One of the greatest treasures of a small New England town is its history, and Hampton is no exception. The former home and property of 1966 Pulitzer Prize-winning naturalist writer, Edwin Way Teale (d. October 18, 1980), is nestled in our community at 93 Kenyon Road. The property, known as “Trail Wood”, consists of a one-and-a-half-story Cape-style house erected in 1806 on 168 acres. This historic and natural treasure is owned and managed by the Connecticut Audubon Society. As a wildlife sanctuary with miles of walking trails, Trail Wood is open and free to the public from dawn to dusk throughout the year.

Per the wishes of Edwin and his wife Nellie, the study in his home was to be left intact so that the public could better understand his writing process. With 60 years of wear under its belt, Edwin’s study had begun to show its age and was in need of renovation. While the majority of his journals, notes, and photographs are housed in the Special Papers Archives of the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut, the remaining books and artifacts needed to be inventoried and then moved to a separate location to be cleaned and stored.

With oversight from the Northeast Region Connecticut Audubon Center Director, Sarah Heminway, consultation with the Dodd Center, and support from the community, the project kicked off in January. Archivist Melissa Watterworth Batt from UConn provided invaluable expertise on conservation cleaning protocols to the project’s intern, Corlis Fraga, a Woodstock native and graduate student from the Rare Book and Digital Humanities master program at l’Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, located in Besançon, France. Together, a plan was drawn to give the study’s collection the care it deserved.

The key to successfully executing the work was finding a climate-controlled space in town. Dr. Samantha Sarli of Hampton Elementary School saved the day, providing classroom space for the study’s materials. Every book, photograph, and loose sheet of paper was placed in a freezer for a minimum of three days to kill any insects and/or mold spores. Many thanks to Bousquets Appliances of Danielson for loaning a large chest freezer. Once out of the freezer, every item was spread out, brought back up to room temperature, dried, and thoroughly vacuumed using specialty attachments and filters. All cleaned materials were then boxed, stored, and prepped for return to Edwin’s refurbished study.

The study’s renovation included the removal of the ceiling along with over 200 years of accumulated debris, installing insulation and new sheetrock, fresh coats of paint throughout, refinishing the Carolina pine floors, and reupholstering Nellie’s chair. The space is gleaming, and Corlis has begun the careful and painstaking process of putting everything back into its rightful place per the Teale’s wishes. This renovation work was made possible thanks to the bequest of Warren Stone, an extraordinarily generous, thoughtful, and community-focused Hampton resident.

With the completion of this project, Edwin Way Teale’s study will continue to serve as a tribute to him and his writings and the history of Hampton. Visitors will be welcomed for years to come as they glimpse into the life of a man who is considered one of the founders of the modern conservation movement.

All are invited to come and celebrate Edwin’s birthday, go for a walk, and check out his refurbished study at the Trail Wood Open House on Saturday, June 3rd, from 1-4PM. For additional information about Trail Wood and its public programs, visit
ctaudubon/trail-wood-home.
Corlis Fraga