King House Museum Events

Every December, the Suffield Historical Society welcomes visitors to the King House Museum for Holiday Fest, or this year, Festyn Świąteczny, with a unique Polish art and culture theme. We are especially grateful for the support of Susan Urban, a Polish arts specialist, who has helped us bring the first floor of the House to life with various examples of Polish folk art. Many items have been loaned by members and friends. There will be music, traditional goodies, other refreshments, and a craft station for the younger visitors. Two pieces of Polish pottery will be given as door prizes at the end of the event. Festyn Świąteczny will take place on December 14 and 15, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at 232 South Main Street.

The January event will be a presentation by Jan Beatty from the Wadsworth Atheneum. Beatty will talk about the Hudson River School with a focus on Frederic Church, who grew up in Hartford, and his teacher Thomas Cole. The Wadsworth owns several of their paintings.

The Historical Society has stepped into the digital age! Our webmaster, Amanda Miller, has revamped our site to make it easier for you to pay your membership dues and make donations online. We’ve also launched a monthly blog curated by Tim Casey, who has already shared fascinating insights into Suffield’s history. His posts will be published mid-month on the Society’s website and Facebook page.

The Society is tremendously grateful for assistance in every form, whether from carpenters, plumbers, lawyers, or electricians. Professional services may be considered in-kind donations for tax purposes. For fall cleanup day, the Society received help from adult volunteers and the energetic Suffield Wildcats U15 Soccer Team. The girls got a special tour of the King House from our curator, Christine Ritok, and then everyone pitched in to rake, trim, dig scrape and clean.

A long-time trustee of the Society, Bob Stewart, passed away recently. His dedication and service to the Society will always be remembered. The Board welcomes Aaron Marcavitch to fill that vacancy.

Thank you for your generous contributions to the Annual Appeal campaign. We are thrilled to announce that we are more than halfway to our goal of $15,000, which will go toward the upcoming Condition Assessment of the King House. In addition to electronic payment methods on the website, the Society has implemented the ability to accept appreciated marketable securities, which might be tax advantageous to the donor.