Historical Society Presents The Weir Farm Gardens

There is perhaps no more quintessential subject for an impressionist painter than a lush springtime landscape and garden. On Monday, May 12, at 7:30 pm, at the Meeting House, the Newtown Historical Society will take a virtual tour of the famed Weir Farm, a National Historic Site straddling the border of Ridgefield and Wilton.

Once the home of J. Alden Weir, and one of the inspirations for Weir’s conversion to impressionism as well as a subject for such luminaries as Childe Hassam, John Twachman, and Albert Pinkham Ryder, the 60-acre site has been restored and is now open to the public.

Weir and the others were founding members of the group calling themselves the Ten American Painters, one of the most influential forces in the emergence of American Impressionism.

Gregory Waters will present an overview of the farm, and will explain the goals of the National Park Service in establishing and restoring the historic site. Mr Waters is the staff horticulturist at the farm, responsible for restoration and preservation of the landscape, all-important to the impressionist movement fueled by the scenic location. He will focus on the restoration of the gardens and orchards, the stonewalls and barns, and management of the natural resources of the farm, and will present a look at future projects designed to improve the first National Park Service site to honor a painter.

Greg Waters holds a degree in ornamental horticulture from Montana State University, and a masters degree from Cornell University. He has served in a number of local horticultural positions, has taught horticulture at the high school level, is the author of several botanical articles for professional journals, and has edited a number of books on botanical subjects for Scholastic Press. He currently resides in Brookfield, and has been with the Weir Farm since 1996.

All Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served at the program’s conclusion. For further information, call the society at 426-5937.