Isham-Terry House

03/07/2026

On this date, March 7, 1896, the original owner of the (now) Isham-Terry House, Ebenezer Roberts, died of heart disease at the age of 76. At the time of his death, his estimated worth was $750,000.

You can see from this entry in the 1870 US Census that his household included 9 people, including 3 domestic servants and his house was worth $35,000, while the value of his personal estate was $50,000.

Visit this treasured Hartford landmark when we open for tours in May!

Connecticut Landmarks

10/14/2025

We are readying the Isham-Terry House for our much-anticipated fall collaboration with Escapism Productions this coming weekend and next!! Do you have your tickets yet?

Celebrate with us to explore the haunting world of Edgar Allan Poe. Move through the Isham-Terry House, atmospherically staged, and encounter live performances of Poe’s most iconic works, each brought to life by a different actor in a unique room. From "The Raven" to "The Tell-Tale Heart," each piece is presented as a dramatic monologue, blending poetry and prose with atmospheric staging.

For more information and tickets: https://ctlandmarks.org/event/upon-a-midnight-dreary-a-dramatic-reading-of-the-works-of-edgar-allan-poe/

09/23/2025

It wouldn't be Spooky Season without a visit from our friends at Escapism Productions! This fall's presentation will be slightly different than past years original productions.

"Upon a Midnight Dreary" invites the audience to explore the haunting world of Edgar Allan Poe, as they move through the space within the Isham-Terry House. Live performances of Poe’s most iconic works from The Raven to The Tell-Tale Heart will be brought to life by a different actor in a unique room and presented as a dramatic monologue, blending poetry and prose with atmospheric staging. October 16-19 and 24-25, 2025.

For tickets: https://ctlandmarks.org/event/upon-a-midnight-dreary-a-dramatic-reading-of-the-works-of-edgar-allan-poe/

09/18/2025

Lazy fall Sunday or all dressed up with nowhere to go? Stop by and see us this Sunday, Sept. 21 at the Isham Terry House for our Third Sunday tours! The house will wow you, if you’ve never been, and we’ll entertain you with stories of this Hartford landmark and its occupants.

Tours take place on the hour at 1, 2 and 3 pm with advance purchase gratefully appreciated!
https://ctlandmarks.org/event/isham-terry-open-tour-sunday-14/

08/17/2025

Phew! We had a quite a few enthusiastic visitors who braved the heat in the unairconditioned Isham-Terry House on High Street today for our Open Sunday tours! Temps on the first floor reached 88 degrees according to our thermostat, to say nothing of the 2nd floor!

However, no one seemed bothered as we discussed the great stories of the Isham and Roberts families, including Crescent Beach in Niantic, CT where the Isham siblings decamped for a number of summers to beat the heat! They could board the train in Hartford or perhaps they opted to drive, as we know the Ishams were automobile enthusiasts!

Join us through the fall on cooler days to tour this remarkable Hartford landmark. https://ctlandmarks.org/event/isham-terry-open-tour-sunday-14/

07/03/2025

We mourn the tremendous loss of Bill Hosley, a champion of Hartford and Connecticut history and offer our sincere condolences to his family. His enduring enthusiasm for the Isham-Terry House was unrivaled and we never failed to learn something new from him when he visited us. Godspeed, Bill!✨

06/14/2025

Get the whole family together to celebrate Dad this Father’s Day with a tour of the Isham-Terry House! We’ll be open from 1-4 pm tomorrow (and the 3rd Sunday of each month, July-Nov). Hear the stories of fathers Ebenezer Roberts, John Burnham Terry, Henry Griggs Isham and Samuel Terry and visit our display of early automobilia!

Advance ticket purchase most appreciated!!
https://ctlandmarks.org/properties/isham-terry-house/

05/15/2025

Looking for a family outing? Or a chance to see the lovely Isham peonies in bloom? Then join us for our first Open Tour Sunday of the 2025 season for house tours this Sunday, May 18, 2025 from 1-4 pm.

Join us to learn about the Ishams, the history of this Hartford neighborhood and more!

Advance reservations are most appreciated. Please book your tour time at https://ctlandmarks.org/event/isham-terry-open-tour-sunday-11/


Connecticut Landmarks

05/15/2025

Today!!

Coming up this Thursday, May 15 at 2pm!! The will feature a free presentation by 's volunteer, Jan B.! Please note that registration for this event is through the library:
https://ctlandmarks.org/event/isham-terry-house-tour-virtual-program/

After the presentation, you'll want to see the House in person during our Open Tour Day on Sunday, May 18 from 1-4pm. For tour reservations and more information, please visit:
https://ctlandmarks.org/event/isham-terry-open-tour-sunday-11/

04/07/2025

We are passing on a message from our friends at Connecticut Humanities. Connecticut's Senate is considering a bill (Senate Bill 1551, AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT'S SPENDING ON ARTS AND HUMANITIES ACTIVITIES) that would use a percentage of the Meals Tax to increase funding for humanities, arts, and tourism in Connecticut. As funding at the federal level has been dramatically cut in recent weeks, state support is more vital to the work of Connecticut Landmarks and countless other arts, history, and culture organizations in our state.

You can help ensure the future of the programming and museums you love. We need you to show the profound and meaningful impact that humanities, arts, and tourism has had on you, and on your community.

Submit written testimony to the Appropriations committee in support of increased state funding for arts, culture, and tourism, which is now more crucial than ever. On the Connecticut Humanities website, at cthumanities.org/advocacy-action, you can find the link for submitting testimony, instructions for doing so, and a template with talking points. The deadline to submit testimony in support of SB1551 is April 10, 2025.
Contact our federal Congressional Delegation to urge them to save the National Endowment for the Humanities and funding for the nation’s state Humanities Councils. Click here to easily email your specific Senator and Representative with one click.
Help us spread the word! Forward this email to someone else whose life has been enriched by a museum or cultural organization and encourage them to participate, too.

Humanities programming -- concerts, exhibits, lectures, field trips, and more -- is critical to our civic health, our educational attainment, and our quality of life in Connecticut. Help us fight for continued investment in people, places, and programs that matter.

CT Humanities and our partners in humanities, arts, and tourism have been hard at work advocating for funding for the cultural sector during the current CT Legislative Session.

03/29/2025

See the wonderful article about the Isham-Terry House in this latest issue!