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Topsmead Visitor Information and Trail Map CT Dept of Energy & Environmental Protection Volunteer Opportunities: Gardens, Bird Tours, Educational Programming, and more! Tree Renewal Fund Memorial Tree Program |
In 1917, Edith Morton Chase received a gift from her father, 16 acres of pristine woods in the Litchfield hills. Today, Topsmead is a 510 acre state forest, gifted from Ms. Chase in 1972 to the citizens of Connecticut to enjoy and preserve. Her legacy includes diverse landscapes, including bike and nature trails, formal gardens, unique bird habitats, and a meticulously crafted English Tudor style cottage well appointed with her international collection of art and antiques. ...more
Our MissionFriends of Topsmead State Forest (FTSF) is a volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to work with the State of Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) to provide programs and activities to promote, preserve, protect, and maintain the history, heritage and environmental integrity of Topsmead, thereby supporting the wishes of Edith Morton Chase as put forth in her will.
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Topsmead Events
Scroll down for a listing of all our events!
Coming Soon!
"Topsmead - One Lady's Legacy"
This documentary film chronicles the history of Topsmead, the summer estate of Edith Morton Chase, through archival photographs and beautiful film footage. The 20 minute film also features interviews with Topsmead historian Jerry Geci, and with Robert Orintas, the son of Miss Edith's chauffeur, who for several decades spent his summers there. The breathtaking aerial footage showcases the expansive Topsmead State Forest meadows and woodlands and the Tudor revival style, Cotswold "cottage”; an unusually well-preserved home of a bygone era that remains today essentially as it was when Miss Edith Chase owned the estate.
Lectures on the Lawn
Our popular nature and Topsmead history Lecture Series returns! The events are free and take place online OR outside on the lawn behind Chase Cottage. Bring a blanket or lawn chair for comfort. Please check back here updates.
by Margaret Hunt
Winter at Topsmead | Photo by Tom Holzel
Winter Lover...or Not? February~March 2021
...If March comes roaring in like the proverbial lion, we can expect a few more weeks of Old Man Winter. But for those who are not irrepressible winter lovers, do not despair. Daylight is chasing darkness so that by the March 20 vernal equinox, the amount of darkness will be equal to the amount of daylight. From that point, I promise, the days will lengthen out to the warm days of summer. In the meantime, you can remain cozily inside with a cup of hot chocolate, a hot toddy, or one of Miss Edith’s favorite cocktails and enjoy virtually the Friends of Topsmead State Forest “Lectures on the Lawn” series. Zoom in and participate in Master Wildlife Conservationist Ginny Apple’s presentations on animals of CT. So far, I have been to the bald eagle and the beaver lectures. Future lectures will feature moose, fishers, coyotes, and bears. Check out the dates and register right here on the FTSF website!
Whether you are looking for exercise and fun outside or entertainment and fun inside or both, Topsmead has experiences for you!
-more Musings-
Whether you are looking for exercise and fun outside or entertainment and fun inside or both, Topsmead has experiences for you!
-more Musings-
Keep Topsmead in mind when shopping on Amazon. Click HERE to set "Friends of Topsmead State Forest" as your default AmazonSmile charity and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchases to Topsmead.
