Support the Denison Homestead by Donating to a Special Project!

The Denison Society/Denison Homestead utilizes income from membership dues, unrestricted donations, rentals, and interest/dividends from our investment account to fund basic operations.  These funds pay for utilities costs, maintenance of the buildings and grounds, insurance, and a small staff of part time employees.  All program and project expenses must be funded by raising funds either by charging fees, receiving donations, or by obtaining grant monies.  If we can't raise the funds we can't do the program or project.

 We appreciate all the unrestricted donations we receive through the annual appeal and throughout the year as they are a significant part of keeping the Homestead in operation.  We also want our members to be able to choose to support specific projects.  The Homestead has a number of projects, some small and some larger, that require funds to execute.  Below is a list of special projects and their funding status. An explanation of each project follows the chart.

Director’s Cottage Updates

For the past 19 years, the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center has operated a preschool out of one of our buildings across from Pequotsepos Manor. We refer to this building as the Director’s Cottage. Since the Nature Center has decided not to renew their lease and will be out of the building by the end of June 2024, our plan is to do some much needed repairs and updates to both the interior and exterior of the building.

The Denison Redding Apple & American Chestnut Orchards

We have been working to reintroduce the Denison Redding Apple to the Homestead for quite a few years. In addition, we have been working with the Connecticut Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation to participate in their project to resurrect the American Chestnut tree. Both of these endeavors require that young trees be protected from hungry deer. This past March, we installed deer fencing so that both the Denison Redding Apple and the American Chestnut can mature and be grown on the Homestead grounds.

George Denison’s 1666 map shows a large orchard in the area which is not the meadow where we hold the farmers market and grow hay. Early ariel photos from 1934, show an orchard at the west end of the meadow. The area chosen for the orchard was overgrown with invasive species that needed to be removed. During the first week of November, A. C. Tree Care and Landcaping cut down about sixty trees and cleared away the invasive for the installation of the deer fencing.

Below Top Images: Old farm equipment discover after clearing overgrown invasives at the future orchard site.

Below Bottom Images: Cleared site and logs ready to be milled into lumber.

Furniture Restoration

This spring we sent several pieces of furniture to be reupholstered. Below are photos of the sofa from the East Parlor. The top photo show Ann Borodell Denison Gates reading a newspaper while sitting on the sofa. The photo was taken c. 1935. The middle photo shows the same sofa which was reupholstered over 35 years ago in a stunning claret velvet. Over the years, the sofa had faded and started to look tired and worn. The bottom photo shows the sofa now in a light-bluish teal fabric. The color really brightens up the room!

Flagpole for the Denison Burying Ground - Fully Funded!

 We are happy to announce that we have reached our funding goal for replacing the flagpole in the Denison Burying Ground. A big thank you to our generous donors Richard Rowe, Jana Shultz and Gail Yering for making this happen.

Based on all photographs, we’re assuming the previous flagpole came down during the devastating Hurricane of 1938. Although the new flagpole will not be as tall as the old one, it will be at least 35-45 feet tall. It will be equiped with an internal halyard and a solar powered light which will illuminate the flag 24 hours a day.

Installation will begin once the proposed flagpole location undergoes ground penetrating radar (GPR) done under the auspices of the Connecticut State Archaeologist.

Stand of Flintlock Muskets - Fully Funded!

A stand of six flintlock muskets would allow members to fire salutes at the Denison Burying Ground during Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day ceremonies, as well as providing musketry during events at the Homestead. Members could experience firing a flintlock musket - an interesting way to step back in time! Having the muskets, powder and associated accoutrements at the Homestead would provide for more program acivities in light of the upcoming 350th Anniversary of King Philip’s War and the 250th Anniversary of the Revoluntionary War.

Denison DNA Assessment

The Genealogy Working Group has been engage in a project to trace the matrilineal descendants of both of Captain George Denison’s (1620-1694) wives. They have currently traced the descent of both Bridget Thompson and Ann Borodell into the 7th generation. Once the Genealogy Working Group arrives at a significant number of currently living persons, the next logical step would be for the group to select several living descendants of both Bridget and Ann and arrange to test their DNA. The DNA test would include testing their mitochondrial DNA.

The Genealogy Working Group will select three matrilineal descendants of Bridget Thompson and three from Ann Borodell for testing. The group would also select four direct male descendants of Captain George Denison for DNA analysis which would include Y-dna testing.