Family History, Trivia, & Genealogy

Family Historical & Literary Figures

Judge Theodore Sedgwick
Born in West Hartford, CT in 1746. Leading lawyer and politician; was a delegate to the Continental Congress; served as a congressman, and a senator from MA; became Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1799; appointed to the Massachusetts Supreme Court 1802-1813. 

Elizabeth Freeman (Mumbet)
First enslaved African American to win her freedom based on constitutional law. She sought the help of Sheffield Attorney Theodore Sedgwick after overhearing the words “all men are created free and equal” at the house of her enslaver Col John Ashley. Sedgwick took her case, and in the end the Supreme State Judicial Court found that slavery was inconsistent with the state’s constitution.

Catharine Maria Sedgwick
19th-century American author. Born in Stockbridge, Mass. on 28 December 1789, she was the third daughter and sixth child of Theodore and Pamela Dwight Sedgwick. In 1822, she anonymously published her first novel, A New-England Tale; or Sketches of New England Character and Manners.

Ellery Sedgwick
Owner and publisher of the Atlantic Monthly Magazine from 1908 -1938.

General John Sedgwick
Grand-nephew of Theodore Sedgwick, and a 1837 graduate of West Point.  He fought in the Mexican War and was later wounded at the Battle of Antietam during the Civil War. At the battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, he was personally directing artillery placements and forming his line when he uttered his last, now famous, words, “They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."  Just then, in a moment of profound irony, he was struck and killed by a Confederate bullet.

Edie Sedgwick
Fashion model and Andy Warhol superstar.

Books by Sedgwicks & about Sedgwicks

In 1834, Theodore Sedgwick II, eldest son of Judge Theodore Sedgwick, purchased what was then known as the “little hill” for $450 to preserve it in perpetuity and make it available for public use. Hence, as Pat Flinn, of the Laurel Hill Association, and others have suggested, an argument can be made that this action on the part of the Sedgwick clan was the genesis of the public land trust movement in the United States. Yellowstone Park, which was officially the country’s first national park, didn’t open until 1872, and there was no National Park Service until 1916, so the Sedgwicks were definitely ahead of their time in this regard.

Then in 1878, the Sedgwick family deeded Laurel Hill to the Laurel Hill Association, which had been established 25 years earlier by Mary Hopkins Goodrich. The deed specified that the property be “...dedicated...to the use benefit and pleasure of the public intending that the same be protected and preserved forever for that purpose.”

Since that time, Sedgwicks have continued to maintain a strong connection to Laurel Hill and the Laurel Hill Association serving as board members, presidents and benefactors. Henry Dwight Sedgwick served as president for twenty-two years, from 1881-1903 followed by his son Alexander Sedgwick who served from 1905 – 1925. More recently, Arthur Schwartz served as president from 1993 – 1995, and Robert E. Sedgwick currently serves as vice-president.

For generations now, Laurel Hill has provided a peaceful sanctuary from the crowds and traffic of Stockbridge, especially during the sweltering months of high season. There is nothing quite like spending a lazy summer day on the hill with the late afternoon sun streaming through the trees surrounded by an abundance of wildlife and lush vegetation. It’s almost impossible to believe that the center of town is just a stone’s throw away.

Laurel Hill

Mock up of the Sedgwick appreciation plaque to be placed on the rostrum at a future date.

Rostrum and memorial plaque in remembrance of Henry Dwight Sedgwick II.

Pet Cemetery

Just across the back lawn of the Old House, on a bank overlooking the Housatonic River, is the Sedgwick dog graveyard.  For almost 200 years now, this spot has served as the final resting place for many a Sedgwick canine, and even a few cats.  Sedgwicks have always been passionate about their dogs and vice versa. When William Ellery Sedgwick died prematurely in 1942, his beloved dog Duffy went from room to room in the Old House looking for his owner.  He died shortly thereafter and was laid to rest in the family pet cemetery. 

With colorful epitaphs such as “Do not go gentle into that good night” for a white poodle that charged headlong into Route 7 and was killed by a car, or “He only lacked speech” for an anthropomorphic short haired Lab with a biblical name, the headstones are haphazardly arranged on the small plot like jagged teeth protruding from the ground.

Historical Documents

Letter from Barack & Michelle Obama celebrating unveiling of Elizabeth Freeman's statue in Sheffield.

Original First Floor Wing Plan

Original Second Floor Plan

Verdict from Mumbet's freedom suit.

2019 Survey Worksheet showing the expansion plan for the Sedgick Pie.

1992 Expansion Plan showing the Pie and adjacent plt.