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

By Launa Schweizer 

As incoming Head of School, I was drawn to Washington Montessori because of its storied reputation as a learning powerhouse for children 18-months through 8th grade. Our Montessori middle school is a unique learning environment, in which adolescents are inspired by a culture of kindness to engage fully in challenging academics. They then go on to thrive at schools like Frederick Gunn, Shepaug and Litchfield High Schools, Taft, Exeter, Westover, and Hotchkiss.

Many alumni become trailblazers in their fields: designers, physicians, chefs, mathematicians, educators, and artists. As journalist Ryan Sager ‘93 put it, “Knowing how to move forward, when there’s not an off-the-shelf solution or a roadmap, is what Montessori teaches.” 

As Peter Becker, Head of School at Frederick Gunn notes, “WMS students are self-driven. They navigate high school successfully and joyfully; are positive, active community members and curious, courageous learners.” Jeremy LaCasse, Assistant Head of School at Taft, described the recipe for the school’s success: “WMS is truly inclusive. The school provides time and space for students to understand themselves within a rich and nurturing community.“

Lela Ilyinsky ‘00, Head of Accounts at twenty2 wallpaper + textiles, an eco-friendly design firm in Bantam, joined WMS from public school as a 6th grader. She recalls, “At a time of transition and upheaval, I entered a grounded and loving environment where it was easy to integrate into the group.” As her classmate, actor Betty Gilpin ‘00 noted, “I found a comfort in being myself that allowed me to trust my own creativity and intelligence.”

Julia Kivitz ‘97 worked at MoMA for more than 15 years. She draws a through-line from WMS to her success in high school, college, and beyond. “What made WMS graduates such successful adults in the broadest sense, not just in our jobs? Our ability to learn. We worked hard, but the work didn’t feel hard because we were so well prepared.”

WMS students master complex mathematics and produce Shakespeare plays in elementary school. Children study geography, and by the end of 8th grade, can freehand draw a map of the world. Each 8th grader writes an extended scientific research paper and completes an internship; this year, students worked at Meraki and Little-ish in Litchfield and at the Pentagon.

Trails, athletic fields, forests, and wetlands on the 50-acre campus overlooking Route 202, serve as a laboratory where students collaborate, solve problems, and develop connections. Sustainability Coordinator Nora Hulton describes: “As part of our commitment to community service and citizen science, 8th-graders become mini-experts in stoneflies, caddis, and other macroinvertebrates. They engage in field study to collect and identify them, and send results to Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which publishes our results each spring.”

WMS traditions speak our values. On field day, adolescents cheer on elementary kids. On graduation day, each 8th grader delivers a speech, standing confident and proud. At WMS, students know they are valued individuals supported by a deeply rooted community, ready for whatever the future will hold. —washingtonmontessori.org

Adelaide Deming’s Impressionist Paintings Made Her Nationally Known for Her Depictions of Litchfield

By Gavi Klein

Photo credit: Collection of the Litchfield Historical Society, Litchfield, Connecticut

Today, Litchfield’s breathtaking natural surroundings attract artists of all sorts. The same was true back in 1864, when Adelaide Deming (1864-1956) was born to William Deming and Mary Benton Deming, and went on to become a nationally recognized artist. Deming is known for her stunning oil landscapes, ensconcing the natural beauty of Litchfield on canvas for generations to come. Even before her artistic skill was known, Deming’s commitment to community engagement made her an active and valued member of the town. Throughout her life, she was a leader in education reform and in the suffrage movement, acting as a member of Litchfield’s school board as well as the president of the Women’s Forum. Of course, Deming’s paintings are her true claim to fame, both in Litchfield, and across the country; Booker T. Washington reportedly wrote to her asking to contribute her work to the Tuskegee Institute. In her late 30s and early 40s, Deming worked as a professor at the Pratt Institute in New York, and was also a member of the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors, along with other local and nation-wide art organizations. Her work currently resides at institutions such as the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, as well as the Litchfield Historical Society. She died in 1956.

Sources:

Adelaide Deming collection (1954-46-0), Litchfield Historical Society, Helga J. Ingraham Memorial Library, P.O. Box 385, 7 South Street, Litchfield, Connecticut, 06759

Litchfield’s Historical Memories

By Gavi Klein

Photo credit: Collection of the Litchfield Historical Society, Litchfield, Connecticut.

Esther H. Thompson’s (1851-1929) memories offer a key personal touch to recorded Litchfield history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Thompson’s familial connection to the land dates back generations before her lifetime, when her great-grandparents began farming in Bethlehem. In the early 1800s, Thompson’s father moved to Litchfield, and built the house in which his daughter would spend her entire life. Thompson would go on to reflect her rich connection to Litchfield in her writing, documenting the community, history, and land which she had been observing since her youth. She was particularly fascinated with botany, and documented much of the natural world around her for future Litchfield residents. Possibly Thompson’s most significant observations were those of the Civil War, namely, her childhood recollection of troops gathering on the town green. In addition, Thompson offered original knowledge of the life of William Grimes, author of what is known as the first slave narrative. In addition to her writings, Thompson was treasurer of multiple organizations in Litchfield, including the Litchfield chapter of the Red Cross and the Village Improvement Society, thus working to improve the physical and aesthetic health of her hometown. Her historical work appeared in multiple local newspapers of the time, and remains to this day a valued record of a critical period in national history. 

Sources 

Thompson Family Papers, 1929-01-0, Litchfield Historical Society, Helga J. Ingraham Memorial Library, P.O. Box 385, 7 South Street, Litchfield, Connecticut, 06759.

Esther H. Thompson, 1823-1929, Box: 1-5. Thompson Family Papers, 1929-01-0. Litchfield Historical Society.

The skills learned during a gap year are powerful tools for making the college experience truly valuable and relevant for future career building. There is a particular urgency in gaining and applying these skills because what students do today will not only determine their post-secondary lives, but impact future generations.

What Gen Zers need to thrive now, in college, and throughout their lives includes critical thinking, creativity, ingenuity, curiosity, collaboration, forward-thinking, adaptability, and flexibility, remarks Jake Horne, a college and career mentor for Gen Z students, and founder of The Student Compass in Washington.

“These are uniquely human skills which digital machines, Artificial Intelligence, and neural networks just don’t have,” Horne notes. “It is up to humans to direct the use of technology for human benefit, not the other way around. If decisions are well thought out, the trajectory of our complex society will determine the sort of world future generations will inherit. The near future of the Gen Z generation and the future of distant generations will be founded by how present generations decide to act. Like America’s Founding Mothers and Fathers, who created the incredible system we enjoy today, 250 years later.”

Faced with “cascading change, vast, complex transformations, and enormous challenges and threats facing humans—such as climate change, exponential technology evolution, social media driven disruption of social truths, facts, and eroding ethical standards—these skills need to be deeply learned before college, if this generation is going to thrive, as well as determine the fate of future generations,” Horne notes.

However, these are the very skills that schools are not teaching, he cautions: “What ideas students are learning in school and college are not applied to real life. True learning is experiential, where ideas are applied to real life demands and complications. Taking a gap year is the ultimate hack to discovering talents and capabilities essential for thriving in this new world of transformative expectations.”

Until high school graduation, adolescent lives are circumscribed by others’ wishes and expectations, including parents, relatives, teachers, and coaches. The gap year is the first time students are able to be independent, Horne explains. Able to direct their own decisions and take responsibility; to achieve “self-agency.”

“High school graduation should be the beginning of a universal transition, “a rite of passage,” from childhood to adulthood, guided by their own instincts, self-direction, and responsibility for owning their actions,” Horne notes. “It is critical to do this before college, in order to make the most of college experience.”

The transition occurs optimally through learning by doing, by stepping out into new experiences, cultures, and communities of people from around the world. 

“The aspects of who they are, the talents, skills, and capability that they can acquire and build on can truly only be acquired into their expanding mindset by stretching out, taking risks through actions, making mistakes, adjusting their thinking, and learning to be adaptive and flexible,” Horne reflects. “They can really only do this by taking a gap year.”—thestudentcompass.com

SPONSORED POST

By Clementina Verge 

Backroads: noun, “a little-used secondary road, especially one through a rural or sparsely populated area.” “Back Roads”: proper noun, a deep woodsy-fragranced candle inspired by where the Housatonic River and Appalachian Trail intersect in Cornwall Bridge, and where Plaid Rooster Co. recently celebrated the opening of its gift shop and manufacturing facility.

“There is something truly therapeutic about watching a warm flame with natural elements like rocks and wood,” owner Andrea Appelbaum notes about the candles poured into hand-carved dough bowls. 

Rustic touches are a trademark of her all-vegan friendly, soy-based candles, which are “a cleaner, natural, healthier burn compared to paraffin-based ones that burn only half as long.”

Whether the senses crave wintery spruce and pine, rejuvenating cactus flower and jade, or a customized candle like lavender white tea, 22 available fragrances are essential oil-based and free of toxins, artificial dyes, or additives. Unscented is also an option.

The candles, some decorated with locally-grown pressed flowers while others are poured into glass jars featuring a signature plaid bow, make great gifts and celebratory tokens for any occasion. The Baby Reveal Candle, which turns pink or blue within 30 minutes as baby powder scent fills the room, is a favorite.

Quality and uniqueness have kept customers coming to Appelbaum’s other shop, Queen Street Gifts in Newtown, for the past five years, leading to the establishment of Plaid Rooster in 2020.

“I wanted to carry a local candle that wasn’t already sold in neighboring stores,” she explains. “Since there wasn’t any option, I decided to make them myself.”

Naming the line was easy: “Since the Newtown mascot is a rooster, it made sense to name the Newtown-born brand after the rooster. I also love its symbolism and role in awakening people, and I wanted the brand to have a country farmhouse look.”

Once launched, the brand “grew enormously successful very quickly” and meeting demand required an expansion. 

Appelbaum, who grew up in Stamford, has longstanding ties to Litchfield County, where the family kept a boat on Bantam Lake, enjoying hiking and the area’s wineries. Eventually, they purchased waterfront property on Woodridge Lake in Goshen. When 22 Kent Road S became available, it was the perfect location.

Today, “a team of 13 fabulous, hard-working women” hand-pour and fulfill online orders, shipping nationwide to private homes and retailers. 

“We don’t hold inventory that loses its aroma over time sitting on shelves,” Appelbaum assures. “While other companies cheap out on how much fragrance they use, sometimes cheating and only scenting the top layer, we infuse throughout the candle.”

Instead of discarding the wood vessels, customers can return for refills.

Acknowledging “tremendous love and customer support,” Appelbaum anticipates continued growth while also giving back. Following a successful fundraiser with the Ukraine charity candle, she will work with local charities to help CT children in need always have a cake with candles to blow out and make a wish on their birthdays. “Sip and pour” candle-making parties will cater for adults interested in fun community get-togethers. —plaidroosterco.com

Step Into Its Story

By Clementina Verge

Escaping through a creative portal into another place and time: that’s the magic of movies, playing once more at Bantam Cinema, a historic landmark evolving as a creative sanctuary, educational institution, and community cornerstone.

“Step into our story” is the motto of Connecticut’s longest-operating movie theater, and what a story it is.

In its nearly 100-year existence, Bantam Cinema faced unexpected turmoils: the Great Depression, World War II, a ravaging 1989 tornado; most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic threatened the traditional movie-going experience, nearly forcing the theater into closure.

In the nick of time, a group of passionate individuals led a grassroots effort to acquire the property and established the nonprofit Bantam Cinema & Arts Center.

“Our mission is to preserve and operate the historic cinema while enhancing the cultural vitality of the Litchfield Hills by offering diverse programming that inspires and engages audiences,” explains executive director Robert Kwalick. “It is a place to not just meet together to laugh or chat over a movie, but to celebrate the creative presence of people who can talk about the craft.”

Judy Auchincloss, who serves on the BCAC Board of Directors, similarly acknowledges the region’s many performers, writers, and directors.

“We have such a creative community boasting a wealth of talent and happy to give of its time, so it is exciting to ponder all that we can become,” Auchincloss reflects.

Externally, except for fresh paint, the cinema looks as it did in 1929 when the first silent film played in the once-red barn. Memories of past decades echo in the charming entryway where concessions include favorites like Juju and Sno-Caps candy, popcorn with real butter, and even wine and beer. Updates include two cozy auditoriums, modern digital projectors and sound systems, and open-captions for ESL and hearing-impaired patrons.

Behind the scenes, something even greater unraveled: as a nonprofit, programming possibilities now abound, including student film festivals, classes, poetry readings, private events, and Q&As with industry insiders. While continuing to screen high-quality independent and mainstream films, BCAC will also present family-friendly opportunities to ignite passion for arts in the younger generations.

Board member Ethan Antonucci, who grew up across the street from the theater and remembers the excitement of waiting for the latest reel canisters to be delivered, finds this especially important.

“Nothing was more spectacular and it definitely impacted my life; it is a straight line to where I am now, 3,000 miles away in Los Angeles,” shares Antonucci, whose two decades of Hollywood accomplishments include writing for “Game of Thrones.” “We want other children to have the same opportunities. This gem of a theater should be preserved infinitely.”

Despite convenience and sophistication, home theaters and streaming services delivering on-demand entertainment cannot substitute real-life audiences.

“Going to the movies is good for the human spirit,” Antonucci reflects. “Theaters are one of the last places where humans are not tethered to devices, but can immerse themselves in something special, step into a story, into an experience, into a tradition in humanity. It is about sharing and remembering stories so that they live on.” —bantamcinema.org

By Charles Dubow

Photos by Theo Coulombe

Portrait of Theo by Maria Baranova

Artists have the ability to show the rest of the world the things they might have otherwise not noticed or to reinforce those things we feel most passionately about with even more emotion. That is the essence of Theo Coulombe’s gorgeous landscape photography: He can capture the image of a scene one might have passed by on numerous occasions and then endow it with a majesty and beauty that makes it unforgettable.

“I need to really get to know a place before I feel comfortable bringing out my camera,” he says. “I’m not a tourist. It’s important to have a connection, a sense of belonging to where I am.” Rising before dawn every morning he sets out in his car scouting through the countryside of the Northwest Corner for inspiration, returning to remembered locations or serendipitously happening upon new ones to photograph.

“I’m not looking for perfection,” he says. “I am looking for what moves me. I am particularly attracted to the interplay of shadow and fog in nature. I am looking for certain visual cues—texture, depth, color, contrast.”

In an age of iPhones where anyone can snap a photograph, Coulombe is a throwback to less digital—and more complicated—practices. “I use two cameras—a Deardorff from 1938 and a 1936—both of which weigh 8 lbs. These are 8 x 10s with a reduction back that can give me a lot of different effects.” It can take Coulombe about 10 minutes to set up and break down a shot, but the actual exposure time can be as long as 45 minutes. “If I don’t move fast enough, I can miss it. I only give myself one sheet for each shot. It’s not like I can come back tomorrow. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

After years of working in Williamsburg, Brooklyn—with sojourns in Hungary and Japan—Coulombe relocated to Sharon. “It was either Sharon, Sag Harbor, Budapest, or Biddeford, Maine,” he says. “In the end Sharon won. I’m a New Englander. I was raised in Fairfield and worked for the park service in Maine. I love the Berkshires and the Catskills. I am just drawn to the nature and beauty of the area.”

We are standing in the Standard Space, the gallery he opened on Sharon’s Main Street in 2017, looking at some fresh prints of his photographs. One, entitled “Looking ENE from Taylor Rd. NY toward Millerton Rd. CT, 2020,” is particularly striking. It depicts fog covering a landscape that recedes into the far hills with a large tree dominating the right side of the image. It is not classically composed but there is something haunting about it. “I asked a fellow photographer what he thought of it and he said he didn’t like it. That it was off-kilter. But that’s precisely why I like it. I am trying to step away from the artifice of making art. See that tree on the right? I feel like that big dark shadow is my subconscious imposing itself on the image.”

There is an almost Japanese quality to some of his compositions, in the way that objects almost seem to float in space. “I do love Japanese art,” he says, “but I am also hugely influenced by the Hudson River School.” More surprisingly he also cites modernists such as Anselm Kiefer, Gerhard Richter, and Joseph Beuys as inspiration. “I’m also a big fan of Stanley Kubrick. I was rewatching Barry Lyndon the other day and there’s this scene where he’s riding under clouds. It was just dazzling. I was like ‘That’s it!’ That’s what I am trying to achieve.” —theocoulombe.com