On a cold December night almost 200 years ago, a five-year-old child was whisked away from her Bristol home. That child, now a woman named Madame Theodora D’Wolf Colt, returned to Bristol forty years later, reclaimed her family home, renamed it Linden Place, and made it one of the most beautiful mansions in New England. This strong-willed woman also came to dominate Bristol society for many years.

What motives drove this intelligent, ruthless woman? What kind of life did she lead while living in Cuba, Hartford, and Paterson, N.J.? What ties did she have to the Colt Armory? Letters and documents from throughout New England tell us much about the life of Theodora D’Wolf Colt and the Colt family. This talk containing many photographs from historic collections, will give you a better understanding of this fascinating woman and her sons, Samuel P. Colt and Senator LeBaron B. Colt.

The lecture will be hosted on Thursday, September 19 at 7:00 PM inside the historic mansion parlors of Linden Place, which are filled with furnishings once used by Theodora herself.

The speaker, Claire Benson, is a board member of the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society and a member of Linden Place. She loves presenting talks on her favorite subject: Bristol history.

The event is co-sponsored by Linden Place and the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society. Admission is free for Linden Place & BHPS members and $5 for the public. For information please call: (401) 253-0390.