Phelps-Hatheway House — Attraction in Suffield

The house itself was not the reason for the visit. We went for a 2 hour concert of classical guitar. That did not turn out as expected. The garden was nicely manicured and it was a beautiful summer afternoon, but there were issues having a concert in that setting. We were 30 feet from the main road in Suffield which was close enough to interfere with the guitar playing. The very talented gentleman was also inside a large gazebo that had an all encompassing three foot fence at the base. He was positioned at a gate inside the gazebo making him invisible to most of the guests except those closest to the very center of the gazebo. What he played was also of a disappointment to me. He didn't play anything I recognized, like a Beethoven passage, Tchaikovsky or something I recognized. It was all very odd with no discernable melody or timing. It was scales that made no sense in a musical story, no phrasing that made an expression. We tried to listen for awhile then when intermission came it was our moment to leave. I enjoy music in life but it needs to say something, evoke a feeling, an expression, have heartfelt moments in it. I guess that music isn't...

On the weekend you could make the ten-minute trip to Suffield to enjoy another piece of Connecticut heritage.

The oldest parts of the Phelps-Hatheway House, on the southern ell, are from the 1730s, but the house was extended throughout the 18th century, with what is now a central block in the 1760s and a northern ell in 1795. This gives the property a sprawling aspect, with each section capped with a genteel gambrel roof.

Those final changes were designed by architect Asher Benjamin early in his career, and ordered by the wealthy land speculator Oliver Phelps.

The interior is enriched with a superb collection of 18th-century antiques, and outside is a formal parterre and a generous herb garden, all sprinkled with flowering shrubs and tended by the Suffield...

I am a wedding photographer and Della Bella Photography highly recommends this venue. This historic location offers a great house for brides to get ready, a ceremony location inside and out, and a rustic location for your reception. The hydrangea trees are amazing on this private property, and the old building provide a...