Connecticut’s Old State House Presents The Mystique of the Lighthouse: Legend & Lore: Tues., March 31 at Noon

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For Immediate Release
March 19, 2015
Contact: Chris Zaccaro
chris.zaccaro@cga.ct.gov
(860) 246-1553 ext. 116

Hartford, CT – After a long, cold and seemingly endless winter, Connecticut residents will no doubt be flocking to the nearest beach this spring to enjoy some of the best sceneries and atmospheres that New England has to offer. Of course one the greatest mainstays of the New England shoreline are the famous lighthouses – which have come to symbolize the Northeast Region and appear in countless pictures throughout the warmer months.

What is it about a lighthouse that continues to intrigue us, even as its importance to navigation wanes? What draws people to them?  Why have lighthouses inspired so many artists in the literary and art worlds?

On Tuesday, March 31, beach, shoreline and lighthouse enthusiasts can enjoy a lecture presentation from Jeremy D’Entremont, a lighthouse historian, author and photographer, as he provides the answers to these questions and more during the next installment of Conversations at Noon at Connecticut’s Old State House: The Mystique of the Lighthouse: Legend & Lore.

After his talk, attendees can participate in a conversation focused on Connecticut’s iconic lighthouses with D’Entremont. He will be joined by an expert panel consisting of Elizabeth Wood, the new Director at the Stonington Historical Society, and Susan Tamulevich, Director of the New London Maritime Society and the Custom House Maritime Museum. The conversation will be moderated by the Connecticut Network’s (CT-N) Diane Smith and the program is co-sponsored by the Judy Dworin Performance Project.

The program starts promptly at Noon and is free and open to the public to attend. Those who cannot make it to the program can follow the conversation on Twitter (@CTOldStateHouse) by searching for the hashtag #ConvoAtNoon. The program will also be recorded by the Connecticut Network (CT-N) and will be available for OnDemand viewing on CT-N’s website, www.CT-N.com, and the Old State House’s YouTube channel later in the week.

This program is inspired by the premier of the Judy Dworin Performance Project’s 25th anniversary piece, Lighthouse. The premiere of Lighthouse takes place on April 17 and 18 at The Wadsworth in downtown Hartford at 7:30pm each night. Visit www.judydworin.org to learn more.

What’s Coming Up at Connecticut’s Old State House?

Just two weeks after The Mystique of the Lighthouse: Legend & Lore Connecticut’s Old State House will be hosting its next installment of Conversations at Noon: Ending the Civil War: Connecticut’s History and Closing the Commemoration on Thursday, April 9 at Noon.

After four years of remarkable events that have dotted every region of Connecticut, the Civil War Commemoration is coming to a close. On the 150th anniversary of General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, commemorate the end of the American Civil War at the Old State House.

Join Dr. Matthew Warshauer, co-chair of the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission and author of Connecticut in the American Civil War: Slavery, Sacrifice, and Survival, as he provides a riveting account of the war’s final days, the war’s toll on Connecticut and how the state’s residents attempted to make sense of so much loss.

Dr. Warshauer will also discuss the Commemoration Commission’s driving goal of considering what historians 50 years from now, at the bicentennial, will say about the efforts to learn our Civil War history. 

Located in Hartford, a short walk from the Wadsworth, Connecticut’s Old State House served as a seat of government for the Constitution State from 1796 to 1878. The Old State House Shop, located on the Main Street side of the building, provides visitors an opportunity to purchase great, quality-made Connecticut and Hartford themed gifts, products and apparel. The interactive History is All Around Us exhibition by the Connecticut Historical Society, located in the Mortensen Gallery of the lower level of the Old State House, allows visitors to explore over 300 years of Hartford and Connecticut history. For more information on admission prices, upcoming events and parking discounts nearby, become a fan of Connecticut’s Old State House on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or visit us online at http://www.ctoldstatehouse.org.

 

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