Kimberly Mansion

The Smith family used this house as a base for its anti-slavery activities. The five Smith sisters and their parents hosted abolitionist meetings, permitted anti-slavery lectures on the lawn, distributed literature and obtained signatures on anti-slavery petitions. At this site, the family worked with African American anti-slavery leaders and sought not only the end of slavery, but also improved conditions for free blacks. Julia (1792-1886) and Abby (1797-1878) Smith involved themselves wholeheartedly in the abolitionist cause. With their mother Hannah (1767-1850), they circulated an anti-slavery petition among the women of Glastonbury, obtained 40 signatures and sent the petition to U.S. Senator John Quincy Adams to present to Congress. Historians often suggest that this was the first petition to receive such a hearing. The Smiths of Glastonbury were inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994 and the home is a National Historic Landmark. The property is privately owned and not open to the public.