On a beautiful October day, members of the Garden Club held a hands-on lesson on how to divide and transplant garden perennials. As friends of the Deacon John Grave Foundation, Garden Club members maintain the wonderful garden and wildflower walk on the Deacon’s property. Read more »
Madison Lyric Stage Performs the Classic Masterpiece, Hansel and Gretel
The production played to sold out audiences and received rave reviews, as one fan exclaimed, “What an amazing performance! As usual, it was fantastic! ‘Loved it all.” MLS Artistic Director, Marc Deaton directed one of the most beloved operas of all time, Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck. Marc and […] Read more »
Relatives of the First John Grave, Three Sisters and Their Families, Tour the Deacon’s House
On an early October morning, Cynthia Kremser from Oregon, Jeanne Murphy from Virginia, and Beth Bronson from Nigeria were guests at the Grave House. Board members provided a genealogical history of the Grave family and gave a room-by-room tour of the House. Of particular interest were the dates and construction […] Read more »
The Barn Gets New Sills and Gutter
In September, Sarens Builders and Remodeling of Clinton replaced all the rotten window sills, which were then sealed and painted. The construction team also removed the rotten gutter on the south side of the barn and replaced it with a colonial-style cedar wood gutter with copper lining. This project was […] Read more »
Our Expert on Antique Tools Highlights the 2019 Annual Meeting
After a short business meeting, Board Member Tom Lee, presented an engaging lecture and demonstration of antique tools, from the Grave House collection and from his own. He spoke about the unique construction and specific function of each tool displayed. The vintage tools offered a window into three areas of […] Read more »
A Large Crowd at the Late Summer Mixer
On the evening of Sunday, August 24, the Madison Historical Society (MHS) and the Deacon John Grave Foundation (DJGF) held the annual end-of-summer concert on the lawn of the Grave House. It featured the George Manston Big Band for an evening of great music and camaraderie. Guests brought lawn chairs […] Read more »
Several Grave Families Visit from Maryland and Pennsylvania
In late July, over ten descendants of the original Grave House inhabitants toured the house and grounds of the Deacon’s homestead. House guests from Maryland and Pennsylvania included Mike Graves with his wife and children and Julia Graves with her family. Other Grave descendants, who came from the Boston area, […] Read more »
Madison Lyric Stage Production of Into The Woods is a stunner!
From July 18 to July 28, Madison Lyric Stage presented 12 performances of the Sondheim and Lapine musical, Into The Woods, attracting capacity audiences for the Tony Award-winning show. Director, Marc Deacon, transformed the Grave house into a storybook cottage in which the dynamic cast reached out to theater goers […] Read more »
Grave House in Madison’s 4th of July Parade
On a very warm fourth of July holiday, board members hopped in a 1931 Model A Ford, owned by Natalie Evans, and joined a large parade in downtown Madison. Members were dressed in Colonial attire and received cheers from the crowd. Read more »
Another Terrific Connecticut Open House Day
Board Members dressed in Colonial attire welcomed a large crowd to the Deacon John Grave House and Gardens. Visitors from throughout Connecticut, as well as from New York and Rhode Island, toured the house. Docents demonstrated hearth cooking and used displays of antique tools and equipment to present information about […] Read more »