Laura Mahon

The William Sessions House $999,000

Property Details: Circa: 1909

Type: Single Family Residential Rooms: 20 Bedrooms: 7 Baths: 4 full Sq. Feet: 11,364 plus 2,000 additional on lower level Acreage: 1.7

Heating: WAIR MLS#: G514264 Agent: RE/MAX Premier Realtors

860-561-6106 Description: A Premier Federal Hill Brownstone Mansion, built in 1909 for William Sessions and his family. Features Music Room with Pipe Organ and seating for 100, Gilded Ceilings, Elaborate Mill work, Elevator and Marble Floors. The home, on the National Registry for Historic Places is a gorgeous representation of Connecticut's "Gilded Age" and an affordable luxury at $999,000. CLICK HERE for LOCATION on Google Maps

The business that made it all possible,

John Brown Sessions in his first car - 1902

The Sessions Children Paul, Ruth, John, Judith & Janet in 1906

Twins - Judith & Janet Sessions as babies in 1901 More on the History of the Federal Hill neighborhood in Bristol, Connecticut

VISIT US AT WWW.HISTORICAL-HOME.COM

The Inn at Woodstock Hill, Woodstock, Connecticut

It's a winter weekend in Connecticut. And it's January. It's absolutely bone chilling outside, despite the bright sun, and I'm already longing for spring. Not ones to spend the entire weekend hanging around the house in our sweatpants, my husband and I decide to take a little road trip. We head out to the "Quiet Corner" of Connecticut, which is in the Northeastern part of the state for those of you who have never ventured. It's a gorgeous drive, with rolling hills, farms, antique homes and historic Inns. We decide to head to The Inn at Woodstock Hill for brunch. I've been there before, at a glorious summer wedding. For a moment I remember a warm night - champagne in my glass, relaxing after an afternoon ceremony while the sun sets over the surrounding hills...sigh! A mimosa and a warm fire will have to do. As we pull up to the Inn I remember how beautiful it is here. The Inn sits high on a hilltop and the countryside just falls away around it. The sky is incredibly blue and the snow, white. I guess January isn't so bad. After all, I'm about to have a leisurely breakfast, not drive a dog sled.


As we step into the Inn, I realize I've never really seen much of the inside. We spent much of that summer wedding on the patio and well, after that third glass of champagne...let's just say it's all a little fuzzy. I do love old houses, and this is a beautiful one. Big heavy front door, that opens up to a large foyer with a sweeping staircase.



The staff is very friendly and before you know it, we're seated at a cozy table with the sun streaming in a nearby window. Yeah, this suits me just fine. We decide to forgo the buffet, despite the fact that it looks yummy and I LOVE smoked salmon. The Chef/Owner is German, and being the snobby former ex-pat that I am, I know Europeans know good food and am looking forward to my meal. I decide on the Eggs Benedict - the hollandaise sauce is too much for me to pass up. And my husband goes with the featured dish of the day - a Seafood Stir Fry, with lobster, shrimp and scallops - I'll have to steal some of that. I do a mimosa - he a Bloody Mary. Yes, this is the life. I never do brunch anymore. I'm not sure why. I must be crazy because there is nothing like good food and alcohol in the afternoon.



Finally, while awaiting dessert, I mention to the staff that I'm writing a little piece about my excursion and would it be possible to shoot some photos of their lovely rooms. A sweet girl, who's name I forget (sorry, I'm terrible that way) hands me a fistful of room keys and with husband in tow - off we go!

There are beautiful details everywhere. All the fireplaces have hand painted ceramic tiles - just gorgeous.

Upstairs it is bright and cheery, I think that the bride from my summer wedding must have been up here getting ready with all her friends and family. I remember her looking down on us on the patio right before the ceremony. I wonder which room she was in. There are so many of them!

(Quinebaug River, Lisbon, Connecticut)

In Connecticut's northeast corner, also known as the "Quiet Corner" to those that live there, lies "The Last Green Valley".

The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley or northeastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts has been called "The Last Green Valley" in the sprawling metropolitan Boston-to-Washington corridor. At night the region appears distinctively dark amid the urban and suburban glow when viewed from satellites or aircraft. In the daytime, the green fields and forests confirm the surprisingly rural character of the 1,085 square-mile area defined by the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers systems and the rugged hills that surround them.

Bafflin Farm at Dawn, Pomfret, Connecticut

Balloon over Woodstock, Connecticut

Canterbury, Connecticut

Field, Franklin, Connecticut

Allen Hill Tree Farm, Brooklyn, Connecticut

Brimfield, Massachusetts Orchard

Thompson, Connecticut Green

Woodstock (Connecticut) Hill at first light

The Last Green Valley is half the size of Grand Canyon National Park and more than ten times that of Acadia, the largest national park in the northeast. Forest and farmland make up more than 70% of its 695,000-acres, yet it lies only an hour from 3 of New England's 4 largest urban areas. Its 300,000 inhabitants reside only 2 1/2 hours from 25 million people. This relatively undeveloped rural island in the midst of the most urbanized region in the nation makes it a resource of local, regional, and national importance.

Many things make The Last Green Valley special. It boasts:

• 2 of the most scenic and productive river systems in New England
• More than 80 ponds and lakes with exceptional water qualities and habitats
• 7 state forests, including the largest in Connecticut
• 16 state wildlife management areas
• 5 state parks composed of thousands of acres
• More than 130 miles of trails, including the East Coast Greenway, a National Millennium Trail
• The presence of moose, black bear, fishers, sea lamprey - species of animals returning after no presence for generations

Loss of The Last Green Valley would have direct, irrevocable, and negative effects on America, particularly southern New England. Why?

• The forests of The Last Green Valley provide oxygen for 8.3 million people, exceeding the needs of its population by more than 27 times. Our forests filter and store 1.2 million tons of carbon that would otherwise remain airborne.
• Our forests produce 1.4 million tons of new topsoil every year, compensating for erosion in stressed parts of the ecosystem.
• The Last Green Valley has an abundance of clean water, including the largest aquifer in Connecticut (2,600 acres). A pilot resource inventory for the towns of Brooklyn, Canterbury, Plainfield and Sterling, showed that 31% of the land was underlain by stratified drift aquifer deposits.

The health of Long Island Sound is greatly enhanced by The Last Green Valley. Its large swaths of forest greatly reduce nitrogen loading of waterways. In the Thames River Basin (most of which is in The Last Green Valley), 81% of the 357.3 miles accessed fully supported aquatic life with no threats. For Historical Homes for sale in the Last Green Valley towns of Hampton, Pomfret, Thompson & Woodstock CLICK HERE

Aerial Photographs of The Last Green Valley, taken by G. Leslie Sweetnam. www.glsweetnam.com