The Blake Legacy "This is the most important thing that we have ever done. We wanted to preserve our property, our legacy, and our values. Because Hillsdale has remained faithful to its principles, does not take any money from the government, and has excellent leadership, we are entrusting it to the College." -Prestley and Helen Blake The Blake Center for Faith & Freedom's 100-acre campus is situated in the Connecticut River Valley on the boundary line of the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Seven of our 100 acres are in Massachusetts. The campus’s bucolic grounds include ponds, wooded walking trails, and many ornamental structures of architectural interest including Connecticut’s “Monticello” where the College hosts lectures, seminars, conferences, and retreats.The property was formerly the private estate and home of the late S. Prestley Blake and his wife, Helen Davis Blake. Mr. Blake and his brother Curtis were restauranteurs and the founders of Friendly’s, a popular restaurant chain and ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturer on the East Coast.In their long life together, Mr. and Mrs. Blake took their philanthropy seriously, with thoughtful, generous hearts. They compassionately focused their generous giving on education, healthcare, hospitals, libraries and museums. The culmination of their giving to higher education was when they left their entire Somers, Connecticut property to Hillsdale College in 2019. https://vimeo.com/1131341503?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci Event and Contact Information Contact information 1 (860) 222-0386blakecenter@hillsdale.edu Event information Events at the Blake Center for Faith & Freedom focus on considering the integral relationship of Christianity, Western Civilization, and American ideals and institutions.  If you would like to inquire about a particular event or request general information about the center, please feel free to contact the Center. Contact Upcoming EventsView All Events “John Locke: Philosophy and the Revolution” with Joseph Loconte May 1, 2026 17:00 Join us for an evening commemorating America at 250 with a lecture that explores the life, thought, and influence of the British philosopher John Locke on the American Revolution. More info “Making Education Classical Again” with Daniel B. Coupland May 22, 2026 17:00 Join us for an evening dedicated to understanding the nature and importance of classical education as well as the movement behind its revival in the United States. More info “Noah Webster: Education and the Revolution” with Jonathan Den Hartog June 5, 2026 17:00 Join us for an evening commemorating America at 250 with a lecture on the life and influence of Noah Webster – schoolmaster, scholar, statesman, lexicographer, and Bible translator. More info “Pagan America?” with John Daniel Davidson June 19, 2026 17:00 Join us for an evening dedicated to exploring the wanning of Christianity in America and what it might mean for the future. More info “The Second Amendment” with Jeremiah Regan July 10, 2026 17:00 Join us for an evening dedicated to learning about the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. More info “John Witherspoon: Teacher of Revolutionaries” with Jeffry Morrison July 24, 2026 17:00 Join us for an evening commemorating America at 250 with a lecture about John Witherspoon. More info “Joseph Addison: Playwright of Liberty” with David West August 7, 2026 17:00 Join us for an evening commemorating America at 250 with a lecture about Joseph Addison. More info “Baseball and Democracy” with Thomas David Bunting August 21, 2026 17:00 Join us for evening exploring the relationship of the “national pastime” to American democratic ideals, values, and institutions. More info “Saving Classical Liberalism” with Mark T. Mitchell September 11, 2026 17:00 Join us for an evening exploring the future of classical liberalism with consideration of whether or not philosophical ideals that made America and the modern world can survive contemporary currents. More info “William Billings and the Making of American Music” with Derek Stauff September 25, 2026 17:00 Join us for an evening commemorating America at 250 with a lecture about William Billings the foremost musician of the Revolution. More info