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January Moon over Topsmead
photo by Margaret Hunt 
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
Photo by Tom Holzel
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First Day Hike giftsJanuary 2026
photos by Margaret Hunt Happy to report that as of January 1, I have so far kept my New Year's resolution for 2026: Get Outside. I went on a self-guided First Day Hike at Topsmead.
I woke up New Year's Day (quite late because I stayed up to welcome in the new year) to a surprise gift of about three inches of new, soft, light, fluffy snow on top of our Christmas snow. Oh Joy. I bundled up in layers and fleece, slapped on my red Outdoor Research gaiters, put my snowshoes in the car, and headed for Topsmead. Understandably, only two other vehicles were in the parking lot because temps were in the teens with a stiff, single-digit wind chill. Off I tromped into the wind and up to Miss Edith's house. Despite pulling my wool hat down to my eyes and my fleece neck up over my nose, the wind still tried freeze my forehead and eyelashes. Seeking to escape the wind, sleek drifts had cozied up to the stone walls and snuggled in the doorways of the house and the dovecote. Snow, drifted and sculpted by the wind, looked like a mini-version of a snowy Arctic landscape. Blowing snow created tiny snow dunes highlighted by the late afternoon sun, and the surface of the snow was a canvas of wind-drawn line patterns. The drifts and the snow canvas were lovely, but today the wind's gifts came with a frigid cost. -read complete Musings essay- |