On a beautiful Sunday summer evening, the Manston Big Band showcased songs from the Great American Songbook, delighting the foot-tapping audience. The music was co-sponsored by the Deacon John Grave Foundation and the Madison Historical Society. As guests relaxed in lawn chairs and picnicked, the band entertained with favorite musical […] Read more »
Deacon John Grave Foundation Docents Delight with Colonial Games
Grave Foundation members, in period dress, joined the Madison Historical Society for its Summer Festival on the Madison Green. The August 27th event provided families with a day of arts, antiques, and activities. At the Grave House table, children and their parents experienced vintage games of skill. Without video screens […] Read more »
Pippin Excels as a Musical Masterpiece
Madison Lyric Stage presented ten performances of Pippin with a large and talented cast. The new tent on the grounds of the Deacon John Grave House provided the perfect venue for the big top carnival setting. Pippin, the Tony Award-winning musical, follows a mysterious troupe of actors with a commanding […] Read more »
Our 300-Year-Old-Plus Chimney Gets New Caps
John Grave 2 lived in the original house in 1685. Around 1711 he added an addition with massive fireplaces built by slaves from Guilford. The caps were damaged and collapsed in the Summer of 2021.Thanks to a Bauer Grant, new one and one/half inch bluestone caps were fitted and secured. Read more »
4th of July Parade Brings Warm Weather and Large Crowds!
A Grave House board member joined the July 4th event, driving her antique model T. The parade attracted a large crowd from Madison, as well as visitors from the surrounding area. When the parade marched down the Boston Post Road in town and on to the Surf Club, spectators cheered […] Read more »
The Deacon John Grave House and Grounds Host Visitors
Connecticut Open House Day brought 80 guests from New York, New Jersey, and around Connecticut to visit the Deacon’s house. The visitors were treated to hearth cooking demonstrations. They learned about the generations of the Grave family, who lived in the house, as they toured the building. Many guests spent […] Read more »
Fantastic Stage Production by Madison Lyric Stage at the Deacon John Grave House!
As a follow-up to the operatic season opener, the Madison Lyric Stage Company presented ten performances of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. Audience members thrilled to the production, as well as to the creative use of the deluxe new tent. Humor […] Read more »
Opera Pairing from Madison Lyric Stage Opened to Appreciative Crowd on the Grave House Grounds!
The Deacon partnered again with Madison Lyric Stage for their 2022 Season. The audience cheered the dynamic double bill that included Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins and Benjamin Britten’s Curlew River. The operas provided the audience with an amazing journey through challenges of the human condition. Both were performed […] Read more »
The Garden Club Holds Annual Plant Sale Following Two-Year Absence
On a beautiful May day gardeners flocked to the grounds of the Grave House to purchase plants and enjoy the gardens including the wildflower walk. Read more »
Painting The Back Of The Deacon John Grave House Completed
The back of the House was recently power washed, spot primed, and painted. This finishes a one-year project wherein the House and Barn were both painted. Read more »