Stories of Wistariahurst to Be Presented by a Skinner Descendent

HOLYOKE — On Sunday, June 28 at 3 p.m., Wistariahurst Museum will host Allerton Kilborne, the last living Skinner descendent to have lived at the historic estate, for a talk and special tour.

Kilborne will share his memories of living at Wistariahurst with his grandmother, Katherine Skinner Kilborne, and a full-time staff. An historian himself, Kilborne will weave his personal memories into the broader narrative of Holyoke. The event, which will offer a lively mix of Holyoke history and personal memories, is open to the public, and tickets cost $12, or $10 for museum members.

Kilborne will lead a personalized tour of the house following his talk. Acquiring its name from the flowering vine, the 26-room mansion features parquet floors, vaulted ceilings, elaborate woodwork, and two marble lions that have guarded the entrance since the late 19th century. The estate was kept in the Skinner family until 1959, when it was gifted to the city of Holyoke for cultural and educational purposes.