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FRIENDS OF TOPSMEAD STATE FOREST
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FRIENDS OF TOPSMEAD STATE FOREST


Discover a hidden treasure in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut
Open Year-Around 8 am until Sunset
donate to the preservation of Topsmead
"To this day, Topsmead remains my favorite place on this earth. "
-Bob Orintas

 
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quick links

> Projects/Volunteer Opportunities
> Visitor Information & Trail Maps 
​> Scholarship Program
> Ask Bob (Remembering Topsmead)
> Musings from Top 'O the Meadow
> Memorial Tree Program

​> Project Wish List
> CT DEEP
​> Frequently Asked Questions
> Friends of Topsmead Board 2024-2025


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 Edith Morton Chase put forth in her will.
Become a Friend of Topsmead
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Rear view of Chase Cottage. Drawing by Schell Lewis 1924
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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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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featured

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Dogs (on leashes) LOVE Topsmead!
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Miss Edith with her dog Jacques


Topsmead Events

​ &Activities


ASK BOB
​

Robert Orintas
The new format for Bob's "Remembering Topsmead" 
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 each month for more than four years! Thank you Bob!  In thinking about what else to chronicle, it occurred to us that perhaps our readers might have some questions for Bob which he has not yet addressed. So, we decided to offer the opportunity for everyone to do so.  We hope you jump right in. 

Please send your questions via the button below. Starting in April, your question may be one that Bob responds to in our newsletter and on the website!  
Ask Bob a Question


QUESTION #3: THE POND, WHEN WAS IT BUILT AND HOW WAS IT USED?
​

The pond was dug in late 1937, about November into December.  It is spring fed and easily maintains its water level. There is a spillway on the northeast side which creates a brook that goes down to Buell Road.

In 1938 a small picnic area was cleared on the Northeast side. A metal table and 4 chairs were placed there for enjoyment and relaxation. Also in 1938, several rainbow trout were stocked, hopefully to reproduce, but that didn’t work out. In 1939 several ducks were purchased, and duck houses were built for them, but the ducks didn’t stay.
The picnic area was used periodically for lunches and Miss Edith would often go there to read, relax, bring a snack and feed the fish and the ducks. 
​>>read more​​​
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THE CHASE SISTERS. ANNE, KATHERINE, MILDRED, and MISS EDITH on the right.
THE CHASE SISTERS.  ANNE, KATHERINE, MILDRED, and MISS EDITH on the right.
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Musing from Top o' the Meadow
by Margaret Hunt  (photos by Margaret Hunt)
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Topsmead Meadow in Summer
Vertical Divider
Renewed Appreciation (June-July)
photos by Margaret Hunt
After her graduation from The Farmington School, Miss Edith Morton Chase went on the obligatory Grand Tour of Europe with her chaperones Lucy and Mary Burrall. That trip was the beginning of a lifelong travel friendship among the three women. Feeling a certain kinship with these three women, who clearly enjoyed each other's friendship, I checked into my Aer Lingus flight on May 20 from Bradley Airport to Dublin, Ireland, with my retired teacher friend Priscilla.

Although Miss Edith and the Burrall sisters most likely traveled in a bit more luxury than we did (we lugged our suitcases around and depended on the excellent Irish public bus system), I am sure that they felt the same sense of added perspective and the excitement of meeting new people that we felt being away from our home country.

During the three weeks that my friend Priscilla and I spent traveling around Ireland, I never felt far from Topsmead.  The landscape of Ireland with its crazy quilts of pastures defined by hedgerows and stone walls was reminiscent of the fields of Topsmead.  The many, many cows and sheep free ranging in the pastures echoed the past residents of the Topsmead landscape when it was in its full working farm mode. The small towns that we spent time in had the same cozy neighborhood feeling as the small towns of Litchfield County.


-read complete Musings essay-
 ​

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
  • Home
  • Events
  • Donate
    • Friends of Topsmead General Fund
    • Memorial Tree Fund
  • Projects/Volunteer
  • History
    • Remembering Topsmead
  • Membership
  • Contact
  • Musings
  • Visitor Info
    • Topsmead State Forest Map
  • FAQ
  • Scholarship Program
  • Chase Family Holiday Cards
  • Login