Celebrate the work and legacy of Asher Benjamin, one of the most influential members of the first generation of American architects. Take in a full day of learning and reflection — and gorgeous Fall foliage, of course! — at the site of his first formal architectural commission, the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden in Suffield, Connecticut.
The Setting: Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden
Suffield native Shem Burbank built a center chimney structure in 1761 where he and his wife Anna Fitch Burbank raised nine children. Although well-appointed for the mid 18th century, the Burbank house reflected conservative trends in design popular for the period. Financial hardship forced Burbank to sell his house to Oliver Phelps in 1788.
The youngest of 17 children from neighboring Windsor, CT, Oliver Phelps was apprenticed to a Suffield merchant at an early age. During the Revolution, he skillfully served as Deputy Commissary under George Washington. A budding land speculator after the War, Phelps commissioned the addition of a substantial wing decorated with imported Parisian wallpaper in 1794.
For the new construction, he sought the services of Thomas Hayden of Windsor, who in turn entrusted a 21-year old Asher Benjamin to design the entry of the new addition. The contrasts between the Phelps and Burbank sections of the house further highlight differences between the personalities and experiences of the two men, and between the times in which each lived.
From the stylish new rooms, Phelps peddled a vision of American expansion to New Englanders looking for a new life in the west. Phelps’ attempts to sell significant swaths of Seneca Nation land as part of Connecticut’s Western Reserve proved unsuccessful. Within a decade, Oliver Phelps’ fortunes had collapsed; Asher Benjamin, meanwhile, had become a rising star among the architects helping to set the standard for taste in the young United States. Using the pattern books Benjamin created, countless structures and a new national identity were born.
Learn more about the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden on the Connecticut Landmarks website.
Thank you for your support!
This program is made possible by the generous support of preservationists like you. Donate today to support programming at the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden.
For information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Shaelyn Amaio, Director of Public Engagement, at shaelyn.amaio@ctlandmarks.org.