From 1852 to about 1900, manufacturer and inventor Ebenezer B. Beecher constructed a grand estate called Blondstone overlooking his match and basket factory in Westville. Upon Mr. Beecher’s death in 1904, the mansion was converted into Mitchell Memorial Library, named after local author Donald Grant Mitchell. The grounds of the estate, aptly named Beecher Park, included speciman trees and some of the original “blond stones” imported from Mr. Beecher’s hometown of Morris, Connecticut. The park is host to the annual Beecher Park Summer Concert Series and HiFi Pie Fest, sponsored by WVRA on Monday nights in July and August.

List Category: