Weir Farm National Historical Park is located in Ridgefield and

Wilton, Connecticut Wilton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 18,503. In 2017, it was the sixth-wealthiest town per capita in Connecticut, the wealthiest U.S. state per capita. Officially reco ...

. It commemorates the life and work of American impressionist painter J. Alden Weir and other artists who stayed at the site or lived there, to include

Childe Hassam Frederick Childe Hassam (; October 17, 1859 – August 27, 1935) was an American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes. Along with Mary Cassatt and John Henry Twachtman, Hassam was instrumental in promulgating Impressioni ...

Albert Pinkham Ryder Albert Pinkham Ryder (March 19, 1847 – March 28, 1917) was an American painter best known for his poetic and moody allegorical works and seascapes, as well as his eccentric personality. While his art shared an emphasis on subtle variations of ...

, John Singer Sargent, and

John Twachtman John Henry Twachtman (August 4, 1853 – August 8, 1902) was an American painter best known for his impressionist landscapes, though his painting style varied widely through his career. Art historians consider Twachtman's style of American Impr ...

StudioOfJAldenWierInRidgefieldCT10082008

Weir Farm is one of two sites in the National Park Service devoted to the visual arts, along with

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, New Hampshire, preserves the home, gardens, and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907), one of America's foremost sculptors. This was his summer residence from 1885 to 1897, his perman ...

. Both sites maintain ongoing artist-in-residence programs; to date, the Weir Farm Art Center (formerly the Weir Farm Trust) has hosted more than 150 artists for month long stays at the site. Weir Farm also runs an ongoing "Take Part in Art" program, under which visitors can create their own works on site. Weir Farm was recognized on the 52nd quarter in 2020 as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program.

History

Weir Farm National Historic Site - front of the house

After considering the Keene Valley area of New York's

Adirondack Mountains The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...

for a rural retreat, in 1882 Weir settled instead on hilly countryside in the Branchville section of Ridgefield, acquiring a 153-acre farm there from Erwin Davis in exchange for $10 and a painting. Weir and artists he hosted subsequently produced a large number of paintings depicting Ridgefield landscapes and other nearby countryside. Weir's daughter Dorothy Weir, a noted artist in her own right, took over management of the property following her father's death in 1919. Sculptor

Mahonri Young Mahonri Mackintosh Young (August 9, 1877 – November 2, 1957) was an American social-realist sculptor and artist. During his lengthy career, he created more than 320 sculptures, 590 oil paintings, 5,500 watercolors, 2,600 prints, and thousand ...

would build a second studio at Weir Farm after the couple married in 1931. Artist Sperry Andrews would befriend Mahonri Young and spent several years keeping him company while painting the site. After Mahonris death Sperry would purchase the property and his wife Doris Andrews lead efforts with Cora Weir Burlingham to preserve the Weir Farm site, resulting in the U.S. government designating it a National Historic Site in 1990. Prior to its permanent protection, Weir Farm had been subdivided for housing development in the late 1980s.

The Trust for Public Land The Trust for Public Land is a U.S. nonprofit organization with a mission to "create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come". Since its founding in 1972, the Trust for Public Land has compl ...

worked to reacquire the divided land through close to 2 dozen transactions.

worked in partnership with the Weir Farm Trust and the

State of Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

to advocate for its permanent protection. Sperry and his wife Doris Andrews were given life tenancy, and would give impromptu tours of the studios to park visitors until after both had passed. Afterwards the site underwent extensive restoration to transform the park into a more visitor friendly experience. The two artist studios and house were restored to period, and in May 2014 were made accessible to the public again. The property today includes 16 buildings on 60 acres of land with the grounds including a hiking trail. Tours are offered by National Park Service rangers. In 2007, the

U.S. Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the man ...

sought Congressional approval for the National Park Service to acquire space in nearby

Redding, Connecticut Redding is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,765 at the 2020 census. History Early settlement and establishment At the time colonials began receiving grants for land within the boundaries of present- ...

, for administration and operational support to Weir Farm. Under existing federal law at the time, the National Park Service was authorized to secure expansion space in Ridgefield and Wilton only. In 2021 it was redesignated from a National Historic Site to a National Historical Park.

Notable residents and visitors

Wilfrid de Glehn Wilfrid Gabriel de Glehn (sometimes 'Wilfried') (1870 – 11 May 1951) was an Impressionist British painter, elected to the Royal Academy in 1932. Biography De Glehn's father was Alexander de Glenn of Sydenham, London, himself the son ...

* J. Alden Weir * Dorothy Weir * John Ferguson Weir *

http://www.nps.gov/wefa/photosmultimedia/historic-artwork.htm "Weir Farm National Historic Site Connecticut: Artwork Galleries," National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-05-03. *

* John Singer Sargent *

Map of the grounds of Weir Farm National Historic Site in Connecticut

References

External links

*
Weir Farm National Historical Park

{{authority control Houses in Ridgefield, Connecticut Buildings and structures in Wilton, Connecticut National Historic Sites in Connecticut Museums in Fairfield County, Connecticut Artists' studios in the United States Biographical museums in Connecticut Art museums and galleries in Connecticut Farm museums in the United States Protected areas established in 1990 Protected areas of Fairfield County, Connecticut 1990 establishments in Connecticut National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Weir family

History

Notable residents and visitors

See also

References

External links