Our annual Winter Lecture Series provides introspective insight into the diverse individuals who made the Holley Boarding House a groundbreaking hub of creative expression. Only 100 years after the Declaration of Independence, the Cos Cob area was a true melting pot of people, ideas, and creativity. The unique individuals who found their home in Cos Cob represent the wider cultural diversity of the United States at the turn of the 19th century and their lasting impact on our country’s culture. Explore the people behind the boarding house in this three-part lecture series complementing our newest exhibition in celebration of America 250, The Holley Boarding House: Inspiring American Impressionism, on view through March 8, 2026.
February’s lecture from esteemed CT Humanities Chair Dr. Frank Mitchell discusses the African American foodways brought to the Holley Boarding House and the influences that these foods had on the Boarding House culture and community dinners hosted at the house and its residents.
