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Topsmead is open year-around for hiking, dogs on a leash, birdwatching--the sky's the limit!
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We are proud to have been selected as the organization of the month for November through the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program. During this month we will receive $1.00 for every community bag purchased at the Stop & Shop in Litchfield. All funds donated to Friends of Topsmead go to our project work. Thank you in advance for your support! a note from a visitor"Greetings to the Friends of Topsmead,
A couple of weeks ago, while my friend Marilyn and I were spending some time in your area, we "happened" upon Topsmead on a rainy Sunday afternoon. We had a bit of time to fill and Topsmead State Forest had been recommended by a Litchfield local, "there's an English cottage on the property you would love." What we didn't realize was that there are also tours given of the inside of Edith Morton Chase's Cotswold tudor but what a delightful surprise! After being welcomed into the cozy interior by three gracious hosts, we enjoyed a phenomenal tour... Thank you and blessings, Rachel Denlinger of Christiansburg,OH" Note: Free guided tours of the residence are offered from June through October on the 2nd and 4th weekends of each month.
Photo by Rachel Denlinger
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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 Topsmead on our website for more than four years! Thank you Bob!
Since April we have begun to offer the opportunity for everyone to ask him 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 #4
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE HOUSE YOU LIVED IN AT TOPSMEAD?
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Overview
Our house was built in 1934 as an extension on a long line of attached machine sheds and a 3 car garage (built in 1929) located near the barns at Topsmead. The dwelling was designed by Waterbury architect Fred Webster as a place for my father and his family to live because he was their chauffeur. He needed to be at Topsmead during the summer months when Miss Edith and the Burrell sisters were there. Since the house was intended to be strictly a summer home, it had no central heating system. If it got chilly, heat was provided by an oil stove in the kitchen and one in the upstairs hallway. There was also a fireplace in the living room. Mother cooked for us on a 24” propane gas stove also in the kitchen. There was an old-fashioned refrigerator that came from the Chase family home at 42 Church Street. That house was emptied and sold after Miss Edith’s mother passed away. >>read more |
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by Margaret Hunt
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How Will We Spend...?November 2025
photos by Margaret Hunt Moving from Halloween at the end of October into the beginning of November always seems like a liminal moment for me. Fall leaves are pretty much all blown away, temperatures are dropping, and the double holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas is out there on the horizon. Clocks fall back, and we gain an hour. What will we do during this pause between the seasons and how will we spend that gift of an hour?
The first Tuesday in November aka Election Day was a sacred day for Edith Morton Chase. Born in 1891 and unable to vote until she was 29 years old, she knew what it was like to watch the government--municipal, state, and federal--move forward without her voice; therefore, she was religious about returning to Waterbury in time to vote. As that first Tuesday approached and she prepared for the move back to Waterbury with Lucy and Mary Burrall after their almost 6-month stay at Topsmead, I imagine that she might have paused to consider the state of the country and whom she wanted to vote for. -read complete Musings essay- |