On August 27th, the George Manstan Band performed music from the great American Songbook on the beautiful Grave House grounds. The appreciative audience consisted of members from the Deacon John Grave Foundation, Madison Historical Society, The Garden Club of Madison, CLEMA (Charlotte L. Evarts Memorial Archive), and Madison Lyric Stage. Read more »
Madison Historical Society Summer Festival
DJGH Board members in colonial dress served as docents and participated in the return of the Historical Society’s Summer Festival on the Madison Green on August 26th. The festival featured antiques, arts and crafts, games, music, and food. The Grave House display offered a collection of 18th century toys and […] Read more »
Premiere of Elegy for a Fallen Angel showcased by Madison Lyric Stage!
Marc Deaton, the artistic director of Madison Lyric Stage and a tenor, collaborated with Nathaniel Baker, a local composer, to create Elegy for a Fallen Angel. The music for the production utilized themes from Purcell and Handel. The story followed two siblings on their path of self-discovery and through their […] Read more »
Stellar cast presented the award-winning musical, Spring Awakening!
Talented young actors comprised the Madison Lyric Stage cast for the recent production of the rock musical, Spring Awakening. The show, based on a controversial play from 1891, followed youth through their experiences into a world of passion and rebellion. The story gave the audience a poignant look at the […] Read more »
Postcards from Pierrot performed by Madison Lyric Stage
Marc Deaton, artistic director of Madison Lyric Stage, presented Postcards from Pierrot, a great work of the 20th century by Alban Berg and Arnold Schoenberg in which he explored the evolution of speak singing and its affects on opera, jazz and theater. The evenings featured a full five person orchestra […] Read more »
Grave Descendants Celebrate History at Family Home!
On the weekend of June 18th, 40 descendants of Deacon John Grave came together from 14 states to connect with their family’s history. Family members gathered at the Deacon’s house in Madison to reunite or to meet for the first time. The visitors enjoyed house tours on Saturday, focusing on […] Read more »
Sensitive Production of Angels in America on Stage at the Deacon John Grave House!
Madison Lyric Stage presented one of the great epic American plays of this century. This groundbreaking work explores the lives of a handful of people trying to make sense of a world engulfed in the AIDS pandemic. Tony Kushner’s masterpiece earned a Pulitzer Prize. Read more »
Cate, A Female Slave of the Grave Family, Remembered by Stone Marker at the Grave House
The St Andrews Church Of Madison celebrated the life of Cate, c 1726, who was enslaved at the 1685 House. Members of the Church completed a Witness Stone Project by conducting primary source research which honored her life. Read more »
The Witness Stone Installation Ceremony for Stepney . . . A Slave of the Grave Family
The witness stone initiative seeks to teach the Community about enslaved persons like Stepney, a male slave from c 1732-1762. His life was the project of the 8th grade at the Country Day School who conducted extensive primary source research demonstrating his life and work as an enslaved person. Read more »
Deacon John Grave Foundation Was Open for Connecticut Open House Day
A significant number of visitors came from around the State to tour the Deacon John Grave House. Board members in period dress conducted the tours for visitors from Derby, Hartford, Ridgefield, and West Haven to name a few. Read more »