Potions, Divination, and Protection Practices Through the Ages
2023-10-12 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Did you know that Eye of Newt refers to the humble mustard seed? Have you ever worn jewelry you believed would protect you or displayed a cinnamon broom in your home? Maybe placed a horseshoe above your front door. Or that a popular form of countermagic in Colonial New England entailed heating a victim’s urine in a bottle, sometimes with nails and pins to counteract a negative spell?
Learn how ‘potions,” divination, and cleansing/protection practices have evolved through the ages and how they are still being used today. Discover how plants such as those found in the Webb Deane Stevens Colonial Revival Garden could be made into healing elixirs, how the role of folk magic, divination through celestial and earthly events, dream interpretation, and indigenous influences shaped Colonial New England, and the importance of balancing, cleansing and protecting your energy and light essence.
This program is presented by Mystic Reiki Healing, Moonlit Path Healing, and The Replanted Witch in collaboration with The Blackbird House.
Reception: 6 pm / Program: 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Tickets available HERE.
Potions: Rachel Star Koladis, The Replanted Witch
As early as the 15th century, the word “potion” was understood to be a magical consumable liquid. They might be concoctions used to heal, bewitch, or poison people, made by a witch or other magical practitioner. Popular examples included preparations for attracting love or inducing a deep sleep. Witches and potions have become intertwined within the popular imagination, but why did the two become associated? There are hints in historical images of women wearing pointy hats, over a bubbling cauldron dating back to Medieval times, and in Greek mythology we find the story of Circe teaching herself how to use powerful herbs prepared as drinks or stews. Women have enjoyed a long association with potion making through the ages, as healers, alewives, and witches. Learn more about this fascinating history, as well as some of the plants found in the Webb Deane Stevens gardens that could have been used now and then for traditional healing and potions.
The Role of Folk Magic and Divination in Colonial New England: Erin Touponse, Mystic Reiki Healing
In Colonial New England, nothing was certain; at any given time, death could strike, the earth could tremble, and crops could fail. Early settlers depended on ancient folk magic, astrology, divination, and dreams/visions to assist in bringing order and sense to a time when personal and collective security was not prevalent. Learn how the role of folk magic, divination through celestial and earthly events, dream interpretation, and indigenous influences shaped Colonial New England.
Cleansing & Protection Practices: Victoria Selden Moonlit Path Healing
No matter the walk of life you come from, magick can be found in even the smallest mundane aspects of life. Throughout the ages, we have found a variety of ways to relish the magick in our lives, but not without polarity. Light and dark, positive and negative, yin and yang. Learn the importance of balancing, cleansing and protecting your energy and light essence.
THE PRESENTERS
About Rachel Star Koladis
Witchcraft and magic have been dominant forces from an early age and Rachel’s free time was spent practicing spells with her best friends. A natural offshoot of this interest is her passion for history, which was fostered as a homeschooler and attending every available program at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum – including colonial summer camp. During her college years, Rachel haunted the campus shrouded in her handmade woolen cape and took the only class she could find in witchcraft at The University of Hartford. At Trinity College, she worked to research and prepare a working bibliography on witchcraft-related holdings at the Watkinson Library on campus. After getting her certification as a vegan chef at The Natural Gourmet and studying herbalism with Rosemary Gladstar, her path became clearer. She started offering Witchcraft 101 workshops and hosting a book group called Witchy Reads at The Blackbird House in Wethersfield. In the future, she plans to offer a moveable supper club in celebration of The Wheel of the Year. In her free time, you can find Rachel foraging, researching plants and remedies, visiting historic sites, whipping up kitchen magic, and practicing her needlework.
About Erin Touponse
Erin Touponse owns The Blackbird House in Old Wethersfield. She is a Reiki Master/Teacher, Pranic healer, Certified End of Life Specialist, Tarot Scholar, Student of Shamanic Studies, author, and poet. Her book, Soul’s Journey – A Practical Guide to Reading the Tarot, was published in early 2023. Erin teaches Usui Reiki, Tarot, and Intuitive Development classes, and offers guided meditation and sound healing group classes with her husband, Marcel Touponse.
About Victoria Selden
Victoria Selden is a Reiki Master, Oracle Reader, and Intuitive Guide with Moonlit Path Healing. She leads workshops on Spiritual Cleansing & Protection and Moon Magick at The Blackbird House. Victoria is a long-standing student of esoteric and magickal works and loves learning and teaching to help others on their healing path.

Country House Conference
2023-11-04 09:00 - 17:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
The 2023 Country House Conference comes to Webb Deane Stevens the first weekend of November, with a daylong symposium and two days of touring house museums and private homes in Greater Hartford and along the Connecticut shoreline. The Webb, Deane, and Stevens Houses may not look much like country houses at a glance, situated at the center of Old Wethersfield, but the day’s speakers will explore a wider understanding of the “country” as a place of escape and imagination. During the 20th century, thanks to automobile travel and influencers like Wallace Nutting, historic towns and their houses became as much an escape as rural byways. The program includes a lecture by WDS Executive Director Brenton Grom.
This conference is an annual production of the American Country House Foundation and has been underwritten in 2023 by the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust.
November 3-5, 2023, with a symposium at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum on November 4. Registration cost: $65 per person. Ticket price includes lectures, lunch, a reception, and house tours. Purchase tickets here.
Full Schedule:
Day 1: House tours – Hill-Stead, Chick Austin, Russell House, Wetmore House
Day 2: Conference Day, Webb Deane Stevens
09:00 AM – Doors Open – Attendees register, coffee, and breakfast desserts (muffins, pastry etc.)
09:25 AM – Welcome
09:30 AM – Lecture 1 – Wetmore House and Early Connecticut Houses
10:15 AM – Lecture 2 – Asher Benjamin and Ithiel Town
10:45 AM – Lecture 3 – Lockwood-Mathews Mansion
11:30 PM – Lecture 4 – Hill-Stead
12:15 PM – Lunch Break
01:00 PM – Lecture 5 – Wallace Nutting and the Colonial Revival Movement
01:50 PM – Lecture 6 – Glass House
02:30 PM – Tour of. Webb House, Deane House, Stevens House,Buttolph-Williams House
05:00 PM – Evening reception
Day 3: Pardee-Morris, Florence Griswold, Hempstead Houses

LECTURE | Other People's Stuff: How the Spectacle of House Museums Can Bring Us Together and Teach Us Empathy
2024-09-12 18:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
You don’t have to believe the country is falling apart to notice Americans struggling to come together. Last year the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory report on our “epidemic of loneliness,” a dark flip side to the loud and impassioned public dialogue that has become a hallmark of 21st-century life. Meanwhile, we give less than ever to charity, belong to fewer organizations, and distance ourselves from the categories and etiquette that once defined individuals’ relationships to a larger community. We want to be seen and heard, and yet we sometimes lack the tools and patience to see and hear one another.
From the neuroscience of spatial experience to the awe inspired by thinking across expanses of time, house museums hold powerful means to opening our minds. If we treat them as laboratories rather than as repositories of information, they can teach us to look closely at the residue of the past and use multiple kinds of intelligence to grasp the complexity of the human relationships intertwined with it. A century ago, old rooms and their furnishings were part of a bold new strategy in museums to lift up society by drawing attention to the objects that surround us. This lecture, adapted from an address last winter at the Colonial Williamsburg Antiques Forum, focuses on the ways in which our national treasures in Historic Wethersfield can help us observe, listen, and relate to one another with the same curiosity and respect we accord to people of the past.

WDS BOOK CLUB: | The Bookshop
2025-02-11 18:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Monthly | Every Second Tuesday, 6 pm
Moderated by TR Revella-Hamilton, WDS Director of Preservation & Collections
Feb 11 | We’re reading The Bookshop: A History of the American Book Store by Evan Friss
Discover hidden stories of America’s past, cultural heritage, and architectural treasures with our new WDS book club, led by Director of Preservation & Collections TR Revella-Hamilton.
Journey through time as we explore fascinating narratives from trailblazing architects like Julia Morgan to the preservation adventures of historic New England homes. Step through the page and into new worlds to encounter witch trials and colonial intrigue, unsolved Victorian murders that inspired literary classics, and gripping tales of resistance against slavery in George Washington’s own household.
Meet fellow history enthusiasts in person as we discuss thought-provoking books by acclaimed authors. Our carefully curated monthly selections delve into the rich tapestry of American and European history, featuring compelling works about revolutionary figures, historic preservation, decorative arts, and stories that shaped our cultural landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned historian, preservation enthusiast, or simply curious about the stories behind our built heritage, there’s a place for you in our community of learners.
How it Works
Book Club meets monthly at the Museum on the second Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Book Club members will receive the newest book title via email one month prior to the book club date. You may join Book Club at any point during the year. Come when you can – there is no penalty for missing a session.
Book Club 2025 “Library Card” Annual Fee*:
$25 General | $20 Museum Members | $15 Students
Your Book Club Library Card entitles you to twelve in-person Book Club sessions, as well as discounted admission to the accompanying Book Talks lecture series held on Thursdays at the Museum.
*Book Club funds support educational and interpretive programming at the Museum. Book Club Library Card fee is for the year, regardless of when you join and will not be prorated. Thank you for your support.

WDS BOOK CLUB | Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect
2025-03-11 18:00 - 20:00 | CT
This month we’re reading:
Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect by Victoria Kastner
Tuesday, March 11, 6 pm | In Person and Virtual
Moderated by TR Revella-Hamilton, WDS Director of Preservation & Collections
Meet fellow history enthusiasts in person as we discuss thought-provoking books by acclaimed authors. Our carefully curated monthly selections delve into the rich tapestry of American and European history, featuring compelling works about revolutionary figures, historic preservation, decorative arts, and stories that shaped our cultural landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned historian, preservation enthusiast, or simply curious about the stories behind our built heritage, there’s a place for you in our community of learners.
JOIN BOOK CLUB

How it Works: Book Club meets monthly at the Museum on the second Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise noted. You may join Book Club at any point during the year. Come when you can – there is no penalty for missing a session.
Book Club 2025 “Library Card” Annual Fee*: $25 General | $20 Museum Members | $15 Students
Your Book Club Library Card entitles you to twelve in-person Book Club sessions, as well as discounted admission to the accompanying Book Talks lecture series held on Thursdays at the Museum.

VIRTUAL LECTURE | Victorian-Era Colonial Revival: Late 19th Century Furniture of New York Cabinetmakers Matthew Meier & Ernest Hagen
2025-05-22 19:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
VIRTUAL LECTURE
Join us for an exclusive virtual lecture* with Grant S. Quertermous, Curator & Director of Collections at the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation, as he delves into the history and craftsmanship of a remarkable 1892 Meier & Hagen mirror from the Webb Deane Stevens Museum’s collection, and the evolution of Meier & Hagen furniture.
The mirror was produced by Meier & Hagen in 1892 and is on display in our new exhibition: Out of The Attic: A Century of Collecting.
Thursday May 22nd, 7:00 pm
Members: $10
Non-Members: $15
*Zoom link will be provided in advance of the lecture.
Grant Quertermous | Grant Quertermous is the Curator and Director of Collections for the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation (formerly Classical American Homes Preservation Trust), a position he has held since 2020. He previously served as Curator at Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, a National Historic Landmark in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. for five years and prior to that he was the Assistant Curator at James Madison’s Montpelier for nine years during its major restoration and furnishing project. He holds an undergraduate degree in history from Murray State University and a Master’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina. His book, A Georgetown Life, the Reminiscences of Britannia Wellington Peter Kennon of Tudor Place was published by Georgetown University Press in 2020.

This lecture is generously supported by the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation.

Restoration Revealed: Craftsmen at Work
2025-07-03 14:00 - 15:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Restoration Revealed: Craftsmen at Work
Step into living history every Thursday at 2 PM
Watch master craftsmen breathe new life into centuries-old treasures at WDS Museum’s weekly restoration showcase. From the skilled hands of Mount Vernon’s master carpenter Nathanial Ulfers to rising talent like American College of Building Arts intern Ryan, witness traditional trades that built America.
See history unfold before your eyes:

An 18th-century loom taking shape timber by timber
Historic interiors restored with period-authentic techniques
The iconic 1752 Joseph Webb House receiving its new cedar-shake roof

This isn’t just observation—it’s immersion. Chat directly with our artisans about time-honored methods passed down through generations. Discover the secrets behind mortise-and-tenon joinery, hand-split shingles, and authentic colonial finishes that have weathered nearly three centuries.
Every Thursday brings something new. Check our social media Thursday mornings to preview the day’s projects, or simply drop by to be surprised. Whether you’re a history buff, DIY enthusiast, or curious about American craftsmanship, you’ll leave with newfound appreciation for the skills that shaped our nation.
No tickets required—just curiosity and a respect for the craft.
Restoration Revealed: Where the past meets the present, one careful stroke at a time.
Made possible with the generous support of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation

Traditional Trades Fair
2025-07-26 10:00 - 16:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Step into the world of master craftspeople and discover the time-honored skills that built America. On Saturday, July 26th from 10 am to 4 pm, Webb Deane Stevens Museum opens its doors to showcase the traditional trades that keep our historic treasures alive.
Watch skilled artisans demonstrate timber framing, roofing techniques, and master carpentry as they work on our own preservation projects, including the major roof replacement currently underway on the historic Webb House. Experience the artistry of women’s traditional work through textile demonstrations, weaving, and historic loom operations. Learn the meticulous craft of paint stripping and restoration that reveals centuries of hidden history.
This hands-on day welcomes everyone—whether you’re a preservation enthusiast, restoring your own historic home, or simply fascinated by traditional craftsmanship. Bring the whole family to witness skills passed down through generations, where visual beauty and uncompromising quality were not just ideals, but the standard.
Saturday, July 26 | 10 am – 4 pm
Webb Barn, Old Wethersfield
Demonstrations, workshops, and family-friendly activities
Tickets: $10 | $8 Members
Experience the dedication and artistry that preservation requires, and discover why these traditional trades remain essential to protecting our architectural heritage.
Made possible with the generous support of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation

LECTURE | Coming Home: The Story of a Tulip and Sunflower Chest With Pat Kane
2025-11-20 19:00 | CT
Purchase Tickets
Renowned decorative arts scholar Pat Kane reveals the remarkable story of Connecticut’s Wethersfield chest tradition in this specialized lecture. Explore the intersection of artistry, craftsmanship, and cultural identity through these colonial masterpieces that represent some of America’s finest early furniture making. Kane’s expertise illuminates how these functional objects reflect broader patterns of settlement, trade, and artistic expression in the Connecticut River Valley, making them invaluable windows into colonial American life and
aesthetics.
Tickets: General Admission $15| Members $10 | Jenrette Society & Students $5
Bio | Patricia E. Kane, Friends of American Arts Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Yale University Art Gallery, has been at Yale since receiving her M.A. from the University of Delaware, Winterthur Program in Early American Culture in 1968. The topic of her Master’s thesis was the seventeenth-century joined furniture of Hartford County. She received her Ph.D. in art history from Yale in 1987. She oversees collections of American decorative arts and design that range from the seventeenth century to the present. Since 2002 she has directed the Rhode Island Furniture Archive at the Yale University Art Gallery that documents furniture making in Rhode Island from 1650 to 1830. The results of this research are disseminated through a website, https://americandecorativearts.yale.edu/ , hosted by Jstor, and Art and Industry in Early America: Rhode Island Furniture 1650–1830, a publication for a 2016 exhibition at the Art Gallery. In addition to ongoing research on early Rhode Island furniture, she has collaborated with scientists at Yale to identify the different species of mahogany used in early American furniture.

LECTURE | Beyond Blue and White: The Hidden Women of Delftware
2026-03-12 19:00 - 21:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Beyond Blue and White: The Hidden Women of Delftware
WDS Book Talk with Genevieve Wheeler Brown
Thursday, March 12, 7:00 PM
This lecture is offered in person and via ZOOM. Please purchase virtual tickets prior to 4:00 PM on the day of the lecture to ensure you receive the link.
Purchase Tickets

When over seventy-five pieces of rare Delftware were discovered in a historic Manhattan townhouse, decorative art expert Genevieve Wheeler Brown recognized these exquisite ceramics held secrets overlooked for centuries. Join us for an illustrated journey through the hidden history of this beloved art form and the remarkable women who shaped it.
Through vivid images of 17th and 18th century treasures—puzzle jugs, flower pyramids, Persian blue teapots, and ornate tiles—Brown reveals the stories of female factory owners like Barbara Rotteveel, who founded “The Three Bells” in 1671, and royal patron Queen Mary II, whose passion for blue and white ceramics sparked a decorative revolution. Discover how pioneering American collectors Mrs. J. Pierpont Morgan and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt II laid the groundwork for women in museums while preserving decorative arts for future generations.
Part art history, part detective story, this presentation celebrates the artistry and forceful female lives behind one of the world’s most coveted ceramics.
Tickets: $15 | $12.50 Virtual | $10 Members
This lecture will be offered in person and via Zoom.
*Zoom link will be provided in advance of the lecture.
About the Author: As a decorative art advisor and writer with over thirty years in the art world, including a decade with Christie’s in New York and London, Genevieve Wheeler Brown has been actively involved in the community of Delftware. She has also participated on the Antiques Roadshow as an appraiser with an eye out for overlooked “treasure.” In her role, she has held innumerable objects, from fake Stradivari violins to gold-mounted Faberge eggs, considering their value but also the stories they can tell. Beyond Blue and White has been named an NPR Here & Now Editors’ Pick!, The Art Newspaper‘s Book Bag Selection and recently received glowing reviews by the Magazine ANTIQUES and The Wall Street Journal.

LECTURE | America's Tapestry: Fiber Arts & The Revolution
2026-04-09 19:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
LECTURE | America’s Tapestry: Fiber Arts & The Revolution with Stefan Romero of America’s Tapestry, a collaborative community embroidery project
Thursday, April 9, 7 PM
Buy Tickets
Join WDS and America’s Tapestry to learn about the prominent role needle art is playing in our nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. America’s Tapestry founder and director Stefan Romero will discuss the creation of this collaborative community embroidery project, highlighting lesser-known stories from the American Revolution. Get a deep dive on everything from panel design to the stories of those who are working on bringing these incredible embroideries to life. From finding inspiration in the Scottish Borders to grassroots organizing in the United States, hear the story of how this ambitious project came to life.
Tickets: $15 |$12.50 Virtual | $10 Members
This lecture will be offered in person and via Zoom.
*Zoom link will be provided in advance of the lecture.

Stefan Romero | Director and Founder of America’s Tapestry Stefan Romero is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious College of Fine Arts, where he specialized in the dress and textiles of Colonial America. As a Fulbright Scholar, Stefan deepened his understanding of the discipline through his Masters Degree at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. In collaboration with William & Mary (VA), Seton Hill University (PA), and a number of carefully selected historical and craft organizations, Stefan is creating a unique exhibition: “America’s Tapestry”. To learn more about America’s Tapestry, please visit www.americastapestry.com.

WDS BOOK CLUB | Life Along The Hudson: The Historic Country Estates of the Livingston Family
2026-04-14 18:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Calling all bookworms, history buffs, preservationists and culture mavens! Join us for our NEW year-long book club, accompanied by a lecture series with acclaimed authors.
This month we’re reading:
Life Along The Hudson: The Historic Country Estates of the Livingston Family
By Pieter Estersohn
Tuesday, April 14, 6 pm | In Person and Virtual
Moderated by TR Revella-Hamilton, WDS Director of Preservation & Collections
Meet fellow history enthusiasts in person as we discuss thought-provoking books by acclaimed authors. Our carefully curated monthly selections delve into the rich tapestry of American and European history, featuring compelling works about revolutionary figures, historic preservation, decorative arts, and stories that shaped our cultural landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned historian, preservation enthusiast, or simply curious about the stories behind our built heritage, there’s a place for you in our community of learners.
JOIN BOOK CLUB

How it Works: Book Club meets bimonthly at the Museum and via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each designated month, unless otherwise noted. Book Club members will receive the newest book title via email two months prior to the book club date. You may join Book Club at any point during the year. Come when you can – there is no penalty for missing a session.
Book Club 2026 “Library Card” Annual Fee*: $25 General | $20 Museum Members | $15 Students
Your Book Club Library Card entitles you to in-person and virtual Book Club sessions, as well as discounted admission to the accompanying Book Talks lecture series held on Thursdays at the Museum.

LECTURE | The Art of Collecting
2026-05-14 19:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
LECTURE | The Art of Collecting with Ned Lazaro
Thursday, May 14, 7:00 PM
Purchase Tickets
What drives someone to seek out a two-hundred-year-old sampler—and what does that impulse tell us about who we are? Join textile historian Ned Lazaro, Associate Curator of Textiles and Costumes at The Wadsworth Atheneum and former curator of textiles at Historic Deerfield for a moderated discussion on the history of collecting schoolgirl samplers and other forms of needlepoint in the United States. From early needlework to printed broadsides, discover how these rescued objects shaped our understanding of material culture—and why they still matter.
Tickets: $15 |$12.50 Virtual | $10 Members
This lecture will be offered in person and via Zoom.
*Zoom link will be provided in advance of the lecture to Members and Virtual ticket holders.

Ned Lazaro | David E. (Ned) Lazaro is the Associate Curator of Costume and Textiles at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut. He manages a collection of roughly 7,500 items, including costumes and textiles ranging from Egyptian artifacts to contemporary fashion. Lazaro specializes in interpreting fashion history, including 18th-to-20th-century deportment.

FEUDING FOUNDERS COLLECTIVE | Feuding Founders: The Untold Drama of Silas Deane, John Jay, and the Lees of Virginia
2026-05-16 10:00 - 15:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Purchase Tickets
We tend to remember the founders as marble men — monumental, unified, certain. The truth is messier and more interesting. The Feuding Founders Collective is a multi-site public history initiative that humanizes Silas Deane, John Jay, and the Lee brothers of Virginia — men who were in conversation, in collaboration, and sometimes in conflict with one another.
Presented in partnership with Jay Heritage Center (NY), Friends of John Jay Homestead, and Menokin and Stratford Hall (VA), this series destabilizes the one-dimensional portraits we’ve inherited and invites audiences to sit with the full complexity of these lives: the ambition and the insecurity, the idealism and the grudges, the smear campaigns and the shared cause.
In an era of weaponized media and public takedowns, these 250-year-old stories feel less like history and more like a mirror — and understanding how the founders navigated political polarization, character assassination, and the tension between principle and self-interest may be one of the most useful things the past can offer us right now. Three sites. Three perspectives. Not a story of heroes and villains, but of imperfect people trying to build something that had never existed before.
Wethersfield Symposium: The Making of Silas Deane
How does a man of middling origins rise to become America’s first diplomat? The Wethersfield symposium focuses on the early lives and backgrounds of Silas Deane, John Jay, and the Lee brothers — what shaped them before they shaped the republic. What did it take for Deane to climb from a Connecticut schoolteacher to the halls of Versailles, and then plummet to disgrace? How did the Lee brothers leverage Virginia’s planter aristocracy into political influence, and how did their personal relationship drive or derail their decisions? How did Jay’s legal prowess and New York connections place him at the center of revolutionary diplomacy?
This is a day for people who want the real story—not the tidy one. Join us and fellow curious minds for a daylong adventure into the past. Walk the rooms of the Webb and Deane Houses first — stand where political debates unfolded, where military strategy was weighed, where Deane may have sat alone calculating his next move. Let the spaces work on you before the conversation begins. Keep the energy and the intrigue alive over a shared meal in the barn. Then hear from scholars representing each partner site as they paint a more layered, more human picture of Jay, the Lees, and Deane — their relationships to power and to one another. The day closes with a walk to the Wethersfield Cove Warehouse, guided by the Wethersfield Historical Society — the very waterfront where Deane built the merchant trade that launched everything.
SCHEDULE
10:00 AM: Welcome & Orientation | 211 Main Street
10:30 AM: Tour the historic Webb and Deane Houses
12:00 PM: Lunch in the Webb Barn
1:00 PM: Roundtable Discussion
TICKETS
Full Day + Lunch: $55 | $50 Members of Webb Deane Stevens, Jay Heritage Center, Menokin, and Stratford Hall
House Tours & Roundtable Discussion: $20 In Person | $15 Members
Virtual Roundtable Discussion: $8

Attend All Three!
Each roundtable discussion will be livestreamed on Zoom. Attend all events onsite, online, or a combination!
Webb Deane Stevens Museum | Silas Deane: May 16, Connecticut
Jay Heritage Center | John Jay: September 26, New York
Register your interest with an email to Suzanne Clary: jayheritagecenter@gmail.com
Stratford Hall & Menokin | The Lee Brothers: November 14, Virginia

WDS BOOK CLUB | The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding
2026-06-09 18:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Calling all bookworms, history buffs, preservationists and culture mavens! Join us for our NEW year-long book club, accompanied by a lecture series with acclaimed authors.
This month we’re reading:
The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding
By Joseph Ellis
(Available on audible)
Tuesday, June 9, 6 pm | In Person and Virtual
Moderated by TR Revella-Hamilton, WDS Director of Preservation & Collections
Meet fellow history enthusiasts in person as we discuss thought-provoking books by acclaimed authors. Our carefully curated monthly selections delve into the rich tapestry of American and European history, featuring compelling works about revolutionary figures, historic preservation, decorative arts, and stories that shaped our cultural landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned historian, preservation enthusiast, or simply curious about the stories behind our built heritage, there’s a place for you in our community of learners.
JOIN BOOK CLUB

How it Works: Book Club meets bimonthly at the Museum and via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each designated month, unless otherwise noted. Book Club members will receive the newest book title via email two months prior to the book club date. You may join Book Club at any point during the year. Come when you can – there is no penalty for missing a session.
Book Club 2026 “Library Card” Annual Fee*: $25 General | $20 Museum Members | $15 Students
Your Book Club Library Card entitles you to in-person and virtual Book Club sessions, as well as discounted admission to the accompanying Book Talks lecture series held on Thursdays at the Museum.

WDS BOOK CLUB | The Painter's Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution
2026-08-11 18:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Calling all bookworms, history buffs, preservationists and culture mavens! Join us for our NEW year-long book club, accompanied by a lecture series with acclaimed authors.
This month we’re reading:
The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution
By Zara Anishanslin
(Available on Audible)
Tuesday, August 11, 6 pm | In Person and Virtual
Moderated by TR Revella-Hamilton, WDS Director of Preservation & Collections
Meet fellow history enthusiasts in person as we discuss thought-provoking books by acclaimed authors. Our carefully curated monthly selections delve into the rich tapestry of American and European history, featuring compelling works about revolutionary figures, historic preservation, decorative arts, and stories that shaped our cultural landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned historian, preservation enthusiast, or simply curious about the stories behind our built heritage, there’s a place for you in our community of learners.
JOIN BOOK CLUB

How it Works: Book Club meets bimonthly at the Museum and via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each designated month, unless otherwise noted. Book Club members will receive the newest book title via email two months prior to the book club date. You may join Book Club at any point during the year. Come when you can – there is no penalty for missing a session.
Book Club 2026 “Library Card” Annual Fee*: $25 General | $20 Museum Members | $15 Students
Your Book Club Library Card entitles you to in-person and virtual Book Club sessions, as well as discounted admission to the accompanying Book Talks lecture series held on Thursdays at the Museum.

LECTURE | Civic Stitches: Early American Needlework and National Identity
2026-09-10 18:00 - 19:30 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
LECTURE | Civic Stitches: Early American Needlework and National Identity  with Emily Whitted, Guest-Curator, American Girlhood: Needlework, Memory, and The Making of a Nation

Thursday, September 10, 6:00 PM
Purchase Tickets
This companion lecture to the exhibition American Girlhood by guest curator Emily Whitted will explore the larger history of needlework as part of early American education for girls. In the aftermath of the American Revolution, female education was a critical space for civic development, and needlework was one educational medium in which girls processed their own identities within the new nation. This lecture will connect needlework within the exhibition with pieces from other public collections, and broadly trace the rich lives of early American girls engaged in crafting a nation.
Tickets: $15 |$12.50 Virtual | $10 Members
*This lecture will be offered in person and via Zoom. Zoom link will be provided in advance of the lecture.
About the Curator | Emily Whitted is a PhD candidate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the guest curator of American Girlhood: Needlework, Memory, and the Making of a Nation. Her research broadly explores the history of textiles, women’s history, and material culture in early America. Her current and past work includes projects with the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the National Park Service and National Council on Public History, the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle, and the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Foundation. She also holds an M.A. in American Material Culture from the Winterthur Program at the University of Delaware.

FEUDING FOUNDERS COLLECTIVE | Jay Heritage Center - The Untold Drama of Silas Deane, John Jay, and the Lees of Virginia
2026-09-26 10:00 - 15:00 | Jay Heritage Center, 210 Boston Post Road, Rye, 10580
Tickets on sale March 2026. Register your interest with an email to Renee Dumouchel: rdumouchel@wdsmuseum.org
This event takes place at Jay Heritage Center in Rye, NY. Attend the full day in person, or purchase a virtual ticket for the roundtable discussion.
We tend to remember the founders as marble men — monumental, unified, certain. The truth is messier and more interesting. The Feuding Founders Collective is a multi-site public history initiative that humanizes Silas Deane, John Jay, and the Lee brothers of Virginia — men who were in conversation, in collaboration, and sometimes in conflict with one another.
Presented in partnership with Jay Heritage Center (NY), Friends of John Jay Homestead, and Menokin and Stratford Hall (VA), this series destabilizes the one-dimensional portraits we’ve inherited and invites audiences to sit with the full complexity of these lives: the ambition and the insecurity, the idealism and the grudges, the smear campaigns and the shared cause.
In an era of weaponized media and public takedowns, these 250-year-old stories feel less like history and more like a mirror — and understanding how the founders navigated political polarization, character assassination, and the tension between principle and self-interest may be one of the most useful things the past can offer us right now. Three sites. Three perspectives. Not a story of heroes and villains, but of imperfect people trying to build something that had never existed before.
Rye Symposium: John Jay – Diplomat and Spymaster
How did our earliest American diplomats accomplish their secret and very delicate assignments abroad? The Jay Heritage Center symposium will focus on the interactions of John Jay, Silas Deane and the Lee brothers, Arthur and William, as illustrated by the decipherable records and cyphers that they left behind. What was the Jay-Deane code and why is John Jay credited by the CIA as being the first chief of US counterintelligence? What controversy put Jay at the center of a legal defense of Deane’s actions in France? Learn firsthand about the security concerns that prompted the Lee brothers of Virginia to launch public accusations that Deane was a traitor.
This is an experience for people who want to hear our whole history. Join us and fellow history lovers for a daylong exploration of 18th century political quandaries and fragile allegiances. Stand on the very spot where Jay looked out at the horizon during the Stamp Act and imagined a new nation and his own role in shaping it. Contemplate the contradictions he faced in seeking freedom from British rule while his family denied freedom to others who worked the land. Tour the historic Jay Estate gardens followed by lunch at the same place where Jay celebrated the end of the Revolutionary War and his negotiation of the Treaty of Paris. Then hear from scholars representing each partner site as they paint a more layered, more human picture of Jay, the Lees, and Deane — their relationships to power and to one another. The program closes with a walk of the property that inspired James Fenimore Cooper’s Revolutionary War novel, “The Spy.”

10:00 AM: Welcome and Orientation (210 Boston Post Road) at Jay Mansion
10:30 AM: Jay Mansion Tour
11:00 AM: Jay Estate Gardens and Grounds Tour
12:00 PM: Lunch break on the Veranda
1:00 PM: Round Table Discussion at the Wachenheim Center
Hour long round table discussion plus Q&A.  Discussion will focus on the early lives and background of the Lee Brothers, Silas Deane and John Jay.  Each site will give a brief introduction to their founding father(s) and historic site(s).
3:00 pm: Tour of the 18th century Lyon Farmhouse exterior and archaeological area.

Attend All Three!
Each roundtable discussion will be livestreamed on Zoom. Attend all events onsite, online, or a combination!
Webb Deane Stevens Museum | Silas Deane: May 16, Connecticut
Jay Heritage Center | John Jay: September 26, New York
Stratford Hall & Menokin | The Lee Brothers: November 14, Virginia

WDS BOOK CLUB | Spiritualism's Place: Reformers, Seekers, and Séances in Lily Dale
2026-10-13 18:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Calling all bookworms, history buffs, preservationists and culture mavens! Join us for our NEW year-long book club, accompanied by a lecture series with acclaimed authors.
This month we’re reading:
Spiritualism’s Place: Reformers, Seekers, and Séances in Lily Dale
By Averill Earls
Tuesday, October 13, 6 pm | In Person and Virtual
Moderated by TR Revella-Hamilton, WDS Director of Preservation & Collections
Meet fellow history enthusiasts in person as we discuss thought-provoking books by acclaimed authors. Our carefully curated monthly selections delve into the rich tapestry of American and European history, featuring compelling works about revolutionary figures, historic preservation, decorative arts, and stories that shaped our cultural landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned historian, preservation enthusiast, or simply curious about the stories behind our built heritage, there’s a place for you in our community of learners.
JOIN BOOK CLUB

How it Works: Book Club meets bimonthly at the Museum and via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each designated month, unless otherwise noted. Book Club members will receive the newest book title via email two months prior to the book club date. You may join Book Club at any point during the year. Come when you can – there is no penalty for missing a session.
Book Club 2026 “Library Card” Annual Fee*: $25 General | $20 Museum Members | $15 Students
Your Book Club Library Card entitles you to in-person and virtual Book Club sessions, as well as discounted admission to the accompanying Book Talks lecture series held on Thursdays at the Museum.

FEUDING FOUNDERS COLLECTIVE | Stratford Hall & Menokin, VA: The Lee—Deane Conflict and the Political "Bloodbath" of 1778
2026-11-14 10:00 - 18:00 | Stratford Hall, 483 Great House Road, Stratford, VA, 22558
This event takes place at Stratford Hall and Menokin in Virginia. Attend the full day in person, or purchase a virtual ticket for the roundtable discussion.
Presented in partnership with Jay Heritage Center (NY), Friends of John Jay Homestead, and Menokin and Stratford Hall (VA), this series destabilizes the one-dimensional portraits we’ve inherited and invites audiences to sit with the full complexity of these lives: the ambition and the insecurity, the idealism and the grudges, the smear campaigns and the shared cause.
How did a diplomatic dispute become one of the first political media storms in American history?
Join us at Stratford Hall in Montross, VA for a Semiquincentennial conversation on the aftermath of the Lee—Deane Conflict. In 1776, Silas Deane of Connecticut was sent to France to secure crucial wartime support. He came under fire when Arthur Lee, a Virginian also posted in Europe, accused Deane of profiteering and fraud. The matter exploded into the public sphere when Deane fired back, charging Arthur Lee with spying for the British and sharing information with them. Virginia congressmen Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee found themselves defending their family’s reputation amid a fierce smear campaign that played out in the pages of newspapers up and down the Eastern seaboard. John Jay, then president of Congress, was drawn into the dispute as well, with consequences that would shadow his diplomatic career for years. As accusations and defenses spilled from private correspondence into newspapers, the reputations of all four men were tested before a watching public.
This is a day for people who want to see how the Revolution unfolded not only in congresses and courts, but in print and in public opinion. Begin the morning with a tour of Menokin, Francis Lightfoot Lee’s home, before traveling to nearby Stratford Hall to walk the grounds and tour the house where the Lee brothers grew up. Share lunch and conversation, then hear from scholars representing all four partner sites—Menokin, Stratford Hall, the Webb Deane Stevens Museum, and the John Jay Historic Site—as they examine how the Deane controversy reverberated through the early republic. This Affair affected the reputations of other “feuding fathers” including Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin, and John Adams. It offers a window into the rough-and-tumble politics of the 1770s—and a reminder that the tensions between press, politics, and personal reputation are as old as the republic itself.
SCHEDULE (subject to updates)
10:00 AM-11:30 AM: Tour Menokin house and grounds, Warsaw, VA
12:00 PM-1:00 PM: Lunch at Stratford Hall, Montross VA
1:00 PM-2:30 PM: Hour long round table discussion plus Q&A on the Lee—Deane Conflict with representatives from the historic homes of John Jay (NY), Silas Deane (CT), Richard Henry Lee (VA) and Francis Lightfoot Lee (VA).
3:00-4:30 PM: Tour of Stratford Hall
5:00-6:00 PM: Wrap-up Reception and NNK Symposium Kick off, Stratford Hall
6:30-7:30 PM: Talk | NNK Symposium Keynote [add-on $10]
Pricing:
$30 | Sun, 11/8 Day Pass: Includes Menokin tour, Stratford tour, Roundtable, Reception
$10 | Add-on: NNK symposium keynote on 11/8 and NNK Symposium ticket for 11/9
$15 | Roundtable only
$5 | Virtual admission only to Roundtable
Special: $60: Pass to 11/8 Feuding Founders Symposium + Pass to 11/9 NNK Symposium
For more information or to register interest, email Connie Rosemont at crosemont@menokin.org or Hunter Peal at hunterp@stratfordhall.org

Attend All Three!
Each roundtable discussion will be livestreamed on Zoom. Attend all events onsite, online, or a combination!
Webb Deane Stevens Museum | Silas Deane: May 16, Connecticut
Jay Heritage Center | John Jay: September 26, New York
Stratford Hall & Menokin | The Lee Brothers: November 14, Virginia

About Stratford Hall
Stratford Hall brings together people from around the world to experience two-thousand acres of natural and human history, preserved and presented so that we can all learn from the courageous struggles of our ancestors, taking inspiration both from what they endured and what they accomplished. There are few places in America where people can travel down small, rural roads to arrive at a vast site that preserves so many aspects of early-American life, from the Great House where the influential Lee family helped to forge a new nation, to the fields worked by enslaved Africans, to the waters of the rivers that fueled trade, to the ground, which still yields secrets about the people and animals that lived before. Come experience this extraordinary place and learn about a layered history that began millions of years ago—a history that continues to educate, inspire, and influence Americans to the present day.
About Menokin
The Menokin Foundation uses the historic ruin of Francis Lightfoot Lee’s 18th-century home — and the surrounding built and natural environments — as a living laboratory for preservation and public engagement. Rather than recreating the past, Menokin employs contemporary methods to invite visitors into an active exploration of how America was built and what that history means today. One of the most distinctive historic sites in Virginia, Menokin reimagines what a house museum can be — and what honest, provocative engagement with our nation’s founding ideals and realities looks like on the ground.

WDS BOOK CLUB | Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution
2026-12-08 18:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
This month we’re reading:
Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution
By Eric Jay Dolin
(Available on Audible)
Tuesday, December 8, 6 pm | In Person and Virtual
Moderated by TR Revella-Hamilton, WDS Director of Preservation & Collections
Meet fellow history enthusiasts in person as we discuss thought-provoking books by acclaimed authors. Our carefully curated monthly selections delve into the rich tapestry of American and European history, featuring compelling works about revolutionary figures, historic preservation, decorative arts, and stories that shaped our cultural landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned historian, preservation enthusiast, or simply curious about the stories behind our built heritage, there’s a place for you in our community of learners.
JOIN BOOK CLUB

How it Works: Book Club meets bimonthly at the Museum and via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each designated month, unless otherwise noted. Book Club members will receive the newest book title via email two months prior to the book club date. You may join Book Club at any point during the year. Come when you can – there is no penalty for missing a session.
Book Club 2026 “Library Card” Annual Fee*: $25 General | $20 Museum Members | $15 Students
Your Book Club Library Card entitles you to in-person and virtual Book Club sessions, as well as discounted admission to the accompanying Book Talks lecture series held on Thursdays at the Museum.
