Open House at Beardsley Homestead May 3: A trip back to colonial Monroe

 Step into the past when the Monroe Historical Society opens the Eliot Beardsley Homestead to the public May 3 (Saturday) for a free tour offering a glimpse of life in colonial Connecticut--with the expectation of expanding interest in activities to preserve our community’s rich heritage    The house and barn at 31 Great Ring Rd. date back to 1780 and stand as living museums, filled with an extensive collection of furnishings and farm implements that reflect life in Monroe through the years and  our cultural legacy and traditions.    Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the society has arranged a lineup of displays and outdoor games on the lawn, plus light refreshments. The house itself is a classic example of an 18th century saltbox built on a foundation of cut fieldstone with  a great stone central chimney and three fireplaces, woodplank flooring and handsewn timbers.      See how food was prepared in an open hearth. Chat with the town historian. Learn about the historic figures who have shaped our destiny. Get your photo snapped in stocks once used to punish miscreants .  And meet the volunteers who drive the mission of the society.    “We’ve designed the day,” said Mary Little, one of the volunteers, “to appeal to visitors of all ages with activities and articles from yesteryear that will excite a broad sphere of interest.”    Other members of the Open House committee: Nancy Zorena, Karen Cardi, Ed and Marcia Coffey, John and Sue Selk, Kathy Balletta and Shayna Schoenfeld.     The day is also a prelude--an opportunity to register--for the next activity on the society’s spring calendar:  The Rail Trails Tour May 31, a bus tour of four old railway sites that once linked Monroe to the jobs and schools and supply stores in the larger centers of Connecticut and the outside world.