A Walking Tour at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum

For history buffs and Downton Abbey fans, Curator Kathleen Motes Bennewitz will lead an exclusive walking tour of The Stairs Below: The Mansion’s Domestic Servants, 1868-1938 on Oct. 21, 2015, 11 a.m. at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT.

Viewers will experience a renewed vision of life at “Elm Park” during its seven decades as a private residence for the Lockwood (1868-73) and Mathews (1876-1938) families. Bennewitz will share, for the first time, the history of the mansion’s servants who worked and lived under this roof. Costumed vignettes, historic photographs, artifacts and the newly restored Servants’ Quarters will help bring to life the ‘invisible’ staff whose hard work and long hours kept the household running smoothly. Follow a servant’s route through the mansion, counting the steps taken, and come to grasp the toil and drudgery of their 10-hour days and taxing routines in such a large and opulent residence. Bennewitz will also touch upon some of the relationships that developed over the decades between staff and the wealthy owners.

The lectures are $25 for members, $30 for non-members per session. Limited availability, please RSVP by Friday, Oct. 16, 2015. The price includes the walking tour and lunch courtesy of Michael Gilmartin’s Outdoor Cookers Catering & Event Planning. The chair of the Lecture Committee is Mimi Findlay of New Canaan. Please contact info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or 203-838-9799, ext. 4 to purchase tickets.

For more area event information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com