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Friends of Topsmead Announces Winner of Annual Scholarship Program
The Friends of Topsmead Scholarship Committee along with our Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of our 2026 scholarship award winner. She is Haylen Sincovic of Torrington, Connecticut. Haylen will be studying both environmental science and illustration at the University of Hartford, combining her creativity with a scientific foundation. Her goal is to pursue a career advancing and advocating for ecological preservation. She exemplifies the type of student whom we hope will benefit from this scholarship.
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Read Margaret Hunt's October MUSINGS below:
About Baseball , Voting, and Miss Edith 
In 1920, Connecticut became the 37th state to ratify the 19th Amendment. Miss Edith voted for the first time.
Highlight: birds at Topsmead!Thanks to all the bird watchers that came out on September 12 for Friends of Topsmead Annual Hawkwatch to look for hawks passing through Topsmead skies on their way south. Bird expert David Tripp from the Audubon Society explained how to identify these fascinating raptors from looking at thier profiles and flying habits.
Read about
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ASK BOB
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Bob Orintas, the son of John Orintas, Miss Edith Chase's chauffeur, has been sharing his wonderful essays recounting his memories of growing up at Topsmead on our website for years. Thank you Bob!
Bob welcomes direct questions about life at Topsmead. Please send your questions via the button below. Your question may be one that Bob responds to in our newsletter and on the website! |
Question #6: Can you tell us about Miss Edith attire?
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Bob's Answer:
Growing up at Topsmead, we were not allowed up to the main house very often, so I can't offer details about everyday occurrences, but from an overall perspective, Miss Edith, Miss Mary and Miss Lucy dressed very simply and conservatively. When Miss Edith came to visit the farm, she was usually in a simple housedress. Dressing for dinner was common, but I don't know if it was done daily. There were no fancy outfits that I can ever remember. The ladies would go to New York city, I estimate, about 6 to 8 times per year. Sometimes Miss Edith would drive, other times my dad would drive and then have to find a hotel and a place to park the car. In NYC they would stay at the Cosmopolitan Club, where Miss Edith was a member. Trips were made mostly for shopping, as well as visiting her sister Kate and other friends. They would also see some Broadway shows. They would usually stay for two to three days at a time. While I can't provide more information regarding dressing, I would emphasize that it would have been on the conservative side. |
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by Margaret Hunt
1951 World Series Yankees v Giants at the old Yankee Stadium. Miss Edith most likely listened to this game in the great room at Topsmead
A view of the Topsmead library and great room where Edith and the Burrall sisters would listen to the Yankees baseball games on the radio.
Miss Edith in the Chase house library on Church Street in Waterbury. Note the radio on the shelf behind her.
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About Baseball , Voting, and Miss Edith
October 2026 For Major League Baseball aficionados, the 2026 Wild Card Series started September 29 and ended October 1. The Division Series starts October 3 and ends October 10. Then it will be time for the League Championship Series. These three series are a lead-up to the World Series, the best of seven games, which will start on October 23. If a seventh game is needed, it will be played on Halloween night, October 31.
As not much of a MLB aficionado, I only pay attention to the World Series because, seriously, baseball is a summer game. We are now beyond back-to-school September and into October, one of the most beautiful seasons in New England. I would much rather be out walking the fields and trails of Topsmead than sitting in front of a TV or stuck in a wooden seat in a baseball stadium smelling of hotdogs and beer. Miss Edith Morton Chase, however, was a loyal fan of the New York Yankees, and followed their seasons religiously, sitting in her leather chair in the great room of Topsmead and listening to their games on the radio. She would certainly be more than delighted that, this year, the Yankees have eliminated the Boston Red Sox and are in the Division Series. So far, so good. She might not be thrilled that the MLB experts at ESPN are predicting that the Milwaukee Brewers will win the 2026 World Series. Time will tell. As much as Miss Edith enjoyed listening to the baseball games, having the possible final seventh game of the 2026 World Series on Halloween would have felt very right to her. "Why?" you might ask. Well, for Miss Edith, voting was an important civic duty, and she always left Topsmead and was back in Waterbury in time to cast her ballot on Election Day, the first Tuesday in November. Miss Edith, born in 1891, couldn't vote until 1920 when the 19th Amendment, codifying women's right to vote, was finally ratified. From 1869 to 1913, five territories gave women the right to vote before statehood. From 1890 to 1918, 15 states gave women the right to vote. From 1913 to 1919, twelve states allowed women to vote in a Presidential election. But not Connecticut...Living in Connecticut, Miss Edith voted for the first time when she was 29 years old. It must have been disappointing for her to watch women in other territories and states be able to vote before she could. read more |
