KENT, Conn. — Kent Historical Society’s Seven Hearths Museum will open for the season May 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Seven Hearths is the organization’s historic building at 4 Studio Hill Road in the heart of the original Kent town center, the Flanders Historic District.
The house was built by John Beebe, Jr., in 1751. The Colonial house stands in contrast to the earlier houses of the Flanders District because of its large scale.
The building was constructed as one structure with dual purposes. The family lived in the larger space while the left portion of the house included a general store, butcher, and a fur trading post. Its original architectural features are of interest to restoration buffs.
The house’s furnishings and other interior accessories reflect phases of Kent history that were part of the occupants’ lives.
Seven Hearths was willed to the historical society by famed artist George Laurence Nelson, who bought the dilapidated structure in 1919, restored it, and lived in it until his death in 1978.
Nelson wrote an enchanting account of his love affair with Seven Hearths, entitled “New Life for Old Timber,” which is available at the museum shop.
Exhibitions at Seven Hearths are changed each year and feature items from the organization’s collections, collections on loan and community exhibits.
The artwork of Nelson is displayed throughout the house along with some work from his parents, artists Carl and Alice Kerr-Nelson Hirschberg.
For more information about Seven Hearths, visit https://kenthistoricalsociety.org or call 860-927-4587.