Connecticut - Weir Farms National Historic Site and a Walk through American Impressionist History
In the summer of 2019, there were only a handful of states that I had not visited National Park Service properties in. Several of those states were in the far northeast section of the United States. I decided to take a quick trip – flying in and out of New York, and driving through New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. That sounds impressive, but these states are close together, and I planned a tight itinerary. Using the www.findyourpark.com site, I mapped out a route that would allow me to visit NPS sites in each of those states.
In Connecticut, the one that was closest to the route was the Weir Farms National Historic Site. Like most of the sites I visit, I knew NOTHING of the site before I get there. I have learned to really like this way of travel, because I end up learning so much about subjects that I might have passed on otherwise.
To visit Weir Farms, you drive through a neighborhood of insanely nice homes!! It seems weird that there is a National Historic Site tucked in here, but after learning the history of the location, it makes a lot more sense.
This site was the home to J Alden Weir - an important American impressionist. He acquired the property for one painting plus $10 and both he and the seller apparently believed they got a steal. The seller wanted to farm here, but it wasn't good for that. The artist buyer wanted to paint, and it is beautiful.
There is a nice video in the Visitor Center that describes the property, and how the artist used the property as a get-away for creative types, as a sanctuary from New York City. It is only about 45 miles from New York City. Subsequent generations also were creatives, and the site stayed as an oasis for artists. The Visitor Center also has several artist-related gifts and has prints of art that was created at the site. It was fun to walk around and see the locations that these paintings were painted several decades ago.
There are several short trails here. It is very peaceful, and the trails take you past old stone walls that once marked property lines, ponds, and nice, Connecticut scenery. This is a tucked away gem in the landscape.
