‘House & Garden Tour’: Historic Newtown property opens doors

If you’ve ever driven past the 1748 home of Jean and Lincoln Sander in Newtown’s Sandy Hook section and wondered what its gardens and rooms look like, here’s your chance to find out.

The historic home, which dates back to one of Newtown’s founding fathers, Benjamin Curtiss, will be open to the public for a Newtown Historial Society event on Sunday, June 24.

Instead of having folks drive to multiple locations to view homes and/or gardens, the Historical Society has decided to feature this single property for its annual “Home & Garden Tour.” The public is invited to join the Historical Society’s members for a social afternoon there, where everyone can tour the house and gardens, and enjoy refreshments and hors d’oeuvres.

This three-story home is a classic colonial with a center chimney. Its spacious rooms feature beautifully crafted woodwork reflecting the status of the original owner. Docents will be on hand to answer questions about the home’s contents, including many 18th-century antiques.

Jean Sander, a member of the Garden Conservancy, has been perfecting the property’s gardens for years. There are several stone walls and a formal English garden. There’s also a woodland path you can take, which offers a view of where the Pootatuck River and Lake Zoar come together, among other attractions.

In addition to the tour, the organization will introduce the Dan Cruson Scholarship Fund, to support a scholarship award for high school students planning to study history or a related field in college. Remarks about Cruson and the new scholarship take place at 3 p.m.

This fundraiser is a rain or shine event. Tickets include wine and hors d’oeuvres and a one-year membership to the Newtown Historical Society. Tents will provide shade and protection if it should rain.

211 Walnut Tree Hill Road, Newtown. Sunday, June 24, 1-5 p.m. $30 day of tour, $25 advance. 203-364-1833, 203-405-6392, www.newtownhistory.org

Carol Kaliff / The News-Times file photo The 1748 home of Lincoln and Jean Sander, above in a 2014, is located in the Sandy Hook section of Newtown and will be featured when the Newtown Historical Society hosts its annual “House & Garden Tour” June 24.