Restoration Revealed: Craftsmen at Work
2025-07-03 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | 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

SPECIAL EVENT | Thanksgiving Dinner - "A Taste of Time"
2025-11-16 14:00 - 17:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Come share a table, a toast, and a tradition at our annual Thanksgiving Dinner in the historic Webb Barn, supporting the preservation and education mission of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.
Thanksgiving Tickets
A beloved Wethersfield tradition, our Thanksgiving Dinner invites you to enjoy “A Taste of Time,” celebrating five centuries of American fare. A VIP reception transports you back to our founding years, featuring a champagne toast and 17th-century kickshaw. Travel forward through the centuries as you join fellow revelers for a family-style feast inspired by 18th-century traditions and culminating in present day culinary classics. Savor heritage recipes from the earliest days of our nation through to contemporary New England cuisine.
The Host Committee also invites you to special pre-meal champagne reception in the Silas Deane House at 1 p.m. at the Patron level and above. Guests will be able to mingle with Brenton Grom, the Museum’s new Executive Director, and Tita Hyland, President of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Connecticut and enjoy period music performed by harpist Linda Traue, a member of the 5th Connecticut Regiment Revolutionary War reenactors.
VIP Reception and 17th-century kickshaw: 1 PM
“A Taste of Time” Thanksgiving Feast: 2 PM
MENU
First Course | 1700-1800s
Plated | Oysters Rockefeller on a Bed of Greens
For Sharing | Smoked Trout Pate with Rustic Dark Breads
Second Course | 1900s
Honey Glazed Roasted Quail
Brined & Roasted Turkey Breast
Fresh Cranberry Relish
Roasted Chippolini Onions
Chesnut & Sage Pork Stuffing
Third Course | 2000s
Beef Short Rib with Celery Root Puree
Local Heirloom Squashes
Dessert |1600s
Indian Corn Pudding & Parmesean Ice Cream
Menu catered by Ani’s Table & Marketplace
Wines furnished by Vino Crudo

TICKETS
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/wds-museum-thanksgiving-dinner-a-taste-of-time

“Taste of Time” Heritage Dinner

Friend: $125 | $115 Member

VIP Reception & Dinner

Patron: $250 (admits 1)

Founder: $500 (admits 1)

Host Committee: $1,000 (admits 2)

Your Support: Your ticket helps us preserve and protect the landmark homes that are the hallmark of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum. With your support, we can continue to connect our founding ideals to our present, build upon and interpret our unique collections, and inspire meaningful conversations about the past and its relevance to today. Thank you.
SPONSOR “A TASTE of TIME”: Gain visibility for your brand and message while supporting the preservation and education mission of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum. To learn more about sponsorship, contanct Renee Dumouchel at rdumouchel@wdsmuseum.org or visit https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/wds-museum-thanksgiving-dinner-a-taste-of-time-sponsorship

We are incredibly grateful to our Host Committee and our Sponsors for their warmth and generosity.
Cornucopia Sponsor: Essex Financial
Heritage Sponsor: Young Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Harvest Sponsor: Lee G. Kuckro
Hearth Sponsor: Accounting Resources, Inc.

Media Sponsors:
Wethersfield Life
Rare Reminder, Inc.
HOST COMMITTEE

Douglas Hyland, Honorary Chair

Alice Hyland

Ann Burton
Marian Kellner & Tim McLaughlin
Lee G. Kuckro

John Kulesza

Thomas Miano

Donald & Pamela Peterson

In-kind Support Provided By:
Anderson Farms | Castor & Poly Boutique | Cottonwood + Church | D&D Market | Glastonbury Hills Country Club | Hartford Symphony Orchestra| Heirloom Market | Minuteman Press | Reliv Design | The Fresh Market | The Town of Wethersfield

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.

FREE EVENT | Wethersfield 250 Jubilee: Revolutionary War Encampment & Traditional Trades Fair
2026-05-23 10:00 - 16:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
FREE EVENT| Wethersfield 250 Jubilee: Revolutionary War Encampment & Traditional Trades Fair
Saturday, May 23, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Join us for a free, family-friendly day that celebrates our Colonial heritage and the traditional trades that built America.
This year, our beloved Revolutionary War Encampment joins forces with the Traditional Trades Fair for a full day marking America’s 250th anniversary on the museum grounds. Watch the 5th Connecticut Regiment set up camp with musket demonstrations, a battle skirmish with invading British Marines, open hearth cooking, and a children’s march with wooden muskets. Listen to traditional Colonial music and speak with a camp surgeon about his gruesome profession. Try your hand at centuries-old games like graces, or eavesdrop on military maneuvers.
Alongside the encampment, skilled artisans demonstrate timber framing, weaving, carpentry, and historic restoration—the craftsmanship that built the nation and keeps our oldest buildings standing. Witness live preservation projects, try hands-on workshops, shop our vendor market for everything from tools to keepsakes, and discover centuries-old skills through family-friendly demonstrations, Colonial games, and activities. Whether you’re interested in history, restoration, or simply love beautiful craftsmanship, this immersive experience showcases the dedication and artistry behind preserving our architectural heritage.
Bring the whole family for hands-on workshops, Colonial games, food vendors, and a day spent surrounded by the sights, sounds, and skills of the founding era.
The free festivities will begin on the Museum grounds immediately following the Town of Wethersfield Memorial Day Parade.
Schedule*
All Day Scavenger Hunt | Start at Wethersfield Historical Society
Quiet Space | Rotary Room, Wethersfield Historical Society

Exhibitions

American Girlhood and Remember the Ladies | WDS Museum
Legendary People, Ordinary Lives | Wethersfield Historical Society
Crafts & Traditional Trades | Webb Barn

10:00 AM Ancient Burying Ground Tour | Meet by the First Church parking lot
10:30 AM Musket and Drill Demonstration

Declaration of Independence Reading | Steps of the Hurlbut-Dunham House

11:00 AM Children’s wooden musket drill
12:00 PM Midday nooning
12:45 PM People of the Revolution
1:00 PM Tours of Cove Warehouse [until 4:00 PM]
1:30 PM Soldiers Drill
2:00 PM Skirmish with Redcoats
2:30 PM Declaration of Independence Reading | Steps of the Hurlbut-Dunham House
4:00 PM Camp Closes
*Schedule and demonstrations subject to change.

Demonstrations throughout the day will include*:

Colonial music
Children’s colonial games
Surgeon’s table
Woodworking
Masonry
Textile weaving
Open hearth cooking and food
Flag displays and history programs
Weaving and sewing
Soldier’s tent and display of equipment
Colonial clothing and textiles
Life of a Privateer
Butter churning
Camp tours and information about the 5th Connecticut Regiment and its history

SPECIAL EVENT | Thanksgiving Dinner
2026-11-15 14:00 - 17:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Save the date for our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner.
A beloved annual tradition returns: an intimate journey through centuries of American culinary heritage, from the landmark houses to a family-style feast in the Webb Barn, in support of preservation that keeps this history alive.
Come share a table, a toast, and a tradition at our annual Thanksgiving Dinner in the historic Webb Barn, supporting the preservation and education mission of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.
