The Denison Homestead  Since 1654
FALL/WINTER 2013
VOLUME 146
Our mission is to connect the local community and Denison descendants with
the history, land, and environment of our
300 plus-year-old family farm.
A Time Traveler’s Destination
The Denison Homestead is more than a museum and manor house; it is a time traveler’s
destination. The traveler will step across an almost 300 year-old threshold into a home that spans from
the early 1700’s to the 1940’s. Under the traveler’s feet and before their eyes lies a path to the past. The
traveler can walk in the footsteps of yesterday and see what was seen as a colonist in the early 18 th century kitchen. The kitchen like today was the heart of the home where descendants of Captain George
and Lady Ann gathered with their families. Picture yourself back in time, sitting at the long table eating
a freshly prepared meal.
The next room takes the traveler back to the 1830’s.
Imagine discussing the westward expansion of the United
States or the politics of President Andrew Jackson while being served tea in the Federal Parlor.
Each room in the manor house holds such treasures
for the time traveler to behold. Whether it’s the captain’s sea
chest of many ocean voyages or beautiful blue silk dress on
display in the Victorian chamber, one wonders what secrets
remain untold.
The traveler will end their journey in the 1930’s parlor. This room is known as Auntie Annie’s Parlor, named
after Anne Borodell Denison Gates. During Anne’s life as
the last owner of Pequotsepos manor, she implemented several technological advances. The house once heated by wood
burning stoves changed to central heat, and oil lamps were
replaced with electrical lights.
The manor house will be celebrating its 300 anniversary in 2017; on land that has been in the Denison family
since 1654. This is the legacy of the Denison family. Become a time traveler and bring your family back in time and
walk in the footsteps of your ancestors.
VOLUME 146
Fall/Winter Newsletter 2013
Thank You!
We thank all our donors for their
generosity and support!
Elizabeth Acimovic
Diana Alheid
Sally Alsobrook
Kim Altvater
Kathleen Anderson
Edith Anders
Elouise Andrews
Ellen Baker
Janet Barnum
Betty Berg
Ann Marie Blackmon
Delilah Blount
Charlotte Bogue
Carol Bonta
Michael Bradbury
Jeannette Brown
Spencer & Margaret Brown
Nancy Bullard
Leslie Campbell
Richard Chase
Martha Conner
Christopher Cooper
Hayward Cooper
Sally Coughanour
Jessica Danson
Trad Dart
Edmund Demattia, Jr.
Alma Denison
Carol Denison
Charles Denison
Charles & Cheryl Denison
Cyndi Denison
Harold Denison
James Denison
Robert Denison
Thomas Denison
William Denison
Kathleen Dickson
Katherine Dimancescu
Ernestine Elliott
David & Jean Evans
Emeline Evans
James Fish
Janet French
Diane Fuller
Linda Gardiner
Richard Gleeton
Timothy Goodhind
David Goodrich
Joseph Greene II
Joanne Griffin
Bettie Gustafson
Peter Hallock
Louise Harrison
Alden & Jill Hatch
Denison & Wendy Hatch
John Hislop
Nancy Hudson
Henry Jones
Patricia Keller
Martha Kendall
Diane Kidd
Christina Krashan
Diane LeMay
Robert & Sandra Lorenz
Lynnell Marquis
Francis & Cynthia Mason
Stanley Matchett
Nancy McKay
Deborah Miceli
Thelma Molina
Mark Montgomery
Anne Morgan
Peg Morris
Bonnie Nicholas
Peter O’Dea
Merrill Palmer
E. Christine Pauley
Susan Petrivelli
Joanne Pierce
Wallace Pursell
Barbara Reed
Robert Riggs
Beckett Rodgers
Richard Rowe
Nicholas Solley
Stephen Solley
Christopher Staley
Lucy Stuyniski
Anne Sullivan
Barbara & Theodore Taylor
Denison Taylor
Nancy Taylor
Patricia Urbana
Beth Walker
Douglas & Heather Wheeler
Sidney Whelan, Jr.
William Wood
Donations In Memory of
John Denison Miller
Frank & Joanne Collins
Kevin & Sandy Dingwall
*This list includes unrestricted
donations and Annual Appeal
donations received from February
27, 2013 through December 12,
2013. It does not include membership dues paid.
Page 2
Welcome New Members!
Harold Sentman - Brookline, MO
Sheila Tabor - Franklin, CT
Alan MacIlroy - Princeton, NJ
Katherine Thomas - New York, NY
Scott Mona - Dunkirk, MD
Margaret Guegan - Ashburn, VA
Robert Van Valzah - Wheaton, IL
Susan Mutter - Troy, MI
Janet Linsey - Glastonbury, CT
Martha Lynn Friedman - Madison, CT
Elizabeth Murray - Dallas, TX
Dona Lee Hall - Napa, CA
Margaret MacPhail - Windcrest, TX
James Robert Denison - Auburn, CA
James Paul Denison - Santa Clara, CA
Jacqueline Marie Denison - Reno, NV
Jonathan David Denison - Los Angeles, CA
Barbara Downs - Colorado Springs, CO
Judith Schofield - New London, CT
Deborah Schofield - Acton, MA
Laural Portz Price - Wesley Chapel, FL
James H. Mason - Seahurst, WA
David Scott Denison - Springfield, VA
Jane Peters Turton - Chesterfield, MO
Joy Bennett Doyle - Edmonton, AB Canada
Ceilidh Burdick - Gales Ferry, CT
Susan Shannon - Danvers, MA
Denise Cascio-Cassella - Essex, CT
David Pritchard VII - Wallingford, CT
David Pritchard VIII - Middletown, CT
Elizabeth Pritchard Tamiso - East Berlin, CT
Ruth Pritchard Hendricks - Southington, CT
Barbara Brown Rigby - St. Davids, ON Canada
Stuart Robert Denison - Rochester, NY
Welcome New Life Members!
Christina Rose Collier - Beaverton, OR
David Collier - Junction City, OR
Welcome New Friends Members!
Cheryl Wickline - Oak Hill, WV
VOLUME 146
Fall/Winter Newsletter 2013
Page 3
Denison Homestead History Lecture Series 2014
From the affairs of the heart to the art of spreading rumors, to the tales of Indian mariners reaching across the ocean to 17th century conflicts over farm animals, the Denison Homestead is presenting a
history lecture series beginning January 2014. Dr. Walter Woodward, Connecticut State Historian, kicks
off the series discussing how rumors affected colonist/Indian relationships in southeastern New England
in the 17th Century. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Dickens scholar and Victorian role player, Jennifer
Emerson, as she explores the romances of those naughty Victorians. Dr. Jason Mancini will talk about
Indian crew members who traveled the seven seas on whaling ships. Lindsay Randall, historical archaeologist, examines the conflicts that took place between colonists and their Native neighbors over farm
animals. Call Julie at 860-536-9248 or email [email protected] for further information.
Recent Acquisitions
Every so often we receive a call from a Denison descendant who has an item they wish to donate
to the Society. This year we have received some interesting and beautiful pieces. These items will either
become part of the collections or part of a future exhibit.
Left: This beautiful assortment of tea cups with matching
saucers was donated by Nancy Podurgiel. The teacups
will be used for future tea events.
Below: Nancy Chester donated this ivory colored
lacework bedspread made by Lina Denison
Sowers. Lina was born in 1893 and was the first
woman in Groton, Connecticut to receive a
driver’s license.
Above: A Victorian calling card case in mother-of-pearl, with
a silk lining, was donated by Scott & Gladys Macdonough.
The case contains three cards for a Miss Emily F. Denison,
one card for Mrs. Frederic Denison, and five cards for Miss
Brown of No. 239 Carroll Place, Brooklyn.
Fall/Winter Newsletter 2013
VOLUME 146
Page 4
Re-envisioning the 17th Century:
Insights and Discussions About the Past
by Kate Dimancescu
On October 18th and 19th, the 17th Century Warfare, Diplomacy & Society in the American Northeast conference was held at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum &
Research Center in Mashantucket, Connecticut. This
was a two-day event not to be missed! The conference
got off to a great start with a welcome address by Dr.
Kevin McBride. Following Dr. McBride, an international group of academics began giving presentations.
Presenters boldly rose to the challenge of being strictly
limited to 15 minutes. The amount of information each
presenter was able to share was astounding. Presentation
topics ranged from “Re-evaluating the Causes of the Pequot War, or, “The Pequot War Was Not an Indian
War” to “Udder Destruction: The Role of the Dairy in
the Creation of Conflicts between English Colonists and
Native Americans in 17th Century New England.” Other
presentations touched upon insights gained by studying
17th century mirrors, the fate of children taken captive
during the Pequot War and King Philip’s War, and captivity narratives such as the one Mary Rowlandson
wrote after her period of captivity during King Philip’s
War. It quickly became apparent to me that research
from this dedicated team of scholars is changing what is
known about 17th Century colonists and the Native
Americans living in the Northeast. Having the opportunity to speak with presenters over the span of two days
was helpful as their comments inspired me to undertake
new avenues of research.
The need to reconceptualize the changing nature
of warfare in the 17th Century quickly became apparent.
For example, John A. Strong in his presentation,
“Wyandanch’s Gun: Warfare and Diplomacy on the
Long Island Frontier” made the point that in 1637 during the Pequot War, a quiver of arrows was a symbol of
authority, but on the eve of King Philip’s War in 1675,
guns had become the symbol of authority. Brian Carroll’s presentation “Wampanoag Men, the Colonial
Army, and Native Martial Culture in the late 17th Century: Benjamin Church’s Indians Reconsidered” highlighted the participation of Wampanoag soldiers in the
colonial military and how they were involved in attacks
on French and Native settlements under the direction of
Benjamin Church. Carroll also emphasized the fact that
King Philip’s War was characterized by the destruction
of both colonial and native villages and the killing of
non-combatants.
David M. Powers an independent scholar gave a
presentation on William Pynchon and Native Ameri-
cans. Powers talked about his careful study of a deed
dated July 15, 1636. He shared what he learned about
Pynchon and his native neighbors in Springfield, Massachusetts. Powers felt that the deed’s language conveyed
Pynchon’s respect for Cuttonus the Native American
leader from whom he bought an area called Agawam,
which he renamed Springfield. Pynchon’s respect for
native customs, language, and the matriarchal society in
which Cuttonus and his people lived was also reflected
by the deed’s language. Pynchon was on friendly terms
with his Native American neighbors in the Springfield
area where his business. Pynchon was a peaceful man
who did not share the hostile views of Native Americans
that so many of his neighbors harbored in the nearby
Connecticut Colony. Learning about Pynchon’s role as
the founder of Springfield and his respectful interactions
with Native Americans changed my views of early colonial settlement on what was the extreme frontier of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony.
This presentation in particular captured my attention because Pynchon’s first years in the Massachusetts Bay Colony overlapped with the Denison family’s
first years in the colony. Pynchon and his family arrived
in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 with the Winthrop Fleet and he helped Rev. John Eliot establish the
First Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Eliot arrived
in 1631 on the Lyon, which was also transporting the
Denison family. George, his parents, and his brothers
attended the First Church where they would have heard
Rev. John Eliot preach to the congregation. The Denisons would have been acquainted with the Pynchon
family given their church and community involvement.
It is interesting to think of Captain George being tutored
on the voyage from England by Eliot and then living in
the same community as Pynchon. This presentation led
me to wonder what impressions Eliot and Pynchon
might have made on the adolescent mind of Captain
George. How might George’s views of Native Americans been influenced by these men who respected and
were respected by their native neighbors?
Comments made by Lisa Brooks from Amherst
College during an engaging discussion focusing on
“Wampanoag Historical Landscapes of the Seventeenth
Century: Collaboration and Conversation” were ones
that should be taken to heart. When studying the past
and historic documents she cautioned academics and
independent scholars alike to consider the following
question. “What do we really know? Her answer to this
Fall/Winter Newsletter 2013
VOLUME 146
question was to “return to the evidence.” What she
meant is that it is necessary to ground one’s ideas in the
sources and one should not “claim to know it all” instead one should “listen to the sources” and above all
else “return to the documents.” She cautioned all of us
to not fill in gaps with our own stories and to simply let
historic documents reveal insights from the past. She
also stressed the importance of reviewing sources such
as Benjamin Church’s narrative of King Philip’s War
side by side with other documentation. Church’s narrative was recorded by his son and the narrative is contradicted by other documentation so it has become “a take
from it what you will” account of the war.
One of the strengths of this conference was the
Above: Lt. Lion Gardiner and forces clashing with Pequot warriors at
Fort Saybrook. Watercolor by Charles Reinhart, 1890.
focus on groups who are not always in the historical
limelight—women and children. The plight of both colonial and Native women and children in both the Pequot
War and King Philip’s War was discussed by presenters
such as Jenny Hale Pulsipher from Brigham Young University. Pulsipher delivered an insightful presentation
titled “Reexamining the Fate of Captives of the Pequot
War: The Case of Ann Prask.” She discussed the fate of
young Ann who was taken captive during the Swamp
Fight of 1637 in present-day Fairfield, Connecticut. Ann
was five years old when she was taken to Roxbury, Massachusetts where she entered the household of the
Hughes family. There were no slavery laws in the Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time of the Pequot War.
Slavery laws were put into place a few years later in
1641 and these laws stated that slaves could include
“captives of just wars” meaning Native American captives taken in Indian wars. Many Native Americans
taken captive during the Pequot War escaped soon after
capture or they later escaped from enforced slavery in
New England. The fates of Native American captives
sold into slavery in the West Indies is not known. What
Page 5
made Ann’s story remarkable was that at the time of her
death she was “virtually indistinguishable” from her colonial neighbors in Boston. Ann died in Boston in 1676
a free woman who owned property with her husband,
John Wampus. Here again the question arose for me as
to what impact the presence of Ann Prask might have
had on Captain George. Ann lived with the Hughes
family in Roxbury starting in 1637 at which point
George would have been in his late teens and likely a
veteran of the Pequot War. She was obviously quite
young when she came to live in Roxbury so maybe her
presence did not make a lasting impression in George’s
life.
One of the most important points during this
two day conference was made by a Native American
audience member, who reminded all of the assembled
scholars to not forget that human beings were involved
in the statistics they were carefully studying. The point
being made was that so much of the study of 17th Century wars revolves around the facts—how many people
were killed, how many soldiers fought in battles, how
many captives were taken, and what percentage of a
population was impacted by death and destruction in
wartime. The human stories can often be overshadowed
by statistics. This audience member went on to add that
when Native Americans look at 17th Century history and
historic documents concerning native peoples “it is family they are reading about.” This point hit home. The
descendants of many 17th Century New England Native
American leaders were in the audience at this conference. The legacies of their ancestors live on in each of
them and their family lines and oral histories have survived intact into the present day.
For those of us who have Captain George as an
ancestor, attending this conference was enlightening.
We gained a broader perspective of the times that
George and his family lived in and the colonial men and
women who both shaped and defended New England’s
fledgling communities. We learned that many of
George’s neighbors in Stonington young and old, men
and women, were able to speak Algonquian. Their linguistic skills would have developed as a result of the fact
that they often had Native Americans working in their
homes that they were fighting alongside them in wartime, and that they traded with them. For me, this conference fostered a curiosity about many aspects of 17th
century warfare, beliefs, and native and colonial relationships. It has also inspired me to pursue further research into diverse aspects of 17th century life. In the
months and years to come we shall certainly benefit
from the work of the scholars who presented. Their curiosity about the past enables all of us to gain new insights.
VOLUME 146
Fall/Winter Newsletter 2013
Page 6
Denison Homestead Gift Shop
Item #OR002
Item #CMOO3
Denison Homestead custom molded ornament in a
pewter finish. 2½” dia.
Comes with a red or blue
velour pouch.
$10.00 each
Denison Homestead ceramic mug in cobalt blue
and gold logo.
(plus shipping & handling)
$12.00 each
(plus shipping & handling)
Item #HN002
Processed by Stonewall Apiary, this honey
was produced from beehives located on the
Denison Homestead. .5 lb
$5.00 each
(plus shipping & handling)
Item #EG011 - On The Rocks Glasses 4/set $60.00 plus S&H
Item #EG016 - Wine Glasses 16oz 4/set
$65.00 plus S&H
On-the-Rocks and Wine glasses are etched with Denison Coat of Arms.
More Gift Ideas That Help Support the Denison Homestead
Buy a Gift
Subcription to
Yankee Magazine
or
Buy a Gift
Membership to the
Denison Society!
Please call (860)536-9248 for
more information about
Gift Memberships
VOLUME 146
Fall/Winter Newsletter 2013
Page 7
Email
If you have not done so already, please send us
your email address to:
[email protected]
Volunteers
Volunteers are always needed at the
Denison Homestead. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at:
Telephone: 860-536-9248
Email: [email protected]
Above: Four generations of the Pritchard family gathered at the
Denison Homestead on October 5, 2013. The Pritchards descend
from Captain George Denison’s first son, Captain John Denison,
born 1646 and his wife Phebe Lay, born 1651.
With Our Sincerest Condolences
Elisabeth Fulkerson McEwen, 99, Litchfield, CT - November 2, 2012
Theda C. Denison, 93, Sacramento, CA - May 1, 2013
Varian W. Norman, 91, Jacksonville, FL - May 28, 2013
Oliver Denison III, 92, Mystic, CT - July 22, 2013
Ola Chase Austin, 89, Gales Ferry, CT - October 19, 2013
Lawrence Denison, 90, Waterford, CT - December 8, 2013
Board of Trustees
Steve Solley
Missy Evans
Anne Scheibner
Roger Ryley
Robert Cox
Julie Soto
President
Treasurer
Farm Market
Trustee
Trustee
David Evans
Vice President
Denison Hatch, Jr. Investments
Ruth Miller
Trustee
Museum Staff
Director of Office Management
Aidan Evenski
Missy Evans
Newsletter Editors
Julie Soto
Museum Assistant
Aidan Evenski
Genealogist
Joanne Langdon - [email protected]
Denison Homestead Museum
Post Office Box 42
Mystic, CT 06355
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 4
Mystic, CT
06355
The Denison Homestead is a 501 (c) 3
non-profit organization
Upcoming Events in 2014!
History Lecture Series
Other Events
January 9, 2014
Connecticut Open House Day
Archaeological Dig
June 14, 2014
Dr. Walter Woodward– CT State Historian
The Costs of Battles Not Fought:
Rumors & War in Early Connecticut
February 13, 2014
Jennifer Emerson—Dickens Scholar
Corset Confidential: Romance & the
Victorian Underworld
March 20, 2014
Dr. Jason Mancini—Sr. Researcher MPMRC
Indian Mariners
April 17, 2014
Lindsay A. Randall—Historical Archaeologist
Udder Destruction: The Role of the Dairy in the Creation
of Conflicts between English Colonists and Native
Americans in 17th Century New England

Denison Day
August 9, 2014

Genealogy Conference
October 2014

Harvest Celebration
November 23, 2014

Christmas at the Denison Homestead
December 13 & 14, 2014