Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation Programs

Virtual Programs

The Fight for Women’s Suffrage in Virtual Program Tuesday, March 9, 7:00 pm Free, Registration Required

How did the women of Connecticut work for – or against – the right to vote?

Natalie Belanger looks at photos, letters, and pamphlets from Connecticut Historical Society’s collection to understand one of the most hard-fought political battles of American history.

You’ll learn about suffragists like Katharine Houghton Hepburn, Mary Townsend Seymour, and Isabella Beecher Hooker, as well as some Connecticut women who fought tooth-and-nail against women getting the vote.

Natalie Belanger will present the program via Zoom.

Belanger is the Adult Programs Manager at the Connecticut Historical Society. She holds a B.A. in history from Smith College and an M.A. in women's history from the University of Maryland. She has worked in museum education for most of her career. She also teaches history courses at Manchester Community College and other area colleges.

The program is free. Reservations are required and may be made online at www.cedarhillfoundation.org.

The Zoom link will be sent once registration is received.

Lest We Forget: Infectious Diseases (1850-1918) Virtual Program Tuesday, May 11, noon Free, Registration Required

Cholera infantum, the bloody flux, ague, putrid fever, filth disease, consumption – and the treatments sometimes sounded just as scary. Evelyn Bollert explores the fearsome infectious diseases that afflicted families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The presentation is based on her informative tour of Hartford’s historic Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Evelyn Bollert will present the program via Zoom.

A graduate of the University of Connecticut (BA) and (MA), Bollert is an instructor of English at Goodwin University. She has worked as an editor and fact-checker for the popular press in a variety of disciplines, including health and wellness and medical research.

The program is free. Reservations are required and may be made online at www.cedarhillfoundation.org.

The Zoom link will be sent once registration is received.

Walking Tours

Tree Walk Saturday, June 5, 10:00 am Free – Registration Required

John Kehoe leads this walk featuring Cedar Hill Cemetery’s rare and notable trees.

The tour, through the ornamental foreground and historic memorial sections, will highlight trees such as the beautiful European Weeping Beech, the unusual (for the Northeast) Umbrella Magnolia, and the Huss Hemlock named for a resident of Cedar Hill.

The Tree Walk is part of Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s Trails Day Weekend. A nationwide initiative, Trails Day encourages the public to explore the great outdoors.

Registration begins on May 20 on Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s website, www.ctwoodlands.org.

Eternal Homes of Cedar Hill Saturday, June 19, 10:00 am Admission: $10.00; Members Free Registration Required

Over a dozen private mausoleums grace the grounds of Cedar Hill Cemetery.

A mausoleum is a building with the sole purpose of housing someone’s remains. In the U. S., private mausoleums became popular in the late 19th century. Rural cemeteries, such as Cedar Hill, provided the space needed and appropriate setting for these magnificent structures.

Learn about the architecture and owners of some of Cedar Hill’s grand mausoleums on this walking tour of the cemetery.

Advanced reservations are required and can be made online at www.cedarhillfoundation.org.

Mark Twain's Companions & Cohorts Saturday, July 10, 10:00 am Admission: $10.00; Cedar Hill & House Members Free Registration Required

While Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, is laid to rest in Elmira, New York, many of his Hartford companions and cohorts are interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Learn about Twain's life and his many Nook Farm friends, neighbors, and colleagues during this walking tour led by Steve Courtney. Featured residents include Reverend Joseph Twichell, , and Isabella Beecher Hooker.

The walk is in collaboration with the Mark Twain House. Now a museum, it was the Twain family’s Hartford home from 1874 to 1891.

Steve Courtney is the author of Joseph Hopkins Twichell: The Life and Times of Mark Twain’s Closest Friend and ‘The Loveliest Home That Ever Was’: The Story of the Mark Twain House in Hartford.

Advanced reservations are required and can be made online at www.cedarhillfoundation.org. Angels Among Us Saturday, July 24, 10:00 am Admission: $10.00; Members Free Registration Required

Learn about the angels and allegorical figures that grace the landscape of Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Although angels in cemeteries are often generic in nature, the tour will introduce you to the Angel of Life, Angel of Peace, and Gabriel. Also included on the tour are figural forms, which although not angels, are commonly found in cemeteries. The most popular figures are Faith, Hope, and Memory.

Advanced reservations are required and can be made online at www.cedarhillfoundation.org.

Sunset Notables Thursday, August 12, 6:30 pm Admission: $10.00; Members Free Registration Required

Discover the history and beauty of Cedar Hill Cemetery on this tour showcasing some of its most celebrated residents and renowned monuments.

Highlights include the resting places of General Griffin Stedman, Gilbert Heublein, John Pierpont Morgan, and Katharine Hepburn.

Participants will enjoy watching the sun set during the walk.

Advanced reservations are required and can be made online at www.cedarhillfoundation.org.

The Streets of Hartford Saturday, August 21, 10:00 am Admission: $10.00; Cedar Hill & Hartford Preservation Alliance Members Free Registration Required

Ever wondered how Hartford streets got their names? Mary Falvey, Director of Hartford Preservation Alliance, leads this tour highlighting Cedar Hill Cemetery residents whose names grace the capital city.

From Brainard Road to Jewell Street and Fairfield Avenue, learn about the people who have been immortalized on the streets of Hartford.

This walk is in collaboration with the Hartford Preservation Alliance. The Alliance provides historic preservation and revitalization technical assistance, and education and advocacy to those who live and work in Hartford.

Advanced reservations are required and can be made online at www.cedarhillfoundation.org.