Built in 1754, the Bellamy-Ferriday house was home to the Town of Bethlehem's first minister, Joseph Bellamy, and two generations of Bellamys that followed. The family maintained the property as a working farm, complete with sheep, dairy cows, pastures and meadows. In 1912, New Yorkers Henry and Eliza Ferriday and daughter Caroline purchased the property, converting it to a Country Place Era retreat and naming it "The Hay." Eliza and Caroline created several garden spaces, or "outdoor rooms" around the property, and had constructed a formal parterre containing a central fountain. Caroline maintained The Hay until 1990, when she died and bequeathed the property to Connecticut Landmarks.
In 2008, Connecticut Landmarks hired Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC to develop an interpretive guide to the Bellamy-Ferriday House landscape. The project involved researching the landscape's history, documenting its changes, and preparing written descriptions of its current form. Together with hand-drawn graphics and photographs, the text guides visitors through the landscape, providing information about the design, planting, and ornamentation of its many "outdoor rooms." The 11" x 17" fold-out brochure was printed in full color and made available at the visitor center and shop of the Bellamy-Ferriday House.
In 2008, Connecticut Landmarks hired Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC to develop an interpretive guide to the Bellamy-Ferriday House landscape. The project involved researching the landscape's history, documenting its changes, and preparing written descriptions of its current form. Together with hand-drawn graphics and photographs, the text guides visitors through the landscape, providing information about the design, planting, and ornamentation of its many "outdoor rooms." The 11" x 17" fold-out brochure was printed in full color and made available at the visitor center and shop of the Bellamy-Ferriday House.