2009 and 2010 Events and Programs

Homestead Museum Winter Hours — Open during business hours from mid-October to mid-May for private tours. Call 860-536-9248

Denison Homestead Holiday Tours - Sunday, Nov. 22, 12-3pm — Costumed re-enactors will give tours of the1717 Homestead.  Entertainers will sing in the Federal Parlor. Refreshments will be served.

Holiday Farm Market in the meadow- Sunday, Nov. 22, 12-3 — Open Hearth Stone Soup Cooking; Fiddlers playing; fresh local produce, jams, jellies, pies, baked goods, organic fruits, veggies and meats; Special Holiday Treats, stocking stuffers, eco-friendly gifts, colonial children’s games.

Louisa and Walt Watrous will perform at the
Holiday Farm Market Nov. 22

Strategic Plan Meeting-March 20, 2010 (March 27, snow date) — The Denison Society has received a grant from the Connecticut Humanities Council (CHC) to help fund “Strategic Planning for the Denison Homestead”.  One of the largest humanities councils in the nation, the CHC nurtures thoughtful exploration of history and literature along with the cultural benefits of both. Contact us if interested on being involved in our strategic planning.

Daffodil viewing- March- April, 2010 — Come see the beautiful daffodils on the Homestead lawn.

Museum reopening for the season-mid-May to mid-October 2010

August 21, 2010: Denison-Gallup wedding reenactment and Denison Society annual meeting.

Please contact us to make an appointment for any of these programs.

Current Programs

Be a Denison House Detective — Children "discover" interesting items from a "Denison Detective list" as they tour the Homestead with a guide. 

Digging into our Past — Children participate in a mock Archeological Dig, finding artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries.  Students then categorize and discuss their "finds." (Click on a thumbnail below to see pictures from this program.)

     

Combined House Tour and Archeological Dig — During this 2-hour program, a guide dressed in colonial costume assists children with an "archeological dig" and a tour of the Denison Homestead. Children learn about the lives of seven generations of Denisons who lived in the Homestead from 1717 through the 1930s. After finding artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries during their digs, children discuss how these artifacts were used in past centuries. This is a wonderful program for school groups and scouts ages 7 - 11.

Life in Colonial Times — Volunteers dressed as 18th century Denison family members lead an hour's worth of hands-on activities from Colonial times.  Also included is a small snack.  This event is appropriate for small groups and can be held at the Homestead, a library, or a classroom.

Past Programs and Special Events

School Group Tours — Sign up now for our May-June Archaeological Digs and House tours. See below for past digs and tours.

Daffodils in Bloom: Be sure to drive by the Homestead in March or April to see the hundreds of daffodils on the historic Homestead lawn each year. The daffodils were planted in memory of Nancy Ryon Richartz in honor of her love of gardens and her legacy of community service.

Earth Day Celebration: The Society joined the Denison Pequotspos Nature Center’s Earth Day event in April the past two years. The Society had a booth with Honey Bee crafts for children in honor of the new bee hives being installed in our meadow and of the “Denison Honey”  to be sold at the Farm Market and our Gift Shop.

“Bee a Friend” membership launched in April: The Denison Society's Earth Day event also saw the launch of the new Friends Campaign, with the theme: "Bee a Friend of the Denison Society".

Connecticut Open House Day in June: The Denison Homestead Museum was open free of charge to Connecticut Residents along with other Historic Properties, Museums, Art Galleries, Theaters, and Farms across the state. Look for a similar open house in the future.

Childrens' Library Program — In 2007, Denison volunteers dressed as 18th century Denison Family members taught children about old fashioned quilts, as part of North Stonington's year-long celebrations.

300 Years of Holiday Celebrations at the Homestead — In 2007, the Denison Society celebrated 300 years of Holidays at the Homestead for four Sundays: November 19 and 26 and December 3 and 10. The Homestead was decorated for the Holidays, and our Tour Guide, Sandra Van Hoven, conducted 1/2-hour tours between noon and 4:00 pm. This was a highly successful program for us and we thank all our visitors!

Holiday Farm Market — For the past several years, we have held a special Holiday Farmers Market in the field below the Homestead where the Farmers Market was held all summer. This special Market, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, featured 18th century reenactors cooking a Harvest Dinner utilizing authentic 18th century tools, recipes, cooking methods, and food including donations from the market vendors.

Most of the same farmers who have participated in the Denison Farm Market since its inception on June 2006 and have made it such a success were again be on hand, this time displaying their fall produce.

Caring for Your Furniture was offered at the Homestead on Saturday, February 10th (snow date February 24th). (Download our flyer.) Donna Keith Baron discussed how to clean all types of furniture, including removing years of built-up grime and wax and how to dust and vacuum without damaging fragile surfaces. She demonstrated how to preserve and polish a variety of materials including wood, leather, marble, upholstery, brasses, cane and rush. Mrs. Baron, a former curator at Old Sturbridge Village and the Webb, Deane, Stevens Museum in Wethersfield, is the executive director at the Middlesex County Historical Society and a life member of the Denison Society.

Research Your Family was held at the Arnes Room, Mystic & Noank Library, Elm Street, Mystic from 10:00 until 12:00 on Saturday, March 10th. This two-hour workshop was for people who are beginning their search or those who have reached a stumbling block in the process. The workshop defined lineage and where you want or need to go and discussed proofs and what are acceptable for various lineage societies. This workshop was presented by Betty Chapman of Groton. Mrs. Chapman is a member of the CT Professional Genealogists Council; CT Society of Genealogists; CT Genealogical Records of the DAR from 1998-2002; and a member of many local and national historical societies.

Transcribing 17th, 18th, and 19th Century Documents Workshop — In 2006, Community members were invited to hear onna Keith Baron, Curator of the Webb, Deane, Stevens Museum, speak on transcribing old documents.

Preserving Vintage Textiles Workshop — A two-session workshop in 2006 featured Camille Myers Breeze from Museum Textile Services to talk about how to care for antique textile items. (Read more and see pictures.)

Colonial, Federal, and Victorian Gardens Workshop — In 2006, we sponsored Leigh Knuttel, Garden Coordinator at Mystic Seaport, to give a lecture on period gardens at the Pequotsepos Nature Center.

Mystic Heritage Days at the Denison Homestead — Reenactment Groups representing the Denison family members, Native Americans, Colonial Rangers, Revolutionary and Civil War units, and craftspeople all demonstrated a wide variety of 18th and 19th century skills on the grounds of the Homestead.  Horse-drawn carriage rides, food, and craft vendors added to the delightful days.  To read more, please see the Denison Homestead 2003 and Denison Homestead 2004 reenactor's reports. (Shown here is Craig Floyd, past President of the Denison Society and long-time reenactor of Quoketaug Rangers and other reenacting units.)

Frederick Douglass, Pathway To Freedom Documentary — A Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) documentary was filmed at the Homestead in May, 2008, for young adults as part of the “Young American Heroes” TV and school series. To learn more about this exciting event go to www.youngamericanheroes.com.