Harriet's Writing Room

A front facing image of three panel windows behind a small round writing table with a red lace cloth on top. A plant, an empty bird cage, yellow flowers, and a lamp are to the right; a sun covered chair is on the left.

A WRITING EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER

“I will write that thing if I live.” ~Harriet Beecher Stowe, from 1889 biography

Harriet Beecher Stowe put pen to paper to make change. Moved by compassion and righteousness, she thought hard, strategized, and used the voice she knew could have the most impact—the written word in the form of a novel. Stowe crafted a story so compelling it altered how people thought about each other—and helped the abolitionist agenda leap forward.

“If I am to write, I must have a room to myself, which shall be my room.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe letter to Calvin Stowe, 1842

Do you (or someone you admire) have words that need to be written? Do you require a room of your own to focus your thoughts? Would you be inspired by sharing the same creative space that Stowe herself used? If so, this is the experience for you.

Write that thing you need to write in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s beautiful bedroom, inspired by the woman whose words changed the world. Guests may spend up to two hours in the space.

Experience Guidelines:

Doors to the room will remain open, and staff will be present outside the room.
Comfortable chair and small table will be provided. Guests may not touch any historic furnishings in the room.
Pencil and paper or laptop only are permitted in the room. Bags, food, and beverages must be left with staff.
Photography for non-commercial, personal use is permitted.
Experience will not be rescheduled or refunded after booking except in the case of an emergency.

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Please contact YYoung@stowecenter.org for more information.

Experiences are offered Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 9:30 am and 3:00 pm, or another day by special arrangement.

One Hour: $300
Two Hours: $550

Interested in a similar experience at another famous writer’s home? Please see https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/

Photos Credit: Alana Borges Gordon, Harriet’s Writing Desk

School Group Interest Form

School Group Interest Form 2023

Thank you so much for your interest in a group tour at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center! Please help us schedule your visit by answering the questions below.

School name:

Please suggest three dates and times when your group would like to visit. (Note: the Stowe Center is closed on Sunday and Tuesday.)

Contact Teacher Name:

Contact Teacher Email:(Required)

Contact Teacher Phone Number:(Required)

Number of students expected to attend:(Required)

Please enter a number from 8 to 40.

Please identify the grade level(s) of attending students:(Required)

Likely number of chaperones (including other teachers):

The Stowe Center requires one adult per every 10 students.

Are there special student, teacher, or chaperone accommodations that can help us serve you best?

Do you plan to have lunch on site?

Yes, please.

No, thank you.

Are you interested in scheduling a joint visit with our neighbor, The Mark Twain House and Museum?

Yes, please

No, thank you.

If yes, have you already contacted The Mark Twain House?

Yes

Adult Group Interest Form

Group Tour Interest Form 2022

Thank you so much for your interest in a group tour at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center! Please help us schedule your visit by answering the questions below.

Group Name:

Name of Primary Contact:(Required)

Contact Email:(Required)

Contact Phone Number:(Required)

What date would you like to visit? (The Stowe Center typically books group tours for Thursday through Sunday visits.)

Expected number of visitors:(Required)

Please enter a number from 20 to 42.

Please indicate the number of adults, seniors, and children expected in your group:

Are there special accommodations that can help us serve you best?

Are you interested in a joint visit with our neighbor, The Mark Twain House and Museum?

Yes, please.

No, thank you.

If yes, have you already contacted The Mark Twain House?

Yes

Isabella Beecher Hooker

Isabella Holmes Beecher Hooker (1822-1907)
An ardent member of the woman’s suffrage movement, Isabella Holmes Beecher Hooker joined in the cause along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

Isabella was the first child of Lyman Beecher and his second wife, Harriet Porter Beecher.

Isabella began her education at Catharine Beecher’s Hartford Female Seminary and lived with her sister Mary Perkins. In 1841 she married John Hooker, a descendant of Thomas Hooker, the founder of Hartford. John Hooker was a lawyer and an abolitionist.

In the early 1860s Isabella got involved in the woman’s suffrage movement. Isabella joined Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony as a member of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association in 1869. She was a founding member of the Connecticut Woman’s Suffrage Association. Isabella’s ideas of equality were influenced by John Stuart Mills’ On Liberty and the Subjection of Women.

In 1871, Isabella organized the annual convention of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association in Washington D.C. and presented her argument before the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate. Her husband, John Hooker, believed in his wife and supported her activities. He helped Isabella draft a bill to the Connecticut Legislature giving married women the same property rights as their husbands. The bill passed in 1877. Isabella annually submitted a bill granting women the right to vote, but it did not pass in her lifetime.