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06/06/2023 01:44 PMDiana Hartman’s passion for homes, history, and design made her a perfect fit for both Madison and its historical society. As the Madison Historical Society (MHS) ramps up its community outreach, Diana is taking the reins on several important projects throughout the summer, including the organization’s Tour of Remarkable Homes, set for June 25.
Diana was born and raised in New York City, where she had her own fashion design and manufacturing company, but she fell in love with the Connecticut shoreline and moved here in 2011. Diana is a realtor with William Pitt Sotheby’s Realty, and her knowledge of Madison homes and history made it an easy decision for her to join the board of directors for the MHS.
“We fell in love with the shoreline here, and I just love Madison. With my background, I joined the historical society in 2017, and I took several leadership roles as well as being on the board of directors,” she says. “They are such a dedicated group of people with such a wide background of experience. I really wanted to be a part of that and to give back to such an incredible community.”
Diana’s volunteer efforts have been felt across several organizations, from her work with the fireworks committee to Habitat for Humanity. Being part of the preservation and promotion of Madison’s unique history and design made connecting with the society an easy choice, she says.
“I’ve always felt a desire to give back to my community, and I just love Madison and I do real estate, so I wanted to be part of this. As special as Madison is, the historical society was a natural for me to be a part of,” says Diana. “It’s a true love. We have a very special town here with Madison. I’m extremely fortunate and grateful that I can make a living here. That’s why I like to give back with time as well as funding. I have always been into design, and because the society has always been so dedicated to what they do and dedicated to helping people, I really felt I had to be a part of what that was about.”
Diana says that nonprofit support can be critical to a town like Madison, and though there are numerous causes that may have more direct impacts, historical preservation provides more than just saving an old house.
“We’re not finding the cure for cancer or something like that and we, as a nonprofit, understand that, but it takes into account the integrity of our town and the beauty of our town. And that can have a huge positive impact as well,” says Diana. “We are currently trying to revamp ourselves so that we are very much in today’s day and time while still respecting the history. We have a number of exciting events coming up over the summer, and I hope people will visit our site and see all we have to offer. We have the ‘Evening in White’ that we will announce the date for soon. We are also doing some very interesting Friday night lectures, and that is brand new to us. We will have wonderful and engaging speakers as part of that program.”
Diana says her design background provides her with unique skills that help MHS provide the best preservation opportunities. According to her, a house can speak and relate its story if you listen carefully enough.
“Preservation has to be approached with the thought that you allow a house or property to speak and say who it is and what it’s about and how it’s made. We also try and provide support for residents with refurbishing and renovations suggestions and work. Residents have been wonderful enough to donate property and items,” she says. “There is a new room at the Lee House that has just been repurposed with a beautiful chestnut floor, and that will also be where we serve lunch on the Remarkable Home tour, and the flooring is just incredible. It is just gorgeous.”
According to Diana, the Tour of Remarkable Homes event provides a rare opportunity for attendees to explore some of the town’s more unique private residences. Diana says each home is remarkable for its age, size, location, or distinctive architecture and landscaping.
“The tour encompasses homes of all varieties. We really try and do a mixed tour that presents both old and new. Two of the six homes are restored historic homes that are just incredible, and the other four homes are more contemporary homes that have been redone, and all have a charm that makes for an exciting contrast. There will be docents in each house discussing the background and the history of each home. Folks can get their map and booklet at the Lee House and then take the tour in any sequence that they want to do it,” says Diana.
The Remarkable Home Tour is traditionally an annual MHS fundraiser, which Diana says is one of the organization’s biggest. This year’s event will mark its return for the first time since 2019.
“We are really excited about this event. It has traditionally been our biggest fundraiser of the year, but we haven’t had the tour since 2019, obviously due to COVID. So, it’s a very exciting time to open the houses. We are really excited about this because it not only brings in people from Madison and the shoreline but from all over Connecticut. It is really wonderful.”
Diana adds the homes that are part of the tour are generally within a two-mile radius of Madison’s downtown historic district, and there will be a tour booklet that includes a map to guide visitors to each property. According to Diana, docents at each site can suggest recommended routes, but you may visit the homes in any order that you wish.
“We truly appreciate all of the support that we receive from everyone in town,” she says.
Madison Historical Society’s Remarkable Home Tour will be held on Sunday, June 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. The admission fee is $40 before the event and $45 the day of the event. Tickets can be purchased in advance via the group’s website and are available at Lee’s Academy, 14 Meetinghouse Lane, on the Madison Green, on the day of the tour. For the homeowners’ privacy and protection, MHS does not reveal the addresses before the event. Attendees can utilize their own vehicles or bikes to take the tour.
Lunch is also provided during the tour at the Lee House in its newly refurbished section. For more information or tickets, visit www.madisonhistory.org.