People and Places of Kent Lecture Series in collaboration with the Kent Senior Center
Overseas & Back Again: Wednesday, July 16 at 11:00 am
Hear from five Kent Residents who served in the Peace Corps in the 1960s and 1970s. Presenters include Barbara Psarakis, Barbara and Denis Curtis, Irene Coe and Catherine Bachrach, who served in Cameroon, Fiji, Honduras and Turkey. They will speak about what motivated them to join the Peace Corps, their experiences and the impact of Peace Corps service on their lives, as well as respond to questions from those attending.
The Kent Senior Center is located in the Templeton Farm Barn at 16 Swift Lane. Programs are open to seniors and their caregivers. Advance registration is requested; please call 860 927-1586 or email ssassist@townofkentct.gov.
Seven Hearths Museum Summer Hours:
Fridays: 1:00 – 4:00pm | Weekends: 11:00am – 4:00pm | Guided Tours on the hour, last tour at 3:00pm
Admission: Free for members; Suggested Donation: $10 Adults, and $5 Seniors. Students in K-12 free.
The Seven Hearths is the flagship of the Kent Historical Society, located in the heart of the original Kent town center – the Flanders Historic District. Built by John Beebe, Jr., in 1751, this colonial house stands in contrast to the earlier houses of the Flanders District because of its large scale.
The building was constructed as one structure with dual purposes. The family lived in the larger space while the left portion of the house included a general store, butcher, and a fur trading post. Its original architectural features are of interest to restoration buffs.
The house’s furnishings and other interior accessories reflect phases of Kent history that were part of the occupants’ lives. Seven Hearths was willed to the Society by famed artist George Laurence Nelson, who bought the dilapidated structure in 1919, restored it and lived in it until his death in 1978. Mr. Nelson wrote an enchanting account of his love affair with Seven Hearths, entitled New Life for Old Timber, which is available from the Museum Shop.
Exhibitions at Seven Hearths are changed each year and feature items from the Society’s collections, collections on loan and community exhibits. The artwork of George Laurence Nelson is displayed throughout the house along with some work from his parents, artists Carl and Alice Kerr-Nelson Hirschberg.