Tour of Audubon Miles Wildlife Sanctuary

On Saturday, October 14^th the Sharon Historical Society is sponsoring a bus tour to the Audubon Emily Winthrop Miles Wildlife Sanctuary. The tour will be conducted by Ed Kirby who will talk about his experiences growing up on the estate, the life and career of poet and artist Emily Winthrop Miles, and the sanctuary’s unique geology and ecosystem.

The bus will leave the historical society (18 Main St.) at 10:00am, so please arrive by 9:45 a.m. A tour charge of $20 will defray the cost of the bus. Those wishing to participate can purchase tickets at www.sharonhist.org or by mailing a check to the Sharon Historical Society, P.O. Box 511, Sharon. Tickets can be purchased the day of the event, but please reserve a spot by emailing director@sharonhist.org or calling 860-364-5688. 

The tour will consist of about one mile of walking, a historical review by Ed Kirby and a review of the current Audubon use of the property by Mike Dudek, the sanctuary manager. We anticipate returning to the historical society by 1 pm.

About the Estate

Emily Winthrop Miles (1893-1962) was born in New York City to Grenville Lindall Winthrop and Mary Talmadge Trevor Winthrop. She was a direct descendant of Governor John Winthrop, one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Emily Winthrop was privately educated in the arts and became a superb artist as a sculptor, painter, and portraitist. She studied sculpting under famous sculptors Daniel Chester French and Harriet W. Frishmuth. Her several large-scale sculptures received wide acclaim including the 7.5-foot aluminum casting of a dancer (Diana) which was exhibited in the American Pavilion at the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair. In 1924 Emily Winthrop married Corey Lucien Miles who in 1930 purchased and operated the former North Canaan Airport.

A discriminating collector of Wedgwood, 19^th century glass, Audubon’s and various English and American artworks, Mrs. Miles was also a designer of furniture and jewelry, a published poet and photographer. Today her collections are housed in numerous locations including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Southern Vermont Art Center and several university collections.