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This is the audio-only described version of the Weir Farm National Historic Site map brochure. The outside of the three-fold brochure offers three vertical panels. The front panel features a color image of Weir's painting titled Upland Pasture. The interior panel features a color photograph of the historic house currently used as the visitor center and a description of Weir Farm. The back panel provides information about planning a visit to the park, safety, accessibility, and park contact information.
The inside of the brochure features a large overview map of the park. The map depicts major features such as historic buildings, natural elements in the historic landscape, hiking trails, the pond, and indicates the visitor center, restrooms, and the parking lot.
Weir Farm National Historic Site, located in south-western Connecticut, is the only national park dedicated to American painting. Set amid more than 60 acres of picturesque woods, fields, and streams, Weir described his home as the "Great Good Place." Come walk in the footsteps of generations of world class artists, and visit the home and studio of American Impressionist, J. Alden Weir.
To find out more about what resources might be available, or to contact the park directly, visit the "Accessibility" and "More Information" sections at the end of this audio-described brochure.
The front panel of the three-fold brochure features a color image of Julian Alden Weir's oil painting, Upland Pasture.
RELATED TEXT:
Step into American landscape painting.
CAPTION:
Julian Alden Weir, Upland Pasture (detail view), circa 1905, oil on canvas.
DESCRIPTION:
This landscape oil painting of a rocky pasture, done by J. Alden Weir, dates from around 1905. The tree line and a bright blue sky with wispy clouds comprises the top third of the image. The bottom two-thirds of the painting is a grassy pasture with rocks, trees, and grazing animals. The upper half of the pasture is in bright sunlight. The grass appears a yellow-green and five large boulders are scattered in the field. Two brown cows graze along the far tree line. The lower half of the pasture is in shadow. Darker greens and varied brush strokes give the impression of long grasses mixed with brambles. A small group of young trees is clustered next to two large boulders. There is a hint of autumnal red and orange in the leaves of these young trees.
IMAGE CREDIT: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans.
The interior panel of the three-fold brochure features a color photograph of the historic house currently used as the visitor center, and a brief description of Weir Farm.
DESCRIPTION:
This historic Dutch colonial farmhouse currently serves as the visitor center. The red farmhouse is nestled among densely packed trees and green plants. The stone chimney and dark grey roof are backed by bright green tree tops and a narrow strip of nearly white sky. The viewer's eye is drawn to the center of the photograph, where a white greenhouse and side porch are visible through the vegetation. A light purple flowering lilac bush partially obstructs the greenhouse windows from view. The white columns of the porch support wooden trellises and climbing vines. The stone patio below the porch is partially overgrown by a patch of creeping flocks. Four stone steps lead down from the patio to an area of plantings and the granite garden shed. Another four steps lead down into the Sunken Garden. The garden is surrounded by stone walls. Inside the stone walls are green and flowering plants, and three six-foot tall boxwood hedges. A low, one-foot, serpentine boxwood hedge serves as a border between the plantings and an interior green lawn.
PHOTO CREDIT: NPS
Weir Farm was the summer home of pioneering American Impressionist Julian Alden Weir, from 1882 to 1919. For Weir and his famous contemporaries, artists Childe Hassam, John Twachtman, and Albert Pinkham Ryder, the farm’s landscape offered the perfect setting to paint en plein air and experiment with light and color to create American masterpieces.
Weir’s daughter, painter Dorothy Weir Young and her husband, sculptor Mahonri Young, carried on the artistic legacy, followed by New England painters Sperry and Doris Andrews. Today, the 60-acre national park, which includes the Weir House, Weir and Young studios, barns, outbuildings, gardens, fields, stone walls, and Weir Pond, is one of the nation’s finest remaining landscapes of American art.
Whether you have come to explore and enjoy this historic setting or to be inspired by the paintable landscape, Weir Farm leaves a lasting impression.
RELATED TEXT:
Designed and preserved by artists, Weir Farm NHS celebrates the power of creativity, art, and nature. Discover the beauty of light and color in everyday life and join generations of visitors inspired by the beauty of this rural landscape.
Following is a quote by DOROTHY WEIR YOUNG (1890 to 1947):
“Weir found the world beautiful and he spent his life showing others the visions he had seen.”
DESCRIPTION:
The inside of this three-fold brochure is a full page map of Weir Farm National Historic Site. The inset text is read below. The map is a full-color, computer-generated drawing of the park, which resembles a photograph. This aerial view does not indicate park boundaries. The historic red buildings stand out against the green backdrop of mowed fields and tree tops.
The top of the map is East. The historic buildings and cultural resources are concentrated in the bottom half of the map. The upper half is predominantly forest, with a trail that leads to Weir Pond, located in the upper right corner. Nod Hill Road and Pelham Lane form a perpendicular intersection in the lower portion of the map. This intersection is at an angle, where Pelham Lane runs off the map in the lower left corner. To the north of Pelham Lane, the Weir House, Weir Barn, Weir Studio and Young Studio are clustered at the corner of the road intersection. North of these buildings, a two acre open field contains remnants of the farm landscape in the Weir Orchard, chicken coop, corn crib, and ice house. A stone wall borders the northern edge of this field, beyond which is the Beers Cemetery. To the west of the Weir House and Young Studio are a victory garden and pig pens.
South of Pelham Lane, at the southern edge of a one acre field, the Burligham House, Sunken Garden, and Burlingham Barn sit on the edge of a wide dirt path. The Burlingham House is currently the Visitor Center, and the Burlingham Barn contains the public restrooms. The Terrace Gardens are south of this wide dirt path, in a two acre field. There are additional fields west and south of the Burlingham Barn, with mowed walking paths. The trail leading to the Weir Preserve begins near the southwest corner of the Burlingham Barn.
The Burlingham House also sits on the edge of Nod Hill Road. A cross walk leads across the road into the south end of the Visitor Parking lot, no RVs allowed. At the north end of the lot, are the Artist-in-Residence studio and Caretaker's House.
IMAGE CREDIT: NPS
LIST of FEATURES IDENTIFIED on the MAP:
Weir Pond
Dam
Pond Trail
Bridge
Palace Car
Nod Hill Road
Pelham Lane
Beers Cemetery
Corn Crib
Chicken Coop
Ice House
Weir Orchard
Secret Garden
Pig Pens
Young Studio
Weir Studio
Weir Barn
Weir House
Tool Shed
Victory Garden
Stone Table
Well
Caretakers House
Artist-in-Residence Studio
Visitor Parking (no RVs)
Visitor Center
Path to Weir House, studios, and Weir Pond
Burlingham House
Potting Shed
Sunken Garden
Wood shed
Burlingham Barn (with restrooms)
Terraced Gardens
Well
Plein Air Painters
Trail to Weir Preserve
The back panel of the three-fold provides information about planning a visit to the park, safety, where to find a park ranger, and park contact information. At the bottom is listed the credit information for Upland Pasture, the painting featured on the front panel of the brochure, which is detailed at the end of the painting's audio description.
Grounds are open daily, year-round from sunrise to sunset.
Help yourself to park brochures, self-guided tours, Junior Ranger activities, and a National Park passport stamp on the visitor center porch. Plein air painters are always welcome.
The following are open May 1st through October 31st, Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 4pm:
• Visitor Center and Museum Store
• Weir and Young Studios
• Free tours of the Weir House at 11am, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm
• Take Part in Art! Feel free to borrow art supplies on the visitor center porch.
• Use caution when crossing the road. Stay on park paths instead of walking in the road.
• Keep on trails and mowed paths to avoid poison ivy and ticks.
• Keep dogs leashed.
• In case of an accident or injury, contact a ranger immediately. Call 911 in case of emergency.
Have a question? Need assistance? Don’t hesitate to ask a ranger. Rangers are available May through October, Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm in the visitor center.
We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For more information about our services, please ask a ranger, call, or check on our website.
ADDRESS:
Weir Farm National Historic Site, 735 Nod Hill Road, Wilton, CT 06897
PHONE:
(203) 834-1896
WEBSITE:
www dot n p s dot gov slash wefa