Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

The word “sibilance” refers to pronunciations of the letter “s” including the emission of a hissing or whistling sound. As the title of Sally Van Doren’s fourth collection of poetry, the word alerts readers to the sounds of language in the poems that follow in abecedarian order. Filled with wordplay, Van Doren’s poems vacillate between the extremes of joy and despair, by turns witty and chagrined, punning and reflective. The poems gathered in “Sibilance” aim to clarify their author’s ambivalence concerning living life and writing about it. Her unique investigations teem with distilled images encased in the language of irreverence and awe. A St. Louis native, Sally Van Doren is a prize-winning poet and artist who has taught at the 92nd Street Y and other public and private institutions. She is the author of four collections of poetry, including “Sex at Noon Taxes,” which won the Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets. 

“Puzzle”

The rain encroaches 

upon this alert chance 

to distinguish water 

from air. If we jimmy

the window latch, 

the screen comes closer 

to separating us from 

the vector at the end 

of May, the end of a time

when we knew what

to expect from summer.

We hear the rain and we

remember how the blue sky

arrived from wherever it came.

Heide Hendricks and Rafe Churchill, partners in life and business through interiors and architecture studio Hendricks Churchill have published their first book, Our Way Home: Reimagining An American Farmhouse, which was released this past September. The book provides an inside look into the couple’s own historic home in Sharon, which they lovingly restored for their own family. 

Our Way Home tells the story of Ellsworth, the 19th-century home located on 33 acres of an old dairy farm. The house was admired by the couple from afar for 15 years until it finally came onto the market at a time when Hendricks and Churchill were ready to purchase. Today, the residence represents the culmination of the couple’s creative backgrounds and personal approach to architecture and interior design, presenting a home that’s both traditionally reverent yet whimsical and modern. A strong, classic foundation rooted in authenticity is complemented by warmth, patina, and a quiet sense of play throughout each room as told within the pages. 

Hendricks Churchill is representative of the couple’s powerful alliance, who have been married for 25 years. Churchill is an award-winning architect who designs homes that sensitively respond to historical precedent while providing modern amenities adapted for contemporary living. Hendricks is a talented interior designer who specializes in utilizing furnishings in a comfortable and eclectic way that look as though they were accumulated over time. 

By Julia McMurray

Looking to experience a picturesque bike ride through the heart of New England? Consider taking a journey on the Connecticut stretch of the Western New England Greenway, a multi-segment, multi-state bike route from Norwalk to West Cornwall. In Connecticut, the path follows the Housatonic River north through gently rolling terrain marked by farmland and river views. As cyclists, adventurers, and nature enthusiasts embark on this route, they are welcomed by the verdant beauty that defines the Nutmeg State, passing through towns such as New Milford, Sharon, Kent, Cornwall, and Falls Village. 

Local shops, farm stands, and historical sites invite cyclists to pause, engage, and immerse themselves in the region; every stop becomes a chance to connect with the culture of the Connecticut communities. Along the way, cyclists can stop at different landmarks and sites, like Lovers Leap State Park for hiking trails, enjoy scenic views and historic ruins, the Eric Sloane Museum for local history exhibits, or 100 Main in Falls Village for home goods featuring one of a kind products made from local artisans.

Beyond its aesthetic allure, the Western New England Greenway also serves as a symbol of sustainable transportation and a commitment to preserving the environment. Ultimately, the trail promises an enchanting voyage through Connecticut’s natural wonders and community treasures. For a map of the routes go to wnegreenway.org

Art history is Kent history, and it is a continuum. Since the 18th century, Kent has been an attraction to landscape painters seeking a beautiful setting to immortalize. Its bucolic nature has remained unspoiled by development for a variety of historic and ecological reasons: the removal of industry to the cities in the 19th century, the principle occupation of farming and the natural topography of the landscape. Therefore our lush Housatonic Highlands have remained very much as it ever was, thanks to this seeming commercial oversight.

By the 20th century, well over 250 artists chose the Litchfield Hills to be their home, many of them in Kent. They “had national reputations and are still well known, but the knowledge that they had painted [here] had been lost.” (Artists of the Litchfield Hills, by Robert Michael Austin). The quality of their work was and is impressionable, some of the best in the country.

In Kent, creativity is woven into the fabric of our community, evidenced by the formation of the Kent Art Association one hundred years ago. Here nature was, and is appreciated, the spirit of environmentalism is alive and well. Artists have created works of our shared experience. They have beautifully documented the ethereal beauty of the places of Kent, and provided a sense of place.

The Kent Historical Society is proud to bring their collective history forward with the latest exhibit, PLACES OF KENT, a unique opportunity to celebrate this moment in time when there is a renaissance of the plein air art movement. A festive benefit opening was held on October 7, 6-8pm. at The Gallery above the House of Books, with 100+ in attendance. More than 50 works, some historic, as well as many contemporary pieces created by today’s Kent artists are on display. New works are available for purchase, with 40% of the proceeds to benefit the various functions of the Kent Historical Society.

Contemporary artists include Susan Grisell, Scott Bricher, Chris Magadini, Edward Martinez, Deborah Chabrian, Jim Laurino, James Napoleon, Heather Scofield, Bob Lenz, Mill Merklein, Thomas Adkins, Shannon Blanton and Richard Stalter. Historic works by George Laurence Nelson, Carl Hirschberg, Robert H. Nisbet, Spencer Nichols, Richard Schmid, and more are also included in the exhibition. Open to the public weekends October 8 – 29, 2023, Fridays 4pm -7pm, Saturdays 1pm – 6pm, Sundays 12pm -4pm through October 29.
Please see https://kenthistoricalsociety.org/event/ for more information.

Written by Tovah Martin

Photos by Antoine Bootz

A meticulously directed landscape in Roxbury deserves a standing ovation.

Few landscapes have been loved for as long as John Tillinger has tended his 20 acres in Roxbury. When he bought the scenic parcel in 1981, it was cleared and already boasted the pond which became the focal point and touchstone for the whole scene. But besides those attributes, there was originally absolutely nothing. Every year since, Tillinger has worked to make it more dramatic. 

John Tillinger is all about drama. If you recognize the name, that’s because he is featured on so many playbills. His career began as a Broadway actor but flipped to the role of director from 1982 onward with stellar Broadway plays such as Love Letters; The Price; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Lisbon Traviata; The Sunshine Boys; Inherit the Wind; Night Must Fall; The Last Yankee; Say Goodnight, Gracie; and Sylvia to his credit, among others. Additionally, he served as literary consultant and director at Long Wharf Theatre for decades. Inevitably, that indefatigable work ethic followed Tillinger home and was translated into his Roxbury landscape.

Tillinger always has a new project in the wings. Doddering Hall is the tongue-in-cheek name that Tillinger selected for his home 12-plus years ago even though he has always been glowingly spry. The place is phenomenal, but still, he invariably has improvements planned. Whether he’s installing a pair of almost-ferocious lions or positioning an antique urn with a beautiful patina, Tillinger goes for high drama layered on further thrilling theatrics. Born in Iran, he has an innate love for exotic romance. Educated in Britain, he received early exposure to rambling English country estates. All this is translated into the house he built with its Iranian-influenced central atrium spilling with plants beside manor-motif bedrooms. At one point, he found a set of remarkable Palladian windows at Michael Trapp’s shop and felt compelled to design a dining room equaling their glory. Those arching windows frame a garden that is now a four season attraction.

Not only is the director dramatic, he is also infinitely impressionable. When Tillinger went to Sissinghurst Castle in Britain, he saw a way to transform his front garden into a vision with brick walls and keyhole windows creating a hide/reveal seduction. Similarly, after visiting Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny, Tillinger brought that concept home. Literally, he did a replica of the precise bridge, painted the same unique color. Originally, swans were meant to glide in the pond, but he couldn’t convince his pair to remain in residence. Instead, he floats a pair of faux swans in the swimming pool footsteps from a terrace pergola draped (dramatically) in vines.

Further toward sending your heart racing, stone maidens are nearly buried in perennials, angel wings crown an archway reflected in a water feature, and a long, hedge-lined promenade culminates in a moody urn. There’s an armillary sundial and a Bacchus presiding over a sunken rose garden of deftly trimmed boxwood scrollwork. There’s seating in a vine-enclosed space where a memorable clandestine rendezvous might take place. Not far away, the pair of lions—softened in ornamental grasses—give you the slight shivers. 

One of the most dramatic moments in John Tillinger’s landscape is a space that he left to Mother Nature’s devises. A vast meadow of Joe Pye weed bursts into blossom in late summer and early autumn for a truly long performance run. Pollinators go crazy. People also love it. That bit of brilliance alone should earn John Tillinger accolades, but there’s so much more to warrant rave reviews.

By Wendy Carlson

“Hi Ho Silver!” The Lone Ranger, the iconic hero of the Old West, comes to life in Litchfield thanks to Al Singer who has turned his massive collection of cowboy memorabilia into a museum. 

As a kid growing up in the East Bronx, Singer was obsessed with cowboys. When he was just a toddler his parents plopped him on a saddle and he soon imagined himself growing up a Bronx cowboy. Instead, he built a successful career in the insurance business in New Jersey and later purchased a second home, a 40-acre farm in Litchfield, where he and his family rode Arabian horses. 

Now 87, Singer bid farewell to his days in the saddle. But the cowboy collection he started as a child with a scrapbook of comic book pages, photos, and cards now fills 19-rooms of Al’s Wild West Museum, which is open to the public year round by appointment.

Singer wants to preserve the memories of the Old West, and its cowboys, both real and fictional. Folk heroes Wild Bill Hickok, Kit Carson, and Buffalo Bill and movie characters Lone Ranger and Roy Rogers who turned the wild west into a popular form of entertainment are among those featured in the exhibit.

The museum is housed in the former horse stables and a caretaker’s cottage, where visitors are first met by life-size cardboard cutouts of Dale Evans and Roy Rogers. When they swing through the saloon doors into each room, they are surrounded by an incalculable number of artifacts; even the walls and ceilings of cottage’s two bathrooms are decorated with artwork of cowboy legends.

The collection includes comic books, movie stills, belt buckles, stamps, coffee mugs, puzzles, board games, lunchboxes, books, hats, videos, T-shirts, movie stills, pocket knives, bronze statues, the list goes on and on. And, since the word spread about his museum, other like-minded aficionados have offered to donate their collections.

From the cottage, the museum continues in the former stables, where the “William Tell Overture,” the theme song for The Lone Ranger, plays on a loop with other Old West tunes. Each of the horse stalls features a different exhibit; one is entirely given over to the Lone Ranger, one of Singer’s favorites.

When he lived in New Jersey, Singer dressed up as Roy Rogers, complete with replica gun and holster, and rode a white stallion to his 65th birthday party.

“When I was driving home from the party, I got pulled over by the cops for speeding. I jumped out with both hands in the air because I didn’t want them to get the idea I was carrying live weapons. When I explained, they had a good laugh and let me go, no ticket.”

Since the museum opened, Singer enjoys regaling visitors with stories of the connections he has made through his collecting passion, including billionaire Bill Koch. 

While watching a television interview with Koch, Singer noticed that Koch was in a room full of Western artifacts. “So I called his office to tell him about my museum, and less than an hour later he called me back and invited me to his home in Palm Beach,” Singer said. Koch has an entire wing in his house filled with his private collection, which includes a 130-year-old photo of Billy the Kid he purchased at auction for $2.3 million. 

The museum also includes the history behind the cowboy heroes. The Lone Ranger is said to have been inspired by a black cowboy, which is not unusual considering the population of cowboys in the Old West was at least 25 percent black, according to the Smithsonian Institution. His museum also includes material on famous Native Americans, including Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. 

Singer says visitors to his museum are often older folks who played cowboys as kids and watched Westerns. But he hopes the Broadway musical “Happy Trails”  inspired by the life and music of Roy Rogers that is currently being produced by the Academy and Tony award-winning screenwriter and playwright Marshall Brickman will spur an interest in younger generations. He has made a small investment in the production, which means his name will be in the playbook. Just maybe, he laughs, he’ll be in the front row opening night.

Phone 201-888-9353 to make an appointment to visit the museum.

Written by Tovah Martin

Photos by Rana Faure

In this Warren garden, the landscape is a very personal expressive tapestry.

“Walking into your garden should feel like walking into yourself,” is the advice Zarinna Mulla shares when clients ask for a consultation. And that approach is exactly how she designed her own Warren landscape. Flowing elegantly around the house Adil and Zarinna Mulla built on 230 acres overlooking the Shepaug Reservoir, every inch of the garden is personal. Walk the land, and you know Zarinna. 

Growing up in Bombay, interaction with nature was a vicarious experience for Zarinna. To appease her growing fascination for botany, she spent as much time as possible on the balcony of her family’s urban home. Infinitely impressionable, when she came to the U.S. in 1978, the novel plants in the New World fascinated her. “Everything was different here and I wanted to learn all about it.” 

When the Mullas moved to Redding, she frequented a nursery in town and eventually applied for a job and was hired. Curiosity led to research and experimentation, “I would grow the perennials at home to learn what each plant required.” That philosophy has shaped her entire horticultural career. Zarinna loves to collect, but that said, her garden is deftly designed. The landscape flows from space to space with meticulously clipped hedges and rare, reverentially sculpted shrubs and trees serving as accents.

Although Zarinna undoubtedly has an innate talent for design, she perfected that penchant by studying landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden. By the time she came to the Warren property in the early 2000s, she was confident in her ability to express her inner self horticulturally. 

“It was only a forest,” she says of the acreage, “and it sort of fell into our lap.” Dedicated to serious stewardship, the Mullas consulted with a forester from Yale who urged them to thin the trees to focus on the health of those left standing. He also suggested the creation of paths throughout the land to explore its inner secrets. That’s when they discovered the dramatic Shepaug Reservoir view. 

In 2005, the Mullas finished their house overlooking the reservoir, leaving the boulders blasted to create the foundation in place to frame the panorama. Zarinna had opened a nursery in Redding, and she moved that nursery to Warren. She also redirected her focus. “We didn’t have ornamental grasses in India,” she explained of her fascination for anything with plumes. “I love their movement and how the light filters through their blades.” She also had practical reasons for choosing ornamental grasses as a specialty. “They’re easy. You don’t have to deadhead grasses and the deer don’t eat them.” Before long, she forged a reputation as the local specialist in ornamental grasses. If you wanted someone with their finger on the pulse of how to select grasses as well as new introductions to the trade, she was that person. She remains incredibly well-versed in all aspects of gardening, but Zarinna no longer runs a nursery and her focus has expanded to include woody plants, especially unusual trees grown in containers. She continues to consult with landscape design clients, but she now generously donates her fees to Literacy Volunteers. 

One of the highlights in her own landscape is a Persian garden with low-growing shrubs clipped into quadrants. “The grid pattern of shrubs came out of necessity to guide water into the fields for irrigation. If you went back to the 12^th Century, my ancestors came from Persia,” Zarinna says of the design’s roots. Elsewhere, the landscape retains its strong emphasis on grasses, juxtaposed against textural woody elements with generous space between bedfellows, “I want the trees and shrubs to show themselves in their full glory.” Thoughtfully crafted flowing lines are everywhere, while autumn is a particularly glowing moment when the grass plumes play against the raging color in surrounding trees and shrubs. It’s all carefully composed and all highly personal. To experience the Mulla garden is to know Zarinna.

By Brandee Coleman Gilmore

Litchfield County life favors the contemplative. Even if you live in a city here, you’re not far from the riches of nature, and the chance to cloak yourself in quiet. Outsiders can sense it—writers, artists, and musicians have flocked here for years to tap into that nexus of body, mind, and spirit. Knowing this, several non-profit retreat centers have set up shop in these woods, too—willing to serve the faithful, the seekers, and everything in between.

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village

This down-to-earth, kosher outlet meanders across 400 bucolic acres. With its deep red buildings and rustic accommodations, it feels like a summer camp where adults are allowed, too. Year-round programming weaves music, yoga, and ecology into Jewish tradition. Food is a centerpiece with a ten-acre organic garden, and a summer farm fellowship program for young people looking to bolster their faith, leadership skills, and connection to the land. The hope is visitors can find peace and purpose through connection with the planet and others. —adamah.org/retreat-centers/isabella-freedman

Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center, Sharon
This year-round destination for families and groups could be the ticket if you’re looking to digitally detox and unwind. Accommodations deep in the woods have the comforting aroma of wood-burning fireplaces, and families have the option of cooking-in or coming when other groups are on site to dine community-style. You don’t have to be religious to plunk down here either—anyone is welcome. Take a dip in Silver Lake (Mudge Pond), tackle the high and low ropes courses, or just take the time to be. —silverlakect.org

Trinity Retreat Center, West Cornwall
This fully modernized offering from NYC’s Trinity Church Wall Street hugs the Housatonic and nurtures souls with an undeniable sense of style and substance. Their mission is to foster wellness in a natural setting, and they make it easy. A chef whips up farm-to-table meals from the on-site garden, and guests stay in simple, pristine bedrooms. Soak up the spiritual with year-round programming serving all faiths, and take advantage of their stone chapel, perfectly manicured labyrinth, river views, hiking trails, and donkey sanctuary. —trinitywallstreet.org/trinity-retreat-center

The Lourdes Shrine, Litchfield
You may have been to this hand-built replica of France’s Grotto Lourdes for the unique pleasure of an open-air Mass. The grounds are generally open from sunrise to sunset, but up the hill you can book a longer stay as a small group. The Montfort House, an English Manor originally built as a summer home, was a seminary for the Montfort Missionaries before converting to retreat space. Your group doesn’t have to be Catholic—they host musicians, yogis, book clubs, AA groups, and more. —shrinect.org

Wisdom House Retreat Center, Litchfield
This former convent now provides an interfaith environment for reflection and expression, and even suits as a place for artists to find mental and physical space to work. Individuals can daytrip here, with breakfast and lunch included or overnight accommodations for up to 150 are possible. Rooms are somewhat dorm-like, but they pride themselves on cleanliness and unforgettable, locally-sourced food. Meadows provide space to wander, while the labyrinth (Connecticut’s first) encourages focus. Year-round programming for all people centers on spirituality, wellness, the arts, and ecology. —wisdomhouse.org

Camp Washington Episcopal Camp and Retreat Center, Lakeside
Their classic summer camp has been here for over a century, but they also have year-round accommodations for midsize groups of up to 30. Quarters are simple, but the decor feels more hotel-like than dorm. They boast a gourmet menu, and offer a large, equipped home for meeting space (and additional sleeping space). Whether you’re seeking to turn inward or move forward by fostering community, the tools exist here, be it a spring-fed pond with water recreation, ropes courses, or 300 acres to explore in serenity. —campwashington.org

Abbey of Regina Laudis, Bethlehem
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Abbey of Regina Laudis as a place to tend to your spiritual side. This cloistered Benedictine monastery only grants permission to stay overnight after an exchange of letters (and God’s leading), but anyone is free to visit the grounds for prayer and reflection. Attend mass with the Sisters, or pop into the monastic arts shop to explore the fruits of their many labors. Not to miss is their famous 18th-century, Italian creche. —abbeyofreginalaudis.org