Weir Farm - An Oasis of Art and Nature in Connecticut
Weir Farm National Historic Site [CT]
A Random Weekend in Connecticut
Wilton, CT
12 May 2018
'Designed and preserved by artists, Weir Farm NHS celebrates the power of creativity, art, and nature. Discover the beauty of light and color in everyday life and join generations of visitors inspired by the beauty of this rural landscape.' --NPS
Introduction
"One must make a subject part of yourself before you can properly express it to others." - J. Alden WeirJulian Alden Weir, an American Impressionist artist, believed that creating art outdoors provided an intimate connection to the emotional and spiritual character of the landscape. Weir Farm National Historic Site celebrates the blending of art and nature
For more information on Julian Alden Weir, the NPS has you covered: NPS: Julian Alden Weir
The Story
I went hiking first thing in the morning at Saugatuck Falls Natural Area. Connecticut is super tiny so I probably drove about an hour, maybe two hours max, to arrive at Weir Farm National Historic Site.
There were a few cars in the gravel parking lot when I arrived, but it was not crowded. This was my ride for the weekend:
Maps and brochures are available at the parking area along with a self-serve passport stamp station. I was able to get my stamp then put my passport directly back into the car. Less to carry and less to worry about with such a rainy forecast!
Maps and brochures are available at the parking area along with a self-serve passport stamp station. I was able to get my stamp then put my passport directly back into the car. Less to carry and less to worry about with such a rainy forecast!
Burlingham House Visitor Center
For more information, I crossed the street to head into the Visitor Center. The rangers/staff were very enthusiastic and helpful providing information. I received a free sticker for my passport and signed up for the 11:00 tour of Weir House [free]. I hadn't planned on doing the house tour but figured it would be a good idea due to the imminent opening of the clouds. I was given maps and suggestions of what to view on the grounds.
The day was super overcast. As I was finally leaving the Visitor Center, it started drizzling. They had giant NPS loaner umbrellas though!
Art in the Park
What would a park dedicated to art be without art activities for visitors? Many activities are offered, but one is free and very much geared to the non-artistic kind that still appreciate art. The visitor center porch has art supplies that are free for guests to use from May-October. Different supplies are available on different days. This Saturday there were watercolors.
Be Creative.
Be Inspired.
Take Part in Art.
I had some time to kill before the 11:00 house tour - not enough to create a watercolor masterpiece, but plenty to walk around and see the studios.
The Stone Walls
After getting the heebie jeebies from the stone walls in my previous hike, I talked to the staff/rangers at the visitor's center about them. They even had a brochure titled The Stone Walls that they gave me.
Far up on these abandoned mountain farms
Now drifting back to forest wilds again
The long, gray walls extend their clasping arms
Pathetic monuments to vanished men.
-Thomas Wentworth Higginson [NPS Brochure]
Clearly I'm not the only one getting mysterious vibes and asking questions. The walls have become a defining characteristic of the farm's landscape, and are a main component of J. Alden Weir's draw and captivation on the premises.
There are three types of stone walls present at Weir Farm.
1. Thrown Wall - The most basic, lacking structure, no building experience necessary. However - there is more maintenance. No concern for structure or foundation.
2. Laid Wall - With a bunch of European settlers arriving with masonry skillsets, the walls get some upgrades. Laid walls use "dressed" stone, essentially stone that has been cut. They look more formal and are also more secure and dependable. Concern for structure, none for foundation.
Example: The Platt Wall - Runs from the eastern side of Hill Road across from the Weir House.
3. Rubble-Filled Wall - Sort of a hybrid between thrown and laid walls that accommodates soil movement underneath the walls. They would build side-by-side laid walls and fill the in between with rubble for more flexibility. The outer walls hold it all together, while the center allows the wall to settle around and adjust - becoming one with the earth. Concern for structure and foundation.
Example: The Great Wall of Cora - Was laid north from the Burlington House Visitor Center to the Nod Hill Road/Pelham Lane intersection in front of Weir House.
The Sunken Gardens
Cora Weir Burlingham, J. Alden Weir's youngest daughter, took possession of the farm in 1931. She immediately began renovations to the entire property because she found it to be in "shambles". This is the Sunken Garden in the Colonial Revival style, remodeling beginning in 1932 and completed in 1940.
No original drawings of this garden's plans survived, and then all maintenance ended after Cora's death. In 1995, the Wilton Garden Club began a rehabilitation project to restore the garden. Simple and cute and adequately named!
More information on Cora Weir Burlingham: NPS - Weir Farm - Cora Weir Burlingham
No original drawings of this garden's plans survived, and then all maintenance ended after Cora's death. In 1995, the Wilton Garden Club began a rehabilitation project to restore the garden. Simple and cute and adequately named!
More information on Cora Weir Burlingham: NPS - Weir Farm - Cora Weir Burlingham
Pig Pens
The Secret Garden
Pretty on the outside but rather boring on the inside. Likely named for the Deutzia bushes that supposedly hide the garden, it featured perennial plant beds, a sundial, a fountain, and rustic fencing.
Weir Barn
The Studios
When I approached the studios, the door to Young studio was open. I assumed that this meant I was allowed entry, and my assumption was correct. A docent was present and speaking with the several people checking out the studio.
Young Studio
In New York, "Mahonri held his first significant one-man show in 1912. One of the attendees was Julian Alden Weir. The fact that a leading artist like Weir found it worthwhile to attend the show was evidence of his growing reputation. "His friends ran the whole gamut of the art world," Mahonri gushed. Weir's attendance at the show was of note for another reason as well—unbeknownst to them, in twenty years, Mahonri would marry Weir's daughter Dorothy and become his son-in-law."
Two years after Weir's death in 1919, Mahonri Young finally met Weir's daughter Dorothy in 1921 at a dinner hosted by art collector Duncan Phillips. They got married in 1931 and moved to Branchville farm in 1932.
"No matter how friendly [J. Alden] Weir always was to us of the younger artists, he never introduced us to any of his three charming daughters, (...) We never met any of them until after he died. But it was no use. I married the most beautiful, the finest, the most talented of them, Dorothy."
Young commissioned his son-in-law Oliver Lay to build a new studio on the Branchville farm grounds for his sculpting work in 1932 upon arrival.
After Dorothy's death in 1947, Young continued to live on the farm and continue his art. While his large monuments are the most famous, he also enjoyed sculpting smaller figures related to the working class. He was considered a Social Realist, crafting farmers, stonemasons, construction workers, animals, and also legendary boxers.
Even though Young's sculpture work is the most prominent, he was driven by the farm's beauty just as Weir was and frequently was sketching life around the farm. He even had specially made suit pockets that could fit his sketchbook since he "saw pictures everywhere."
Following Young's death on November 2, 1957 at the ripe age of 80, his son described that Young
After Dorothy's death in 1947, Young continued to live on the farm and continue his art. While his large monuments are the most famous, he also enjoyed sculpting smaller figures related to the working class. He was considered a Social Realist, crafting farmers, stonemasons, construction workers, animals, and also legendary boxers.
Even though Young's sculpture work is the most prominent, he was driven by the farm's beauty just as Weir was and frequently was sketching life around the farm. He even had specially made suit pockets that could fit his sketchbook since he "saw pictures everywhere."
Following Young's death on November 2, 1957 at the ripe age of 80, his son described that Young
"was a man who lived with no disconnection between life and art. His life and his art were a seamless web. One just flowed right into the other. He talked about art, he thought about art, and made art. Art in a very sense was his life."
This is the one sculpture you are allowed to touch.
Weir Studio
The docent locked up Young studio and took the group of my newly found friends over to Weir Studio.7 July 1885: J. Alden Weir wrote to Ella Baker, his then sister-in-law -
"My studio is now finished."August 1886: Anna Baker Weir to Ella Baker -
"Julian's studio is finished, and is as comfortable as possible."The original studio was designed by an unknown architect. It was two stories with multi-pane windows and a large open unpainted space inside.
Later additions include a water tower, a lean-to shed mostly for wood storage, two large single-paned windows on the North side due to the water tower and shed taking away natural light, a wooden platform deck, and greenish-blueish ceiling paint with gilt plaster stars. Fun Fact: Weir had stars on all of his studio's ceilings, usually painted, with the exception of this studio.
After Weir's death, the studio was left as-is with his paintings inside. Very minimal changes occurred until the Andrews Period. In the present, the studio has been restored to how it was in about 1915, four years prior to Weir's death.
The Weir House Tour
Thirty minute guided house tours occur three times a day - 11:00, 14:00, and 15:00 (Wednesday-Sunday). The tour is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis by signing up at the visitor center.
When it was time for the tour of the Weir House, the group I latched onto at the studios meandered over to the front porch of the house, joining a few others.
We met our tour guide who gave a brief introduction before bringing us into the house. The tour gives a more in depth history lesson while viewing architecture, interior design, decor, furniture, etc. of the times. Work by previous artists-in-residences can also be found in the house. There is a maintained log of almost anything and everything you see.
The sign above the front door reads:
'Here shall we rest and call content our home.'I now have new inspiration on how to decorate my mantle. But not really..
A fun feature of the house upkeep is the record player. Park rangers and/or docents will periodically flip the record over or switch out the vinyl.
I think this is the most obnoxious wallpaper I have ever seen in my life.
Speaking of obnoxious, the dining room chandelier is scoring some points too.
This is me sitting on the front porch of the Weir House, proving I actually was here.
Next up, I go for a walk to Weir Pond and make my way around the pond loop trail. This area is still part of the National Historic Site; however, 110-acre Weir Preserve which surrounds the site offers even more hiking trails. Link to Weir Pond Blog: Walking the Watercolors of Weir Pond
“Weir found the world beautiful and he spent his life showing others the visions he had seen.” - Dorothy Weir Young
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