Faces from the Past: A History Mystery that Connects a Family to Ridgefield
A family lost, now found through the collision of serendipity and sheer luck. A prominent foundational Ridgefield family whose revolutionary story has been forgotten for 200 years, will now be revealed.
Six portraits from the early 19th Century comprise a remarkable art and history mystery, which began in Ridgefield. Their story will be revealed on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. at Lounsbury House at 316 Main St. in Ridgefield, CT by Melanie Beal Marks, principal researcher and owner of CT House Histories, who is a member of the Historic Preservation Committee of the Ridgefield Historical Society. This program is part of the Ridgefield Historical Society’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of America in 2026.
As the national Semiquincentennial celebration begins, it’s fitting to observe that the patriarch of this family, Benjamin Lynes, was personally involved in the Revolutionary War, as a Redding teenager taken captive by British troops and then as an American soldier, serving at West Point. He was a longtime prominent resident of Ridgebury and is one of 14 Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Ridgebury Cemetery.
This presentation will mark the very first time this collection of portraits has been seen publicly and is a program of the Ridgefield Historical Society in partnership with Lounsbury House.
The six portraits from the Lynes family will be on loan from a private collector for the afternoon program. There will be ample opportunity to see these paintings, done by at least two different artists (unknown). Come learn about the subjects’ storied lives while living in Ridgefield, New York City and Norwalk and discover how these portraits landed in the hands of the current owner.
Melanie Beal Marks, whose meticulous house histories bring a wealth of documented information to homeowners who engage her, is also recognized for her knowledge of the itinerant portraitist Ammi Phillips. In 2022, she helped organize an exhibit of Phillips’ work with the Kent Historical Society. Melanie had been studying Ammi Phillips, also known as the “Kent Limner,” for several years, helping to establish provenance for paintings done nearly 200 years ago.
On Jan 25 Melanie will share the story of how the Lynes portraits came to her attention and how she found the keys to unlocking the mystery of who this group of portraits included. She’ll share the stories of Patriot and patriarch, Benjamin Lynes’ five children but will focus in on his son, Samuel, Samuel’s wife, and their daughter and her husband. Their portraits will also be on display – as well as that of Benjamin’s wife. It’s a story of many twists, a genealogical/historical mystery, now solved.
Tickets ($25) for this program are limited, nonrefundable, and available from the Ridgefield Historical Society at https://ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org/event/faces-from-the-past-a-his… The snow date is Sun. Feb. 1, 2-4pm. For more information contact [email protected] or 203-438-5821.
