Webb Deane Stevens Museum

CLASS | Saturday Morning Arts: Free-Movement Dance Class with The Hartford Dance Collective
2025-11-22 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Join us one Saturday a month at 10 am to awaken your creativity and get you moving. Each month, a choreographer from the Hartford Dance Collective will lead a free movement class designed to build curiosity, strength, range of motion and confidence in your own dance movement. Classes include warm-ups, exercises in mobility, and dynamic choreography phrasework. If you’ve been dancing all your life, are a former dancer, or have never danced before, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!
Move your body freely in a supportive community, surrounded by art and our beautiful Colonial Revival Garden. Want more? Stay after class for an open rehearsal and Q+A with the women of HDC.
Upcoming Dates:
Nov 22
Dec 13
Jan 24
Feb 21
Mar 21
Apr 25
May 16
Tickets:
Class Only: $20
Class + Historic House Tour: $38
Class + Open Rehearsal: $35
The Hartford Dance Collective
The Hartford Dance Collective aims to empower women to have a voice and an equal opportunity in dance by providing choreographic and leadership opportunities. By sharing professional contemporary dance with new audiences and providing performances in diverse locations, they work to bridge the gap between the arts and the community. Their studio space at Parkville Sounds in Hartford, CT, provides creatives with a home to hone in on their movement vocabulary, and they hold the belief that everyone can dance and everyone should. www.thedancecollective.org

PREVIEW PARTY | Homes for the Holidays
2025-12-05 17:00 - 20:30 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Purchase Preview Party Tickets
Preview Party: December 5, 5:00-8:30 PM
Step into the past and experience the holidays by candlelight’s soft glow.
This intimate evening preview begins in our stately Silas Deane House with seasonal bites and festive drinks. Enjoy merry music by the Connecticut Yuletide Carolers, who will fill the halls with the bright sounds of the season. Then travel through time by candlelight on an exclusive tour of our three historic houses, masterfully decorated for the season by renowned designers. You’ll have space to linger, ask questions, and savor every carefully curated detail before the public ever sets foot inside. It’s a rare chance to experience our homes at their most magical — intimate, elegant, and entirely yours for the evening.
Tickets
Preview Party, December 5: $125
Patron: $250
One (1) ticket to December 5 Preview Party + one (1) ticket to December 6 Holiday House Tour. Acknowledgement in our printed materials.
Benefactor: $500
Two (2) tickets to December 5 Preview Party + two (2) tickets to December 6 Holiday House Tour. Acknowledgement in our printed materials.
Proceeds advance the NSCDA-CT’s mission of preservation and education at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.
Designers
Michael Zipp Interiors is a full service interior design firm located in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley. Founded in 2020, we approach each and every project through a unique lens, responding to the individual desires and needs of the client. Preservation and respect of historic architecture are at the forefront of our practice. Michael Zipp is a 2025 recipient of the Frederic Magazine It List award and his own Upstate NY home is featured in the Autumn 2025 issue of Frederic Magazine.
James Coviello is an interior designer known for his distinctive work in vintage, historic, and period-style interiors. He is currently working on projects in Litchfield, Connecticut; Lenox, Massachusetts; NYC and The Lake District in the United Kingdom.
His design perspective—rooted in a deep appreciation for architectural history and curated, character-driven spaces—is showcased on Instagram @james_coviello, where he shares images of his Hudson Valley home, Brooklyn Heights apartment, and a range of historic private houses and museums. In addition to his interiors practice, James sources and sells 19th-century furnishings and decorative objects. He also offers an eponymous product line of soaps, candles, and glassware available through select retailers and at jamescoviello.com.
Reliv Design curates inspired spaces across hospitality, residential, and commercial projects. Guided by a passion for creating spaces with soul, we emphasize a collaborative and enjoyable design process. From color, material, and finish selections to specialty painting and full-scale projects, we bring creativity and care to every size and style of work.
Reliv Design proudly represents Wise Owl Paints and maintains a retail space within Cottonwood & Church in idyllic Old Wethersfield. As a resident of OW and member of OSWA, we are extremely proud of where we live, raise a family and thrive as a community.
Jackie Home & Beauty is a long-awaited project inspired by owner Victoria Oliviera’s aunt Jackie, who embodied the definition of ‘influencer’ before social media made its debut. She was a lover of all things style, design and beauty. She owned a small women’s clothing boutique in West Hartford, Artichoke, where I had the pleasure of working and learning from her. Jackie Home & Beauty is a curated space with home and skincare products from around the world to share with you, in honor of Jackie.

SPECIAL TOUR | Homes for the Holidays
2025-12-06 10:00 - 15:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Purchase Tour Tickets
Experience the magic of Old Wethersfield during the most festive time of the year.
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Connecticut invites you to step inside beautifully decorated private homes, lavish inns, and the Webb Deane Stevens historic houses—exclusively featuring seasonal designs by internationally renowned decorators. Enjoy this rare chance to experience Old Wethersfield’s elegant interiors decked in holiday style. Warm up between houses with hot beverages and treats in the museum’s Holcombe Education Center in the heart of Old Wethersfield.
Staying all day? Add a boxed lunch from Heirloom Market for a mid-tour repast overlooking our gardens. Purchase the Tour + Boxed Lunch ticket, or the Boxed Lunch add-on if you have already purchased your tour ticket.
Preview Party: December 5, 5:00 – 8:30 PM
Holiday House Tour: December 6, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Tickets
House Tour, December 6: $70 | $75 day-of
General admission includes open-house access to all homes.
Consider becoming a Benefactor or Patron to increase your impact!
Patron: $250
One (1) ticket to December 5 Preview Party + one (1) ticket to December 6 Holiday House Tour. Acknowledgement in our printed materials.
Benefactor: $500
Two (2) tickets to December 5 Preview Party + two (2) tickets to December 6 Holiday House Tour. Acknowledgement in our printed materials.
Proceeds advance the NSCDA-CT’s mission of preservation and education at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.

Designers
Michael Zipp Interiors is a full service interior design firm located in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley. Founded in 2020, we approach each and every project through a unique lens, responding to the individual desires and needs of the client. Preservation and respect of historic architecture are at the forefront of our practice. Michael Zipp is a 2025 recipient of the Frederic Magazine It List award and his own Upstate NY home is featured in the Autumn 2025 issue of Frederic Magazine.
James Coviello is an interior designer known for his distinctive work in vintage, historic, and period-style interiors. He is currently working on projects in Litchfield, Connecticut; Lenox, Massachusetts; NYC and The Lake District in the United Kingdom.
His design perspective—rooted in a deep appreciation for architectural history and curated, character-driven spaces—is showcased on Instagram @james_coviello, where he shares images of his Hudson Valley home, Brooklyn Heights apartment, and a range of historic private houses and museums. In addition to his interiors practice, James sources and sells 19th-century furnishings and decorative objects. He also offers an eponymous product line of soaps, candles, and glassware available through select retailers and at jamescoviello.com.
Reliv Design curates inspired spaces across hospitality, residential, and commercial projects. Guided by a passion for creating spaces with soul, we emphasize a collaborative and enjoyable design process. From color, material, and finish selections to specialty painting and full-scale projects, we bring creativity and care to every size and style of work.
Reliv Design proudly represents Wise Owl Paints and maintains a retail space within Cottonwood & Church in idyllic Old Wethersfield. As a resident of OW and member of OSWA, we are extremely proud of where we live, raise a family and thrive as a community.
Jackie Home & Beauty is a long-awaited project inspired by owner Victoria Oliviera’s aunt Jackie, who embodied the definition of ‘influencer’ before social media made its debut. She was a lover of all things style, design and beauty. She owned a small women’s clothing boutique in West Hartford, Artichoke, where I had the pleasure of working and learning from her. Jackie Home & Beauty is a curated space with home and skincare products from around the world to share with you, in honor of Jackie.

Holiday Candlelight Tours
2025-12-12 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-13 18:00 - 21:00 | CT
Candlelight Tour Tickets
Experience three centuries of Christmas in our historic houses, beautifully lit by candlelight for two weekends in December. Delight in a charming array of holiday decor spanning the 18th-21st centuries, including Christmas trees, greenery, handmade treasures, antique toys, enchanting period ornaments, and modern holiday design. Discover how the roots of modern family traditions have grown over hundreds of years in an enchanting evening stroll.
Feel the tingle and excitement of this most wonderful time of the year as you explore rooms transformed by interior designers and decorators showcasing both traditional and fanciful decor. Immerse yourself in celebrations spanning centuries and witness how holiday traditions evolved and flourished across the generations.
The Museum Gift Shop will also be open both evenings. Shop a wide array of fabulous holiday treasures, including books, ornaments, candles, children’s toys, handcrafted treasures, and hostess gifts.
Tours will be held at 6, 7, and 8 P.M. on each date. Groups are limited to 12. Tours include walking and stair climbing, and are appropriate for adults and children 13+. NSCDA-CT and WDS Museum members: $30 / General Public: $35. Don’t delay, as tickets are sure to sell out! Pre-registration is required. Tickets for this event are non-refundable.

CLASS | Saturday Morning Arts: Free-Movement Dance Class with The Hartford Dance Collective
2025-12-13 10:00 - 23:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Join us one Saturday a month at 10 am to awaken your creativity and get you moving. Each month, a choreographer from the Hartford Dance Collective will lead a free movement class designed to build curiosity, strength, range of motion and confidence in your own dance movement. Classes include warm-ups, exercises in mobility, and dynamic choreography phrasework. If you’ve been dancing all your life, are a former dancer, or have never danced before, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!
Move your body freely in a supportive community, surrounded by art and our beautiful Colonial Revival Garden. Want more? Stay after class for an open rehearsal and Q+A with the women of HDC.
Upcoming Dates:
Dec 13
Jan 24
Feb 21
Mar 21
Apr 25
May 16
Tickets:
Class Only: $20
Class + Historic House Tour: $38
Class + Open Rehearsal: $35
The Hartford Dance Collective
The Hartford Dance Collective aims to empower women to have a voice and an equal opportunity in dance by providing choreographic and leadership opportunities. By sharing professional contemporary dance with new audiences and providing performances in diverse locations, they work to bridge the gap between the arts and the community. Their studio space at Parkville Sounds in Hartford, CT, provides creatives with a home to hone in on their movement vocabulary, and they hold the belief that everyone can dance and everyone should. www.thedancecollective.org

Holiday Candlelight Tours
2025-12-19 18:00 - 21:00 | CT
Candlelight Tour Tickets
Experience Christmas in our historic houses, beautifully lit in the evenings for two weekends in December. Delight in a charming array of holiday decor both historic and contemporary, including Christmas trees, greenery, handmade treasures, antique toys, enchanting period ornaments, and modern holiday design.
Feel the tingle and excitement of this most wonderful time of the year as you explore rooms transformed by interior designers and decorators showcasing both traditional and fanciful decor.
The Museum Gift Shop will also be open both evenings. Shop a wide array of fabulous holiday treasures, including books, ornaments, candles, children’s toys, handcrafted treasures, and hostess gifts.
Tours will be held at 6, 7, and 8 PM on each date. Groups are limited to 12. Tours include walking and stair climbing, and are appropriate for adults and children 13+. NSCDA-CT and WDS Museum members: $30 / General Public: $35. Don’t delay, as tickets are sure to sell out! Pre-registration is required. Tickets for this event are non-refundable.

Holiday Candlelight Tours
2025-12-20 18:00 - 21:00 | CT
Candlelight Tour Tickets
Experience Christmas in our historic houses, beautifully lit in the evenings for two weekends in December. Delight in a charming array of holiday decor both historic and contemporary, including Christmas trees, greenery, handmade treasures, antique toys, enchanting period ornaments, and modern holiday design.
Feel the tingle and excitement of this most wonderful time of the year as you explore rooms transformed by interior designers and decorators showcasing both traditional and fanciful decor.
The Museum Gift Shop will also be open both evenings. Shop a wide array of fabulous holiday treasures, including books, ornaments, candles, children’s toys, handcrafted treasures, and hostess gifts.
Tours will be held at 6, 7, and 8 P.M. on each date. Groups are limited to 12. Tours include walking and stair climbing, and are appropriate for adults and children 13+. NSCDA-CT and WDS Museum members: $30 / General Public: $35. Don’t delay, as tickets are sure to sell out! Pre-registration is required. Tickets for this event are non-refundable.

CLASS | Saturday Morning Arts: Free-Movement Dance Class with The Hartford Dance Collective
2026-01-24 10:00 - 11:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Join us one Saturday a month at 10 am to awaken your creativity and get you moving. Each month, a choreographer from the Hartford Dance Collective will lead a free movement class designed to build curiosity, strength, range of motion and confidence in your own dance movement. Classes include warm-ups, exercises in mobility, and dynamic choreography phrasework. If you’ve been dancing all your life, are a former dancer, or have never danced before, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!
Move your body freely in a supportive community, surrounded by art and our beautiful Colonial Revival Garden. Want more? Stay after class for an open rehearsal and Q+A with the women of HDC.
Upcoming Dates:
Jan 24
Feb 21
Mar 21
Apr 11
May 16
Tickets:
Class Only: $20
Class + Historic House Tour: $38
Class + Open Rehearsal: $35
The Hartford Dance Collective
The Hartford Dance Collective aims to empower women to have a voice and an equal opportunity in dance by providing choreographic and leadership opportunities. By sharing professional contemporary dance with new audiences and providing performances in diverse locations, they work to bridge the gap between the arts and the community. Their studio space at Parkville Sounds in Hartford, CT, provides creatives with a home to hone in on their movement vocabulary, and they hold the belief that everyone can dance and everyone should. www.thedancecollective.org

CLASS | Saturday Morning Arts: Open-Level Dance Class with The Hartford Dance Collective
2026-02-21 10:00 - 11:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Purchase Tickets
Date: February 21
Dance with us! Join us one Saturday a month at 10 am to awaken your creativity and get moving. Each month, a choreographer from the Hartford Dance Collective will lead an open-level dance class designed to build curiosity, strength, range of motion and confidence in your own movement. Classes include warm-ups, exercises in mobility, and dynamic choreography phrasework. If you’ve been dancing all your life, are a former dancer, or have never danced before, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE! Move your body freely in a supportive community, surrounded by art and our beautiful Colonial Revival Garden.
Upcoming Dates:
March 21
Apr 11
May 9
Tickets:
Class Only: $20
Class + Historic House Tour: $38
The Hartford Dance Collective | The Hartford Dance Collective aims to empower women to have a voice and an equal opportunity in dance by providing choreographic and leadership opportunities. By sharing professional contemporary dance with new audiences and providing performances in diverse locations, they work to bridge the gap between the arts and the community. Their studio space at Parkville Sounds in Hartford, CT, provides creatives with a home to hone in on their movement vocabulary, and they hold the belief that everyone can dance and everyone should. www.thedancecollective.org

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.

WORKSHOP | A Spring Pruning Primer: Roses, Fruit Trees, Evergreens, Perennials, and Grasses
2026-03-14 10:00 - 11:30 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Purchase Tickets
NOTE: Due to weather, this event has moved to MARCH 14, with a new rain date of March 21.
After a long, cold winter, gardeners are eager to get back outside. Kick off your 2026 gardening season by joining WDS Head Gardener Peter Winne for a hands-on workshop focused on pruning techniques and other essential early-spring garden tasks. Learn about which plants to prune now, how much to cut back, and the right tools for the job. The workshop will also cover strategies for waking up perennial beds and borders after winter dormancy. Plants covered include roses, ornamental and fruit trees, perennials, ornamental grasses, and evergreen shrubs. This outdoor demonstration will take place in the museum gardens. In the event of rain, snow, or extreme cold, the workshop will be rescheduled for the following Saturday, March 14.
Peter Winne | Hartford-based horticulturist Peter Winne is a landscape designer and gardener who has served as Head Gardener at WDS since 2022. He founded Peter Winne Gardens in 2021 after four years as Head Gardener at Hartford’s Elizabeth Park, and currently leads the redesign of the Frank M. Weston Garden adjacent to the Wethersfield library.
Tickets: $25 | $20 Members | Children 6-12 FREE
*This event is not suitable for children under 6.

CLASS | Saturday Morning Arts: Open-Level Dance Class with The Hartford Dance Collective
2026-03-21 10:00 - 11:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Purchase Tickets
Date: March 21
Dance with us! Join us one Saturday a month at 10 am to awaken your creativity and get moving. Each month, a choreographer from the Hartford Dance Collective will lead an open-level dance class designed to build curiosity, strength, range of motion and confidence in your own movement. Classes include warm-ups, exercises in mobility, and dynamic choreography phrasework. If you’ve been dancing all your life, are a former dancer, or have never danced before, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE! Move your body freely in a supportive community, surrounded by art and our beautiful Colonial Revival Garden.
Upcoming Dates:
Apr 11
May 9
Tickets:
Class Only: $20
Class + Historic House Tour: $38
The Hartford Dance Collective | The Hartford Dance Collective aims to empower women to have a voice and an equal opportunity in dance by providing choreographic and leadership opportunities. By sharing professional contemporary dance with new audiences and providing performances in diverse locations, they work to bridge the gap between the arts and the community. Their studio space at Parkville Sounds in Hartford, CT, provides creatives with a home to hone in on their movement vocabulary, and they hold the belief that everyone can dance and everyone should. www.thedancecollective.org

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.

CLASS | Saturday Morning Arts: Open-Level Dance Class with The Hartford Dance Collective
2026-04-11 10:00 - 11:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Purchase Tickets
Date: April 11
Dance with us! Join us one Saturday a month at 10 am to awaken your creativity and get moving. Each month, a choreographer from the Hartford Dance Collective will lead an open-level dance class designed to build curiosity, strength, range of motion and confidence in your own movement. Classes include warm-ups, exercises in mobility, and dynamic choreography phrasework. If you’ve been dancing all your life, are a former dancer, or have never danced before, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE! Move your body freely in a supportive community, surrounded by art and our beautiful Colonial Revival Garden.
Upcoming Date: May 9
Tickets:
Class Only: $20
Class + Historic House Tour: $38
The Hartford Dance Collective | The Hartford Dance Collective aims to empower women to have a voice and an equal opportunity in dance by providing choreographic and leadership opportunities. By sharing professional contemporary dance with new audiences and providing performances in diverse locations, they work to bridge the gap between the arts and the community. Their studio space at Parkville Sounds in Hartford, CT, provides creatives with a home to hone in on their movement vocabulary, and they hold the belief that everyone can dance and everyone should. www.thedancecollective.org

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.

PERFORMANCE | American Contemporary Dances with The Hartford Dance Collective
2026-05-08 19:00 - 20:30 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Member Pre-sale Now LIVE | Through March 8: $20 Members | $40 VIP
Purchase Tickets

Join us in the intimate Webb barn for the Museum’s first commissioned dance performance! Experience dance in-the-round, featuring new and established works by The Hartford Dance Collective. Rooted in themes of female empowerment, the dances explore strength, resilience, and self-expression through bold physicality and nuanced storytelling. Inspired by America’s 250th anniversary, the Collective enriches the story of our nation’s founding by amplifying women’s voices and experiences. Surrounded by history and audience alike, the dancers invite viewers into a shared space where past and present converge—where the courage to claim one’s voice echoes the spirit of those who shaped a new nation within these very walls.
About This Commission In commissioning this work, the Museum celebrates both a milestone and a continuation: bringing contemporary artists into dialogue with a site where questions of identity, purpose, and collective future have always lived.
PERFORMANCE | Friday, May 8, 7 PM

6:15 PM | Doors open
6:15-7:00 PM | Cash bar available, furnished by Vino Crudo
7:00 PM | Performance in-the-round
8:15 PM | Talkback with Hartford Dance Collective (VIP ticket holders)

TICKETS | $18 / $25 / $30 / $45
Students (16-22) | $18
Members | $25
General Admission | $30
Inner Circle VIP | $45

Premiere seating: first two rows
Post-performance talk-back with dancers and choreographers of Hartford Dance Collective
Early-admission
Reserved Parking
Access to one open rehearsal (April TBD)

Hartford Dance Collective | The Hartford Dance Collective bridges the gap between dance and community by curating unique and accessible performances led by female identifying choreographers and offering open adult movement classes that foster artistic expression, connection, and inclusivity.
Since July 2017, the Hartford Dance Collective has curated performances in unique settings, featuring female choreographers from across the nation. We have shared dance at the Connecticut Convention Center, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, ShapeShifter Lab, Real Art Ways, TheaterWorks Hartford, Dunkin Park, Parkville Market, & multiple breweries around the Connecticut, to name a few; and we aim to continue to share the art form with a wide range of demographics. Along with many small programs that we present throughout the year,
The Hartford Dance Collective curates the annual Hartford Dance Festival in Elizabeth Park with 25 performing groups, which is the largest free dance festival in Connecticut. Our studio space in Hartford, Connecticut, provides creatives with a home to hone in on their movement vocabulary and the opportunity for us to bring professional dancers to Hartford including dancers from Pilobolus, David Dorfman Dance, the Limon Company, the Radio City Rockettes, Doug Varone and Dancers, the Merce Cunningham Trust, and the Brooklynettes, to name a few. We hold the belief that everyone can dance and everyone should. Our professional and inspiring studio hosts open adult movement classes for the community featuring the Collective’s Resident Artists and Guest Instructors. A perfect place for a dancer to train, a former dancer to reignite their love for movement, or a member of the community looking to practice dance movement as a form of exercise, art, or meditation. Movement allows us to escape, which drives our commitment to curating experiences that allow for discovery and connection.

CLASS | Saturday Morning Arts: Open-Level Dance Class with The Hartford Dance Collective
2026-05-09 10:00 - 11:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Purchase Tickets

Dance with us! Join us one Saturday a month at 10 am to awaken your creativity and get moving. Each month, a choreographer from the Hartford Dance Collective will lead an open-level dance class designed to build curiosity, strength, range of motion and confidence in your own movement. Classes include warm-ups, exercises in mobility, and dynamic choreography phrasework. If you’ve been dancing all your life, are a former dancer, or have never danced before, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE! Move your body freely in a supportive community, surrounded by art and our beautiful Colonial Revival Garden.
Date: May 9
Tickets:
Class Only: $20
Class + Historic House Tour: $38
The Hartford Dance Collective | The Hartford Dance Collective aims to empower women to have a voice and an equal opportunity in dance by providing choreographic and leadership opportunities. By sharing professional contemporary dance with new audiences and providing performances in diverse locations, they work to bridge the gap between the arts and the community. Their studio space at Parkville Sounds in Hartford, CT, provides creatives with a home to hone in on their movement vocabulary, and they hold the belief that everyone can dance and everyone should. www.thedancecollective.org

PERFORMANCE | American Contemporary Dances with The Hartford Dance Collective
2026-05-09 14:00 - 15:30 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Member Pre-sale Now LIVE | Through March 8: $20 Members | $40 VIP
Purchase Tickets

Join us in the intimate Webb barn for the Museum’s first commissioned dance performance! Experience dance in-the-round, featuring new and established works by The Hartford Dance Collective. Rooted in themes of female empowerment, the dances explore strength, resilience, and self-expression through bold physicality and nuanced storytelling. Inspired by America’s 250th anniversary, the Collective enriches the story of our nation’s founding by amplifying women’s voices and experiences. Surrounded by history and audience alike, the dancers invite viewers into a shared space where past and present converge—where the courage to claim one’s voice echoes the spirit of those who shaped a new nation within these very walls.
About This Commission In commissioning this work, the Museum celebrates both a milestone and a continuation: bringing contemporary artists into dialogue with a site where questions of identity, purpose, and collective future have always lived.
PERFORMANCE | Saturday, May 9, 2 PM

1:30 PM | Doors open
2:00 PM | Performance in-the-round
3:15 PM | Talkback with Hartford Dance Collective (VIP ticket holders)

TICKETS | $18 / $25 / $30 / $45
Students (16-22) | $18
Members | $25
General Admission | $30
Inner Circle VIP | $45

Premiere seating: first two rows
Post-performance talk-back with dancers and choreographers of Hartford Dance Collective
Early-admission
Reserved Parking
Access to one open rehearsal (April TBD)

Hartford Dance Collective | The Hartford Dance Collective bridges the gap between dance and community by curating unique and accessible performances led by female identifying choreographers and offering open adult movement classes that foster artistic expression, connection, and inclusivity.
Since July 2017, the Hartford Dance Collective has curated performances in unique settings, featuring female choreographers from across the nation. We have shared dance at the Connecticut Convention Center, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, ShapeShifter Lab, Real Art Ways, TheaterWorks Hartford, Dunkin Park, Parkville Market, & multiple breweries around the Connecticut, to name a few; and we aim to continue to share the art form with a wide range of demographics. Along with many small programs that we present throughout the year,
The Hartford Dance Collective curates the annual Hartford Dance Festival in Elizabeth Park with 25 performing groups, which is the largest free dance festival in Connecticut. Our studio space in Hartford, Connecticut, provides creatives with a home to hone in on their movement vocabulary and the opportunity for us to bring professional dancers to Hartford including dancers from Pilobolus, David Dorfman Dance, the Limon Company, the Radio City Rockettes, Doug Varone and Dancers, the Merce Cunningham Trust, and the Brooklynettes, to name a few. We hold the belief that everyone can dance and everyone should. Our professional and inspiring studio hosts open adult movement classes for the community featuring the Collective’s Resident Artists and Guest Instructors. A perfect place for a dancer to train, a former dancer to reignite their love for movement, or a member of the community looking to practice dance movement as a form of exercise, art, or meditation. Movement allows us to escape, which drives our commitment to curating experiences that allow for discovery and connection.

TEA | Mother's Day Tea
2026-05-10 10:00 - 11:30 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Purchase Tickets

Treat the special women in your life to an elegant Mother’s Day filled with flowers and flavor. Enjoy music and a morning stroll through our gardens with WDS Head Gardener Pete Winne, learning about the blooms and blossoms that shine in early Spring. Then share tea, cake, and conversation overlooking the beautiful grounds. Whether you’re celebrating a mother, grandmother, daughter, or dear friend, this is a gracious way to honor the women who you hold dear.
Mother’s Day Tea Menu*
Savory Bites
Egg Tartlett (DF, GF)
Smoked Salmon Finger Sandwiches
Cucumber & Cheddar Finger Sandwiches
Coronation Chicken Tea Sandwich

Sweet Treats
Assorted Scones with Cream & Jam
Fruit Tart
Flourless Chocolate Torte (GF)
Bakewell Tart

Beverages
Blackberry Iced Tea
Strawberry Lemonade
Selection of Hot Tea
*Menu subject to change. Please share allergens and food sensitivities to rdumouchel@wdsmuseum.org

Note: Each event is limited to 20 guests. To book a private tour and tea for your friends and family, contact events@wdsmuseum.org.

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
Tickets on sale March 2026. Register your interest with an email to Renee Dumouchel: rdumouchel@wdsmuseum.org
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.
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

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.
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. 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

Schedule (in formation)
10:30 AM Musket and drill demonstration
11:00 AM Children’s wooden musket drill
11:30 AM Reading of “Paul Revere’s Ride”
12:00 PM Midday nooning
1:00 PM Demonstrations of 18th-Century battle tactics, including musket firing and bayonet practice
2:00 PM Canon firing demonstration
2:30 PM Reading of “Paul Revere’s Ride”
4:00 PM Camp Closes

*Schedule and demonstrations subject to change.

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.

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 Untold Drama of Silas Deane, John Jay, and the Lees of Virginia
2026-11-14 10:00 - 15:00 | Strateford Hall, 483 Great House Road, Stratford, VA, 22558
Tickets on sale March 2026. Register your interest with an email to Renee Dumouchel: rdumouchel@wdsmuseum.org
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.
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.
Stratford Symposium: The Lee Brothers
The Feuding Founders Collective travels to Stratford Hall in the Northern Neck of Virginia for a day focused on politics and Revolutionary ideals of a group of men working for the goal of Independence even if they didn’t always agree on how to achieve it. The Lee band of brothers—Richard Henry, Francis Lightfoot, William and Arthur—played pivotal roles in our path towards revolution and formation of an independent nation. Their power and influence would be tested as they came into political conflict with Silas Deane and John Jay. The program will include a round table discussion and tours of Stratford Hall and Menokin.
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.
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 | 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.
