Happenings Continue at Cedar Hill Cemetery

The lazy days of summer are long gone at Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation - not that they were ever really here! This past Tuesday, ConservArt, LLC, began restoration work on the Oswin Welles monument on Section 1. Atop the granite monument stands a beautiful bronze, angelic female. Her details have begun to fade and her beauty has been obscured by discoloration and pitting, which has been caused by exposure to the elements for more than 100 years. Francis Miller and his team are working diligently to restore and preserve this amazing monument in order to ensure no further details are lost and her beauty can be seen by visitors for generations to come.

On Wednesday, we welcomed 30 people to Cedar Hill Cemetery to celebrate the publication of Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's first book: Jacob Weidenmann: Pioneer Landscape Architect. Author Rudy Favretti talked about the importance of writing this tribute to Cedar Hill's landscape architect and first superintendent and shared some of his experiences in writing the book, including his difficulty in finding information about Mr. Weidenmann and his trips to Switzerland to learn more about this elusive person who made several contributions to the field of landscape architecture.

This Saturday, we are pleased to have author Steve Courtney join us to lead a tour on Twain's Companions and Cohorts. All are welcome to join us for this fun and interesting tour. The tour will start at the flagpole at 10:00 am. Members are free and nonmembers are $5.00.

We have several other events planned for the near future including our Fourth Annual Haunted History Lantern Tour and Colt's Home for the Holidays, a holiday fundraiser party at Samuel and Elizabeth Colt's historic home in Hartford. Stay tuned for more information about these and our other upcoming events and activities. We hope you will visit us soon.

Public Book Signing of Jacob Weidenmann

Professor Emeritus Rudy J. Favretti, UConn, proves he has more teaching to do with his latest publication, Jacob Weidenmann: Pioneer Landscape Architect. With encouragement from his lovely wife Joy, Mr. Favretti has spent the last forty years researching the life and work of Jacob Weidenmann in hopes of learning more about the man who made numerous contributions to the field of landscape architecture. His resulting book includes images of Weidenmann’s original design plans and final works as well as the personal story of the man who came from Switzerland and left his mark on landscapes across the United States.


Weidenmann’s surviving contributions to Hartford include the design of Bushnell Park, Cedar Hill Cemetery, and the Butler-McCook Gardens. In addition to being its landscape architect, Weidenmann served as Cedar Hill’s first superintendent. Recognizing the importance in sharing Weidenmann’s accomplishments, Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation, in cooperation with Wesleyan University Press, published this educational and enjoyable manuscript.


Born in Stonington, Connecticut, author Rudy Favretti received degrees in horticulture, landscape architecture, and regional planning from the University of Connecticut, the University of Massachusetts and Cornell. Mr. Favretti served as a professor of landscape architecture at the University of Connecticut for 33 years during which time he founded UConn’s nationally accredited landscape architecture program. In addition to his career in education, Mr. Favretti conducted a private practice specializing in landscape preservation. His commissions include Thomas Jefferson’s “Monticello” and George Washington’s “Mt. Vernon.” He also served on the board of directors at Cedar Hill Cemetery for 10 years.


Mr. Favretti will share his experience researching and writing Jacob Weidenmann: Pioneer Landscape Architect at a public booksigning on Wednesday, September 26 at 5:30pm at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Following his presentation, books will be available for purchase and signing. We hope you will join us.

Exceptional Women Abound at Cedar Hill Cemetery

Did you know that Isabella Beecher Hooker was the half-sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe and that she was an active advocate of women's rights? Did you know that Elizabeth Colt was only 35 when her beloved Samuel passed away and that she oversaw Colt Firearms until she sold the business in 1901? Did you know that Anne Tracy Morgan, the daughter of financier J.P. Morgan, became the first American woman to be appointed a commander of the Legion of Honor?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, you should join us on Saturday, September 15 as Grace Parks Mitchell, former assistant director of the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame, takes us on a tour of Cedar Hill Cemetery's exceptional women. She will share their stories and successes and describe how their work has contributed to today's society.

This tour is not just for women as those who will be featured had strong connections to very prominent men of their time, including Samuel Colt, J.P. Morgan, John Hooker, and Mark Twain.

We look forward to you joining us for this casual and informative tour. The tour will begin at 10:00 am and is free for members and $5.00 for nonmembers.

Bicycle Tour a Success

Did you read Sunday's Hartford Courant article 'Hartford: It's a Happening Place' by Jim Farrell? Mr. Farrell reported that approximately 1,250 people participated in Saturday's bicycle tour sponsored by the Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance. He also quoted participant Emily Rivera for his article - "'I've lived in Hartford my whole life - 27 years - but there were things I saw that I never knew were here,' Rivera said, adding that she was especially impressed with the area around Cedar Hill Cemetery."

We are thrilled that the bicycle event was so successful and that so many people were introduced to Hartford's historic Cedar Hill Cemetery. We hope more people will come to experience the world of art, history and nature that Cedar Hill has to offer.

Have you heard about the Hartford Bicycling and Walking Tour? On Saturday, September 8, 1,000 bikers are expected to participate in a 10-mile bike tour introducing riders to some of Hartford's historical sites and attractions. Some of the highlighted sites include the Colt redevelopment area, the Connecticut Creative Store, Hartford Hospital, Trinity College, including its new Community Skating Rink, and our very own Cedar Hill Cemetery.

For those wanting to do more, a 25-mile tour will also be offered and includes sites such as Mark Twain's House, Elizabeth Park, and the newly completed Riverfront walkway.

For those individuals not interested in biking but interested in participating, you can take advantage of the walking tour, which will start at Bushnell Park and end at the Colt Complex. Like the bike tours, the walking tour will include several sites of interest along the way.

The Hartford Bike and Walking Tour is a great way to participate in a local event designed to educate you about Hartford history and sites of interest. For more information about this event or to register online, visit www.hartfordbiketour.org. We look forward to seeing you riding through Cedar Hill on Saturday morning!