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FRIENDS OF TOPSMEAD STATE FOREST
  • Home
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  • Events
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    • Remembering Topsmead
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    • Topsmead State Forest Map
  • FAQ
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Friends of Topsmead State Forest

Discover a hidden treasure in the Litchfield hills of Connecticut
​

Quick Links

> Projects/Volunteer Opportunities
> Visitor Information & Trail Maps (State Forest and Ecology Maps)
> Memorial Tree Program

​> Project Wish List
> CT Dept of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP)
​> Covid-19 Guidelines for State Forests
​
> Frequently Asked Questions
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
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Rear view of Chase Cottage. Drawing by Schell Lewis 1924

Our Mission

Friends 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.
Become a Friend of Topsmead
Your donations to Friends of Topsmead will help preserve Topsmead's past for the future by:
  • Expanding and maintaining the butterfly and cottage gardens
  • Monitoring and maintaining of the songbird nesting boxes
  • Building a boardwalk over the wetlands on the Ecology Trail
  • Cleaning and restoring furniture in the Chase Cottage
  • Hiring a restoration specialist to repair the large painting over the mantle in the Cottage living room
  • Adding benches to the Welcome Center and on certain trails
donate to the preservation of Topsmead
Celebrate Topsmead's 50th Anniversary with Friends of Topsmead at an Evening Out Sunday June 5th! Purchase tickets now.​
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Please join us for a special in-person screening of "Topsmead: One Lady's Legacy" at Bantam Cinema & Arts Center on Sunday, June 5th, 6:00 P.M.  This fundraiser is in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Miss Edith's gift of Topsmead to the people of the State of Connecticut. It will also feature a conversation with Topsmead Historian Jerry Geci and a surprise guest. Tickets are $35 for an individual and $60 for a Friend plus one. The ticket price includes light hors d'oeuvres and a complimentary drink voucher. 

T
ickets can be reserved by first sending an RSVP to friendsoftopsmead@gmail.com
​and a check to FTSF, PO Box 1081, Litchfield, CT 06759. Seating is limited to 60.

This documentary film chronicles the extraordinary history of Topsmead, the summer estate of Edith Morton Chase, through archival photographs and beautiful film footage. The 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. Production credits include narration by Jennifer Riggs (founder of Friends of Topsmead) and Al Petrunti of Awecast.

​
The showing is sponsored by Awecast, the company that helped create the documentary and provided the amazing drone footage for the production. 
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If you enjoy our newsletter and Topsmead, please consider becoming a member or making a donation. We rely on these funds for our projects and programs.
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Topsmead Events & Activities

Musing from Top o' the Meadow
by Margaret Hunt

Oh the Fragrance!

May 2022 (photos by Margaret Hunt)

 

On my mid-May Topsmead walkabout, a powerfully heady fragrance enveloped me as I neared the cottage.  What plant or plants was it coming from?  Of course, the lilacs!  I had never noticed before that lilacs surround the cottage and a thick aisle of lilacs parallels the lane leading from the welcome center to the cottage front door.  Dark purple lilac blossoms cluster around the dove cote; bright white lilac blossoms rise above the walled corner of the dining room garden; light lavender lilac blossoms embrace the walls of the cottage from the western side all the way around southern side to the eastern front finally stopping at the kitchen door. 

     -read complete Musings essay-
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Spring at Topsmead by Tom Holzel
Robert Orintas

REMEMBERING TOPSMEAD:

Conversations with Bob Orintas

The Garden at Underhill

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​​Remembering TopsmeadAs Spring is slowly unfolding in the Litchfield Hills, it’s nice to think about getting out into the garden. Edith Chase enjoyed her garden at Topsmead. It was located north of the cabin (and later the house we see today) near East Litchfield Road. When on that road you may have noticed an old driveway and small barn that are still visible. The ladies always called that part of the property, “Underhill” presumably because it was downhill from the house.  A small house was built there in 1926 which served as a guest house.

George Wilson, Miss Chase’s chauffeur was the first person to care for the garden. In addition to his driving duties, he was a general handy man, and his wife was the family’s cook.
 > read more

Ways to Support Topsmead

Donate

Provide or Sponsor an Item on our
Project Wish List!

Plants, mulch, benches, cleaning supplies, etc.
​ see entire list here
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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.
  • Home
  • Donate
    • Friends of Topsmead General Fund
    • Memorial Tree Fund
  • Events
  • Projects/Volunteer
  • History
    • Remembering Topsmead
  • Membership
  • Contact
  • Musings
  • Visitor Info
    • Topsmead State Forest Map
  • FAQ