Florence Griswold Museum facts for kids
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Florence Griswold House
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Florence Griswold House in 2014
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, Connecticut |
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| Built | 1817 |
| Architect | Samuel Belcher |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001604 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1993 |
| Designated NHL | April 19, 1993 |
The Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut. It is built around the historic home of Florence Griswold (1850–1937). Her house was a famous place where many American Impressionist artists lived and painted. This made it a key spot for American Impressionism. The museum is known for its amazing collection of American Impressionist paintings. The house itself became a special National Historic Landmark in 1993. The whole area covers 12 acres with old buildings, gardens, and walking paths.
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Explore the Florence Griswold Museum
The Florence Griswold Museum offers a look into American art and history. It has a modern gallery and a historic house.
The Robert and Nancy Krieble Gallery
The museum has a modern gallery called the Robert and Nancy Krieble Gallery. It opened in 2002 and has 9,500 square feet of space for exhibits. You can also see great views of the Lieutenant River from here. This gallery was designed by Centerbrook Architects & Planners.
Art Collection Highlights
In 2001, the museum received a large art collection. It came from the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company. This collection included 157 oil paintings and other artworks. All of them were connected to Connecticut.
Some important artworks you might see include:
- Milton Avery, East Hartford Meadow, 1922
- Frederic Church, The Charter Oak at Hartford, 1846
- Childe Hassam, Summer Evening (A Woman at the Window), 1886
- John F. Kensett, Shore of Darien, Connecticut, 1872
- Edward Francis Rook, Laurel, c.1905-10
- John Ferguson Weir, East Rock, New Haven, 1901
- Matilda Browne, Peonies, ca. 1907
- Bessie Potter Vonnoh, Jessie Wilson, 1912–13
You can also find works by artists like Emil Carlsen, Charles Ebert, Bruce Crane, and Willard Metcalf.
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Summer Evening, oil on canvas, Childe Hassam, 1886
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East Rock, New Haven, oil on canvas, John Ferguson Weir, 1901
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Thawing Brook, oil on canvas, Williard Metcalf, 1911
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The Charter Oak at Hartford, oil on canvas, Frederic Church, 1846
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Meet the Director
Rebekah Beaulieu became the museum's Director in February 2018. She took over from Jeff Andersen, who led the museum for 41 years! She has studied art history and museum management.
The Historic Florence Griswold House
The Florence Griswold House in Old Lyme, Connecticut was a special boardinghouse. Florence Griswold ran it. Many American Impressionist artists lived and painted there. They even painted directly on the walls and doors of the house! Today, this building is part of the Florence Griswold Museum.
Famous artists of the Old Lyme Art Colony stayed at the house. These included Henry Ward Ranger, Childe Hassam, and Willard Metcalf. Even U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and his family ate dinner with "Miss Florence" and the artists.
A local resident named Harry Hoffman helped save Miss Griswold's house. He started a campaign to raise money. This allowed the house to become a museum.
Inside the House
The house was designed by Samuel Belcher. He also designed the Old Lyme Congregational Church. The house was built in 1817 in the late Georgian style.
The first floor of the house looks like it did around 1910. This was when it was a busy artists' boardinghouse. When you enter, you walk into a wide center hall. Here, paintings are displayed on the walls. The hall also has old furniture. Two bedrooms are off this hall: Miss Florence's room and a guest artist's room.
There is a parlor on the first floor. It has artists' brushes on the fireplace mantel. There is also a fancy gold harp that Florence's brother brought back from England. Artists would put on shows for each other in this room. There is also a formal dining room and a large covered front porch.
The second floor has five galleries for exhibitions. These galleries show different artworks from the museum's collection. They also display new art that the museum has bought.
The house was named a National Historic Landmark in 1993. It reopened in July 2007 after a 14-month restoration project.
The Painted Panels
The dining room was a place where artists would gather. They would talk about important topics of the day. This room became famous for its painted wall and door panels. The artists painted these panels themselves.
Artists probably got this idea from art colonies in France. Places like Barbizon and Giverny had similar traditions. Many American artists had visited these places. There are 41 painted panels in the downstairs rooms.
Artists who painted on the house's doors and walls include Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf, and Matilda Browne. Matilda Browne was the only female artist asked to paint a panel. She was given a special spot: Miss Florence's own bedroom door!
Life at the Lyme Art Colony
Miss Florence's bedroom was her only private space. Today, it shows memories of her life. You can see her books, art, gifts, and letters from the artists. Many artists became her lifelong friends. The rest of the first floor and the two upstairs floors were used by her artist-boarders.
Most artists traveled by train from New York or Boston. They came along the Connecticut shore to Miss Florence's. During the day, artists would paint en plein air (outdoors). They would paint on the museum grounds by the Lieutenant River or in the apple orchard. Sometimes, cows and other animals were brought from local farms for the artists to paint.
In the evenings, after lively dinners, groups would go to the parlor. They would enjoy music, games, and entertainment. They even invented a "Wiggle Game." One artist would draw a few lines, and another artist would finish the drawing.
Childe Hassam once called a visit to Old Lyme "an excursion to Bohemia." He said it was "just the place for high-thinking and low-living." The artists enjoyed parades, beach visits, canoeing, and swimming. They loved all kinds of countryside activities. Some artists loved Old Lyme so much that they moved there permanently.
Gardens and Grounds
The museum's 12-acre site has beautiful historic gardens. Staff and volunteers take care of them. They grow old-fashioned flowers, herbs, vegetables, and plants. Behind the house, there were four different gardens. One was for herbs and vegetables like strawberries, lettuce, peas, corn, and potatoes. One was for roses. And two were for flowers, which Miss Florence also sold to earn money.
The museum is part of Connecticut's Historic Gardens. This group celebrates the many gardens at historic homes across Connecticut.
Robert F. Schumann Artists' Trail
In July 2019, the museum opened the Robert F. Schumann Artists' Trail. This trail has walking paths, special landscaping, and native plants. The trail is about 0.5 miles long. It helps visitors understand why artists loved to paint en plein air in this landscape. Markers show important historic spots, like where Childe Hassam's studio was in the orchard.
Chadwick Studio
William Chadwick (1879-1962) was an American Impressionist artist. He was part of the Lyme Art Colony and lived in Old Lyme. From about 1920 until he died in 1962, a building on the museum campus was his art studio. Visitors can explore this building from the first Saturday in April through December.
See also
