Contact:
Becky Giantonio, Pita Communications
(860) 293-0157, ext. 25; becky@pitacomm.com
WEBB-DEANE-STEVENS MUSEUM HONORS
BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH
SPECIAL TOURS AND A COSTUMED INTERPRETER
Activities Reveal the Stories of
Enslaved and Free African Americans in Wethersfield
WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (December 11, 2007) – In honor of Black History Month, the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum in Wethersfield will offer a special tour focusing on the enslaved and free African Americans who lived in town during the 18th century, as well as a performance by a costumed interpreter who will take on the character of a former Wethersfield slave.
On February 9 and 23, the museum will host tours that provide a unique look at the struggles and triumphs of the African Americans who resided in Wethersfield, including in the Joseph Webb and Silas Deane houses.
Visitors will hear the inspiring stories of many African Americans, such as Quash Gomer, who was captured in Angola and became a slave in Wethersfield. He later bought his freedom from his owner, married Elenor Smith and had 10 children. The tour will also reveal the Revolutionary War’s impact on slavery.
Tammy D. Richardson, a storyteller/teaching artist and performer will debut her new character of Clo Pratt, a Wethersfield slave who was given her freedom upon the death of her master, on February 23 at 2 p.m. in the Silas Deane house. Richardson will provide an intimate look at a woman who earned a living making and selling cloth and working in the homes of Wethersfield’s most affluent residents.
Growing up, Richardson spent countless hours with her great-grandmother (a former enslaved person) and grandmother, both of whom lived past their 100th birthdays. Both of these women were known storytellers and passed the gift to their granddaughter.
Richardson specializes in reenactments of the lives of important – yet little-known – women in history. She plays a variety of characters, including Bessie Coleman, the first internationally licensed pilot in the world, and Elizabeth Keckley, a former enslaved woman who became a dressmaker and confidant to Mary Todd Lincoln. She also works as a museum educator at the Connecticut Historical Society and the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, where she instructs children through stories about Colonial life, slavery and Native American history.
WHAT: A performance by a costumed interpreter and special tour of the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum that focuses on the enslaved and free African Americans who lived in Wethersfield during the 18th century
WHERE:Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, 211 Main St., Wethersfield, CT 06109
WHEN: Tours: February 9 and 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tours leave every 30 minutes; the last tour begins at 3:30 p.m.
Performance: February 23 at 2 p.m.
COST: Three-house tours cost $8 for adults, $7 for seniors over 60, AAA members and those active in the military and $4 for students and children ages 5 to 18. $20 per family (two adults and children).
The performance by Tammy Richardson costs $20. This price includes the performance, a tour of the museum and a dessert reception. Reservations are required. Please call (860) 529-0612, ext. 12 to reserve a seat.
For more information, please visit www.webb-deane-stevens.org or call (860) 529-0612.
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About the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
Located in the heart of Connecticut’s largest historic district, the museum, which consists of three authentically restored 18th-century homes, brings Wethersfield’s rich history to life, from the American Revolution to the early 20th century. The museum includes the 1752 Joseph Webb House, which served as George Washington’s Revolutionary War headquarters in May 1781, when he met with French General le conte de Rochambeau; the 1766 Silas Deane House, built for America’s first diplomat to France; and the 1788 Isaac Stevens House, which depicts life in the 18th and 19th centuries through original family objects and includes a new children’s museum.
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, located at 211 Main St., Wethersfield, is open daily – with the exception of Tuesday – from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., May through October, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., November 1 through April 30. Three-house tours cost $8 for adults and $4 for students and children ages 5 to 18. For information about current exhibits, upcoming events or Museum School classes, call (860) 529-0612 or visit www.webb-deane-stevens.org.