Photo provided by Connecticut Landmarks
The Phelps-Hatheway House of Connecticut Landmarks has been open to the public regularly since 1972.
Celebrate Spring (and a Summer Camp!) at the Phelps-Hatheway House
On May 6, the Phelps-Hatheway House will open for its 46th season! This year, we will offer beloved annual events, two exciting new programs, and a summer camp.
Please join us in welcoming our 2017 artist, Barbara Conibear, on Saturday, May 6, from 1–2 p.m. Barbara’s vivid close-up photos will lift the winter doldrums and usher in the spring. Her focus is on the depth of color and intricate forms of flowers grown in Suffield, at the New York Botanical Garden and may include images from the Irish countryside where she has wandered many days.
Our opening day also marks the beginning of our monthly attic tours! Please join Jack Cown and our staff as they lead you through the house to the third floor servants’ quarters and spacious attic rooms where innumerable treasures are preserved.
The Suffield Garden Club hosts their annual May Market at the House on May 13. Now in its 40th year, this community celebration offers a grand variety of plants (geraniums!), garden and home décor, as well as a beloved coffee booth (complete with a mug).
Just in time for lilac season, our traditional Mother’s Day tea will be held on Sunday, May 14, at 1 p.m. in the Summer House. Reservations are required and a second seating may be opened this year to accommodate requests. Before the tea, our staff will guide you through Phelps-Hatheway gardens and first floor of the museum while they explain the significant social and political roles that this important beverage played during the Revolutionary War and the years that followed. After our tour, a traditional tea service featuring savory sandwiches, quiche, scones with homemade lemon curd and jam, a festive cake and many pots of tea will await you. Included in this year’s offering will be music and an opportunity to make a fragrant sachet from our gardens. Honor your mother or beloved with this unique experience at one of Connecticut’s most lovely settings; young guests are welcome to don a period costume. $25 per adult; $15 per child. Discounts for CTL members and groups of four or more.
On Saturday, June 3, Connecticut Trails Day, join our staff on a walk up historic Main Street to the Old Burying Ground. Admission is free. On Sunday, June 11, from 1–2 p.m., a program on slavery in Suffield and its ties to our House will be presented. Regular admission applies.
Finally, the Phelps-Hatheway House will once again offer a Colonial Adventure Camp for children 8-12! Journey back in time with us to 18th and 19th century Suffield. Don a period costume and participate in activities that may have taken place each and every day at the Phelps-Hatheway House. Start in the garden harvesting herbs and flowers for tea and fragrant sachets. Learn about trade and Westward expansion while signing important documents and maps with a quill pen. Dye wool and cloth for knitting and sewing, and try your hand at spinning and weaving. Take a walk on historic Main Street to the Alexander King House and to the Old Burying Ground, play historic games, read original diaries and enjoy a daily tea ceremony. A special surprise will await all on the final day: music and dancing will fill the air! Registration required. Cost: $200 per week; $175 CTL Members.
We wish you a pleasant spring and hope to see you soon at the Phelps-Hatheway House!