitlock. As we bid farewell to our dear husband and father, we welcome you to join us at Blackwood Manor as we hold visitation hours. We understand our family has been quite reclusive, but this recently widowed woman and her only child could really use your support at this difficult time. The town is abuzz. Luther Whitlock, the cloistered miser who lived in Blackwood Manor, had a family? Why would a wealthy man who could afford to live anywhere move into a house with such a tragic history? What kind of support is this mysterious family looking for? Come to the visitation to find out what dark and dangerous secrets the Whitlock family are hiding.
New Englanders have always shown particular care for their dearly departed. Explore the burial customs, traditions, and superstitions around death in the region from colonial times through the 19th century with Dean Massey, an urban planning researcher at a university in Boston. Following Massey's talk, a short walk to the Warner Cemetery will offer participants the opportunity to closely examine epitaphs and iconography up close, as well as engage in a thoughtful discussion about the rich diversity of New England’s remembrance practices.
Saying good-bye in the Victorian Era was a complicated process. Join this fact-based exploration of a Victorian wake presented in partnership with the researchers and performers at Escapism Productions.
Enjoy an afternoon’s vocal and instrumental performance by Andrew Wilcox (piano) and Mae Czuba (vocals) to hear the late-19th and early-20th century songs that would have filled the Ishams’ parlor, drawing upon the sheet music in the Isham-Terry collection and representing the lives and interests of the household’s amateur musicians. The performers will play music from the collection, and sheet music will be on display during the event.
