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Holiday Historic House Tour Dec. 10

Posted on by Logan Wheeler

Holiday Historic House Tour Dec. 10


Kent, Connecticut, is rich with historic homes and the Kent Historical Society is excited to be able to offer you an opportunity to tour seven private homes that all date to the 18th century in town. The Society is grateful to the homeowners who are sharing their homes so people can appreciate the town’s history in a new way and how people lived in these buildings and how they’ve evolved over the years.

Advance tickets for this Dec. 10 fundraiser are available for $45 per person by clicking here. Tickets will cost $60 on the day of the event. Maps of the homes on the tour and directions to each house will be available at the Swift House, 12 Maple Street, Kent, CT, from 11 a.m. through the afternoon. The tour will be from noon to 4:30 p.m. and an ending party for participants will be held at the Swift House.

“We knew that patrons would be interested in visiting several homes and seeing them in their current uses.” – Bruce Whipple, Trustee

See related post

All proceeds from this event will be directed to the the Kent Historical Society’s operating budget.

Tickets are available at the Kent Town Clerk’s Office at the Kent Town Hall (41 Kent Green Blvd.), the Heron Gallery (16 North Main Street) and Kent Wine & Spirit (24 North Main Street) in Kent.

 

Colonial religion explored through Sunday Series

Posted on by Logan Wheeler

Colonial religion explored through Sunday Series

A glimpse into the religious life of colonists in Connecticut prior to the Revolutionary War was provided by Thomas Key of Salisbury during the Sept. 17 Sunday Series. He shared how the First Great Awakening shook up the religious foundation in the 1730s and disrupted the life of those living in Connecticut and other New England states. Traveling “itinerant” preachers stirred up local residents and caused younger generations to question long-held beliefs.

Key is an instructor for the Taconic Learning Center and vice president of the Salisbury Association. He is also a speaker at the Scoville Library and has given over 75 lectures on a number of historical topics.

He led participants through a timeline of history of “British North America,” which is how he referred to the Colonies. Key highlighted the wars that were fought in the 1600s and 1700s and said that this constant state of unrest impacted the colonists.

“Death was right at their door all the time,” Key said.

The Great Awakening began in 1734 and continued until 1745. It was about religion, but it was also about a changing society.

They were operating a “young capitalistic society” and men and women were marrying later, with young men staying at home much longer than before. The lived under a strict moral code in a what Key called a “pressurized society.” There were three generations since the Pilgrims arrived in 1620 and it was getting harder and harder for younger people to accept the strict rules being imposed by religious leaders.

Jonathan Edwards, who was living and working in North Hampton, Mass., stimulated his congregation and started challenging people to think in different ways. A young man died suddenly in town and it got people thinking about life and death.

“Jonathan Edwards was a really devout person,” Key said. “He was a good preacher.”

His sermons got people so worked up that they became hysterical, Key said. Eventually, he was asked to leave the church and took a position in Stockbridge, Mass. He ultimately ended up as the president of Princeton.

 

Ye Olde Tyme Outhouse

Posted on by Logan Wheeler

YE OLDE TYME OUTHOUSE

 

The Friends of the Eric Sloane Museum will sponsor a program Ye Olde Tyme Outhouse on Saturday, August 19th at 10:00 AM.

Historian Georg Papp will bring outhouse models representing separate eras in addition to display boards, photos and articles.  This talk will be informative as well as entertaining with some American history mixed in.  The lecture is free but donations on behalf of the Friends of the Eric Sloane Museum are welcome. 

Papp says he became an OBPA (Outhouse, Backhouse and Privy Authority) when his daughter bought a 100-year old home in New Hampshire.  She wanted an authentic outhouse to go with the home so dad felt obligated to help.  Since building the first outhouse people started placing orders for outhouses and a new business was developed. 

Papp says old abandoned outhouses are a treasure trove for those who love history and digging.  Muskets, knives, coins, and wallets are among the valuable items found in colonial pits, but the most common items are whiskey bottles. 

The Eric Sloane Museum was built as a collaborative effort between Eric Sloane and Stanley Works of New Britain to commemorate the tool company’s 125th anniversary. Sloane is known to lovers of Americana as an artist and author who brought to life many forgotten customs and skills of past generations. In all, Sloane authored and illustrated over 38 books.

The Eric Sloane Museum is located in Kent, Connecticut on Route 7 (31 Kent-Cornwall Rd.) just north of the village of Kent and the intersections of Route 7 and 341. The museum is open Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  Regular admission:  Adults $8.00, Senior Citizens, $6.00, Children 6 to 17 $5.00.

2017 Summer Art Enrichment: another success!

Posted on by Logan Wheeler

2017 Summer Art Enrichment: another success!

The Society enjoyed another successful Summer Art Enrichment program educating youngsters in June and July with a variety of professional artists as instructors.

The organizers expanded the program to a full four weeks this year and several new instructors contributed their talents, including Sam Alford, an illustrator and animation artist, Albert Coffill, retired Kent Center School art teacher, and Gabriella Martinez, an art student at the Hartford Art School.  We also welcomed back Andy Richards, who is the head of the Visual Arts Department at The Gunnery school.

Some comments from parents: “The instructor was great and the projects were so creative.” “She enjoyed the group creation of comics. The creative interaction was fun for her.” “She enjoyed the chance to immerse herself in painting.”

There were a total of six different weekly sessions of instruction and 53 participants were involved. Many of the sessions also got a tour of the Seven Hearths Museum thanks to Curator Marge Smith.

At the end of each week, there was an art show presenting each child’s work and parents, grandparents and friends enjoyed seeing all the work on display.

“We continue to be awed by the high quality of art instruction that the Summer Art Enrichment students are receiving through this program,” said Melissa Roth Cherniske, one of the trustees that helped organize the program. 

“It was so nice to see the Art Barn buzzing with artistic activity. We started this to pay homage to George Laurence Nelson. I’m sure that he and Helen would be so happy and proud to see the program we have developed ” said trustee Lynn Mellis Worthington, one of the volunteers who helped organize the program.

The Society is thrilled to have the Art Barn in use to allow children to develop their artistic skills.  George Laurence Nelson gave art lessons in various forms over the years and so we believe our art instruction continues his legacy.

For a full description of the sessions, go here.

Interested in Summer Art Enrichment in 2018? Contact the Society’s organizers.

Images from the 2017 sessions:

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Bridge Flight, or a Dreadful Example

Posted on by Logan Wheeler

Bridge Flight, or a Dreadful Example
By Brian Thomas

In devising the Kent Quiz, we strive to find little known facts to stump our readers, but in our February 2017 issue, we failed completely. We asked who flew a plane under the bridge in Kent in 1945, and everyone knew the answer. It was Andy Stirnweiss, the father of the Kent Historical Society’s own Lyn Stirnweiss.

After joining the Navy in 1942, Stirnweiss flew more than 50 different kinds of military aircraft and served as a test pilot during the 1950s. But his riskiest, most high-stakes flight took place in Kent in 1945, when he was 21 and already an expert pilot.

He wanted to wow a young lady who worked at N.M. Watson on Main Street. What would make a snappier impression than flying under the Route 341 bridge across the Housatonic River, next to Kent School? Answer — nothing!

Before the flight he measured the understructure: he had 14 feet of clearance with his Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter/bomber, which was just over 13 feet tall. Safety check out of the way, it was time to impress the ladies. First, he buzzed the town center then swooped over to the river, taking aim at the narrow gap under the bridge. Once through, he veered right to skirt the rocks in the shallow water underneath.

He then flew back to his base in Rhode Island undetected, although some party pooper filed a complaint with the State Police. Can you imagine the uproar if someone did that today? Stirnweiss rarely mentioned his “dumb stunt,” but it may have been the smartest dumb thing he ever did. Later that year the young lady from Watson’s Store became Mrs. Andrew Stirnweiss and the two were happily married for more than 55 years be-fore she passed away in 2000, raising five children, all with warm memories and rich tales. After he retired, the Navy captain volunteered for FISH in Kent and was a member of Sacred Heart Church. He often attended Navy reunions, about which he commented, “The older we get, the braver we were.” He died in 2005 at the age of 82.

In the Historical Society office, Lyn often remembers her father and talks about his jokes and wry observations. Stirnweiss was also the subject of a fond, perceptive portrait by Bob Deakin in the Kent Good Times Dispatch in 2005, from which this article is drawn — along with some kibitzing from Lyn Stirnweiss, who supervised my writing. You can find Deakin’s full article, which is very much worth reading at: http://www.bullsbridge.com/Andy_Stirnweiss.htm

 

 

Noah Blake’s Cabin in Context and as a Symbol of the Early Settlement Process

Posted on by Logan Wheeler

Noah Blake’s Cabin in Context and
as a Symbol of the Early Settlement Process

A series of talks co-sponsored by the Friends of Eric Sloane and the Kent Historical Society

The Kent Historical Society and the Friends of the Eric Sloane Museum are co-sponsoring a series of talks by Michael Everett  aimed at raising funds to aid the State of Connecticut in rebuilding Eric Sloane’s Noah Blake cabin in 2018. Suggested donation of $10 per class or purchase a Friends of the Eric Sloane Museum family level membership for $35 for the year and attend all four classes for free (and receive some additional benefits). This lecture includes admission to the museum. Those attending are urged to buy a copy of Sloane’s Diary of an Early American Boy.  The talks will be held at the Eric Sloane Museum, 31 Kent Cornwall Road (Route 7), Kent,  starting at 9:00 am on Saturday, May 6, May 20 and June 3.


Saturday May 6, 9:00 to 10:00 AM: “Howling Wilderness: Nature”
This talk will explore ideas about nature, conflicting attitudes toward farming, changing ecology. The actual location of the cabin will lead to a consideration of where a homestead should be sited. The session will end with a brief outline of the natural factors we look at in planning today.

Saturday May  20, 9:00 to 10:30 AM:  “Geometry”
It’s hard to capture the colonial era without knowing the process of acquiring land, buying land and speculating in land, from 1740 on. The cabin focus will be on clearing in woods, the establishment of a farmstead, the types of structures needed, and the significance of proximity to town and meeting house. The session will end with a brief mention of how conventions and early regulations and the geometry of ownership we know.


Saturday June 3, 9:00 to 10:30 AM:  “Built Form”
Building the initial cabin led to a bigger and more significant house. We’ll examine the difference between vernacular building and domestic architecture, and how houses and their siting are status symbols. The symbolic significance of Noah Blake’s cabin will provoke some reflection, too. The session ends with thoughts about how the first efforts on our frontier affected land use patterns that still persist, and the value we put on historical retention.

Seven Hearths in Bloom Delights Guests

Posted on by Logan Wheeler


The Society celebrated the arrival of spring with a fundraiser, “Seven Hearths in Bloom,” Saturday, April 29 and this was a terrific opportunity to show supporters how great our house museum can look.

Floral displays were featured in each of the rooms and each was created and donated by Kent Greenhouse and Gardens. Our thanks also to TEPOZ Tequila donation for our specialty cocktail “Tequila Thyme Lemon-Lime Spritzer,” Kent Wine & Spirit and J.P. Gifford’s for their assistance with the party.

Trustee Jeffrey Morgan led a group of people through the museum on a tour, where he elaborated on the conservation work underway on the building. He noted how he has carefully removed the layers of paint to reveal the original colors at the bottom.

Curator Marge Smith said that the process of discovery has been interesting as the house reveals itself and its story of past residents.

“One of the fun things is to try to figure out why they chose the paint colors they did,” Smith said in the family parlor, that has also been called the dining room over the years. “We don’t know why they liked orange black,” she said, referring to the orange patches in the corner that have been uncovered.

Morgan said that there was a lot of change in the way the rooms were set up.

“Furniture was a very movable thing,” he explained, noting that many items are worn down on the front legs because they’ve been dragged around.

Smith also noted that the Beebe family was clearly very wealthy and wanted others to know that.

“By the time they built this house, they wanted to show they had money,” she said. The high ceilings and the color on the walls all indicate this to historians.

Smith encouraged all those attending to return to Seven Hearths this summer to view the exhibit on The Founders of Kent.

“It’s a fascinating story and you’ve got to come back,” she told the guests.

Almost 70 came and helped support our ongoing efforts to highlight the history of Kent.

The cocktail party drew a supportive crowd, with a great mix of old and young. When KHS President Mike Everett listed some of our recently completed capital projects, the new siding on Seven Hearths drew spontaneous applause. He highlighted several accomplishments of the Society.

“One of the most important things was we found a way to store all of Mr. Nelson’s paintings,” he said. An Art and Archives Storage area has been created in the lowest level of Tallman House, where the office is located.

Everett also recognizes the organizing committee for the party that was chaired by Trustees Deb Chabrian and Jeffrey Morgan. Other valuable members included Trustee Kate Vick, along with Bruce Whipple, Melissa Cherniske and Lynn Worthington.

One of the highlights of the evening was the silent auction to support the George Laurence Nelson Scholarship.

Seven artists contributed paintings and prints they created during a Paint Out on April 18 and 19 in George Laurence Nelson’s former studio in the Seven Hearths Museum. Proceeds from the auction will fund the scholarship that will aid college students studying art and art history.

Donors

We are especially grateful to those who supported this event and the Society with their generous contributions.

Underwriters

  • Mrs. Anne Bass
  • David and Allison Blitzer
  • Ms. Annette de la Renta
  • Dr. and Mrs. Henry Kissinger
  • Hilda and Arnold Neis
  • Todd and Leslie Powell

 

Supporter

  • James D. Barron and Jeannette Montgomery Barron
  • Ms. Austi Brown
  • Ms. Agnes Gund
  • Michael Hallows and Lynn Perry
  • Ann Lozman and Jay Harris
  • Alice and Jim Hicks
  • Megg and Ted Hoffman
  • Jeffrey Morgan and Robert Couturier
  • Jean Morrison and Lawford Anderson
  • Judy and Jim Perkins
  • Mr. and Mrs. F. Anthony Zunino
  • Nicholas/Tobin Insurance Co.

 

Friend

  • Susan and Victor Fink
  • Kent Freeman and Adriana Martinez
  • Thomas Gibbs and Robert Lindgren
  • Nina Henderson and Roger Branson
  • Jim Hoge and Kathy Lacey
  • Charles and Jane Klein Family Fund
  • Bob and Carol Lenz
  • Carol L. Hoffman Matzke
  • Patricia and John Noneman
  • Sharon and Jim Norton
  • Jerry and Gail Tobin
  • Kate and James Vick
  • Bruce Whipple and Michael Ward
  • Wyrick Associates, Architect
  • Gabriel and Jane Zatlin

2018 Paint Out raises funds for GLN scholarship

Posted on by Logan Wheeler

2018 Paint Out raises funds for GLN scholarship

Six local artists contributed paintings they created during a Paint Out April 12-13 in the Seven Hearths Museum. The artistic works will be auctioned during a silent auction April 21 during the Seven Hearths Revealed cocktail party in the historic house museum. Proceeds from the auction are helping fund the George Laurence Nelson Scholarship.

Here is a video of the Paint Out in progress.

The organizer of the Paint Out was Trustee Deborah Chabrian, who is also co-chairing the party.

The six artists who participated are Chabrian, Ed Martinez, Bob Lenz, Susan Grisell, Richard Stalter and Mike Everett. They all created interior views in keeping with the theme of the party.

More information is available here about the George Laurence Nelson Scholarship.

 

The First Great Awakening — Fervor and Ferment

Posted on by Logan Wheeler


Sunday Series focused on
“The First Great Awakening — Fervor and Ferment“

In the 1730s, a wave of religious revivals, sponsored by the established clergy of the Reformed Churches, swept the Thirteen Colonies. The fervor disrupted the connection between church and state in New England. These revivals involved extreme emotional displays by the thousands of people who heard the sermons of Jonathan Edwards and various itinerant preachers. Though there was little lasting impact on the religious commitment of the colonies, the ideas presented probably moved the colonies closer to declaring independence from Great Britain.

“The First Great Awakening: Fervor and Ferment” was presented by the Kent Historical Society as part of its Sunday Series lectures in the Kent Town Hall Sunday, September 17, 2017.

Tom Key studied engineering, was a flight officer in the US Navy and retired as a Commander in the US Naval Reserves. His professional career was with an international engineering firm, designing and constructing nuclear and fossil power plants, steel mills, and chemical plants. He’s also had a career as a landscape painter exhibiting in over thirty galleries and invitational/juried shows from Delaware to Maine.

The lecture, as well as future Sunday Series events in 2017, helps give context to the Kent Historical Society’s exhibit in the summer of 2017, “The Founders of Kent,” on the emergence of one New England town in the 18th century. The 2017 Sunday Series events are sponsored by the Kent Barns and the Kent Lions Club.

The Kent Historical Society sponsors the Sunday Series every other month September through May. Free admission for members; $5 suggested donation for non-members.

For more information please call 860.927.4587

Foods of our Founders

Posted on by Logan Wheeler


Sunday Series will focus on “Foods of our Founders”

In what promises to be a lively afternoon, self-proclaimed foodie Lola Chen will examine colonial cooking from the ground to the kitchen in mid-18th century Kent. She’ll examine what food was available in Kent in the founders’ era, what foods might have been borrowed from the Native Americans, and how everything would have been prepared. Salted cod, anyone?

“Foods of Our Founders” will be presented by the Kent Historical Society as part of its Sunday Series lectures in the Kent Town Hall Sunday, May 21 at 2:00 p.m.

Chen brings a global perspective to the subject. Educated in the UK and Hong Kong, Chen has traveled the globe and examined foodways and their history wherever she’s gone. She’s a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and also the Museum Educator at the Wilton Historical Society. She brings an unusual blend of food and cooking excellence, along with a deep historical awareness of how cooking evolved over the years.

The lecture, as well as future Sunday Series events in 2017, helps give context to the Kent Historical Society’s upcoming exhibit in the summer of 2017, “The Founders of Kent,” on the emergence of one New England town in the 18th century. The 2017 Sunday Series events are sponsored by the Kent Barns and the Kent Lions Club.

The Kent Historical Society sponsors the Sunday Series every other month September through May. Free admission for members; $5 suggested donation for non-members.

For more information please call 860.927.4587