The “Bellamy” of the home was Joseph Bellamy, born in 1719, a Congregationalist pastor and preacher during the Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s. His home was the center of much of his activity for most of his long life, and his involvement in Bethlehem has had a lasting impact on the character of the town, according to Peg Shimer, the site administrator of the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden.

The “Ferriday,” refers to the family of Caroline Ferriday, a philanthropist, socialite, and actress born in 1902. The family purchased the home in 1912. Their daughter would spend summers there for the rest of her life, taking great interest in the life and accomplishments of Joseph Bellamy. They collected some of the pieces that would later make up the museum’s current collection. Upon her death in 1990, the property was left to Connecticut Landmarks, the nonprofit organization that manages the site to this day. 

Ferriday also worked to preserve the life stories of people in her own time. Her most notable accomplishment was the aid she gave to the “rabbits” of Ravensbruck, a group of female political prisoners who were the subjects of cruel medical experimentation at the Ravensbruck concentration camp during World War II. Ferriday's sponsorship of the women allowed them to visit the United States, speak with government officials about their experience, and undergo reconstructive surgeries. [1]

The experiences of the “rabbits” and their subsequent self-advocacy would be one of many factors that helped to shape the conversation around medical ethics and medical war crimes after the war. This led to some of the principles of informed consent in bioethics that govern medical experimentation today [2].

Shimer acknowledges that doing full justice to these two very different lives can be a puzzle at times. “It is a challenge, but there is a common thread between the two of them - that they both believed in service to their communities,” she says. “We try to inspire with their stories. It’s a story about service, and we’d like everyone who walks out of here to take a lesson from that - to go out and follow their passion.” She emphasizes that both Bellamy and Ferriday spent most of their lives in Bethlehem and had a true love for the house and the land that it’s on.

The museum’s current caretakers also have a love for the land, which is reflected in the continued beauty of the historic roses, peonies, and lilacs that beautify the property. “The roses were Caroline’s passion,” says Shimer, “but the things that put on the best show are the peonies.” Noted horticulturist Tovah Martin will be visiting the grounds for an event June 2, 2022. 

Maintaining a historical house can be difficult, as is finding new ways of educating the public during difficult times. This winter, the house is undergoing a major wallpaper restoration after leaks due to ice jams damaged it, but pandemic-related manufacturing delays have caused some problems for the project. Shimer maintains a positive outlook: “We let people walk into the rooms, and there’s just more potential for contact and damage. Every historical house deals with this.”

She continues, “Our work is more about the stories of the people who lived here, rather than looking at interesting pieces. It’s about preserving a glimpse into time, something that Connecticut Landmarks takes very seriously.”

According to Shimer, the museum staff intends to continue to find more ways of telling the home’s story during the pandemic. They are considering outdoor social-distanced “porch stories” events in which museum staff will give visitors insight intothe home’s residents that is not usually included in tours.

Preserving and remembering the past is always a challenge. The Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden’s staff does a commendable job honoring and preserving the legacies of Joseph Bellamy, Caroline Ferriday, and the people and communities they served throughout their lives.

-

To learn more about the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden and Connecticut Landmarks, their parent organization, visit their website at https://ctlandmarks.org/properties/bellamy-ferriday-house-garden/.

January 27 is the day designated by the United Nations General Assembly as Holocaust Remembrance Day. To learn more, visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website at https://www.ushmm.org/remember/international-holocaust-remembrance-day.

-

Sources and Further Reading

[1] “A Godmother to Ravensbruck Survivors” by Kristen Peterson Havill https://connecticuthistory.org/a-godmother-to-ravensbruck-survivors/ 

[2] “The Origins of Informed Consent: The International Scientific Commission on Medical War Crimes, and the Nuremberg Code” by Paul Weindling https://www.jstor.org/stable/44445555