KENT, Conn.—As the United States enters the 250th anniversary year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Kent is preparing for a year of local celebrations.
A town that embraced the Revolution fervently, with only three households headed by declared Loyalists, the community can be justly proud of its Patriotic past and the Kent Historical Society is preparing to celebrate it with digital house tours of still extant structures built prior to 1783, cemetery tours, lectures, hikes, exhibits and celebrations.
Its first program, an online lecture entitled “Painting Patriotism, Healing Wounds: The Art of Col. John Trumbull,” will be held Thursday, Feb. 26, at 6:30 p.m.
Walter W. Woodward, Connecticut State Historian Emeritus, will deliver the illustrated talk. He will focus on the lifelong struggle of John Trumbull to earn respect for his art by painting what he described to Thomas Jefferson as some of the “noblest series of actions which have ever presented themselves in the history of man.”
The lecture is free for members and $15 for non-members. To reserve a space, click here.
Trumbull was born in Lebanon in 1756, to a prominent and prosperous family. His father, Jonathan Trumbull, was later Governor of Connecticut (1769–1784). During the son’s brief service as an officer and General Washington’s aide-de-camp during the Revolutionary War, he sketched significant people and places of the conflict.
Resigning his commission as a colonel in 1777, he continued to paint and then went to England, where he studied under renowned history painter Benjamin West and at the Royal Academy of Arts. During travels in London, Paris, and New York City, he painted scenes of the American Revolution and life portraits or sketches of many of the individuals who would appear in them.
At a time when artists were looked upon as mere skilled workers, he fought for both status and respect, especially from his father. He is noted for his four large history paintings in the Capitol Rotunda, which depict pivotal moments before, during and after the Revolutionary War.
Woodward served as the State Historian of Connecticut from 2004 to 2022, the fifth person to hold the position. He is a scholar of Early American and Atlantic World history, with an emphasis on Connecticut and New England. He is the author of five books, the most recent of which is Creating Connecticut: Critical Moments That Shaped a Great State (Globe Pequot Press, 2020).
Other historical society initiatives for 2026 include a resurrection of the society’s oral history program, during which it will prepare for 2027’s year-long presentation of the “Voices of Kent.” Those interested in volunteering for this integral work, should contact Marge Smith at curator@kenthistoricalsociety.org.
