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Sound and Country is a seasonal publication and the Leffingwell House Museum is featured in the Summer 2010 issue. View it on line through the Day newspaper of New London, CT. Liz Mugavero is a familiar person to the museum and to readers in the Norwich area. We hope this article brings her new readers and fans. Thank you Liz for a great article!
~Beryl Fishbone, Volunteer Program Coordinator

Stepping Back in Time at the Leffingwell House

If the prospect of a weekend without wireless Internet access sends you into a panic, try living 375 years ago, when candles provided the only light source and women walked down to the nearest stream to wash clothes.

Since you can't really live it, plan on visiting the Leffingwell House Museum on Saturday, June 12, to get a feel for what life was like without the burden of modern technology. This year, in honor of the state's 375th anniversary, the museum is celebrating the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism's 6^th Annual Connecticut Open House Day. With a focus on giving people a real sense of the early years in our rich and vivid history, the museum will highlight their new exhibits by opening their doors with no admission fees and tours every hour.

"We want to afford people the opportunity to take a look at things they don't normally get to look at or go somewhere they don't normally go," said Beryl Fishbone, volunteer program coordinator for the museum. "I hope people will come and see what we've done."

The Leffingwell House Museum was the home of Christopher Leffingwell, a merchant, manufacturer and colonel in the Connecticut Militia during the American Revolution. Built in 1675 by Stephen Backus, the house was turned into an inn around 1701 by Thomas Leffingwell and later descended to Christopher, a renowned entrepreneur who championed the idea of buying locally to encourage the founding fathers to assert their economic independence.

Visitors will see a portrait of the period unlike any other, including the Tavern Room, featuring paneling styles not normally seen in New England and furnishings from the 18th century. A photo documentary of the house's travels from its original lot on Harland Road to its current location on From 16 Washington Street will be featured as well.

A new tool exhibit will be unveiled detailing woodworking and molding tools and other items our founding fathers used in their day-to-day work, including the construction of tall case clocks made in the city.

A mannequin family dressed as a soldier, his wife and their child will preside over the event, wearing re-enactor costumes from Bedford, Mass. Museum staff will be on hand to discuss the roles these families played in the book of history.

Visitors will discover secret hiding places in the house and learn about the crops they grew through a variety of demonstrations.

The open house day is a statewide event designed to showcase history and culture and encourage new visitors, as well as engage residents of the state who may not have tapped into the rich history in their own backyard. More information is available at www.ct375.com or the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism's website, www.cultureandtourism.org.

By Liz Mugavero, Sound and Country