The Madison Historical Society (MHS) announces its annual Frederick Lee Lectures, a series of lectures exploring historical themes. This year's theme is "A Great House, A Great Story," an exploration of three historic Madison homes and how their stories exemplify the periods in which they were built and lived in.

The opening lecture is on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m. at Memorial Town Hall, 8 Meetinghouse Lane, Madison. The snow date is Sunday, Jan. 18. The speaker will be Chad Floyd, partner at Centerbrook Architects in Essex. Floyd is a graduate of Yale College and the Yale School of Architecture. He received an individual grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. His work on the Connecticut shoreline includes the Florence Griswold Museum's Krieble Gallery, the Connecticut River Museum campus in Essex, and the Garde Arts Center in New London.

Floyd will give a presentation on "The General's Residence," a circa-1759 Madison home located at 908 Boston Post Road. Also known as the Nathaniel Dudley House, the General's Residence is typical of homes built during the transition between the Colonial and Federal eras.

Built by Ensign Nathaniel Dudley, the house was sold to Captain Edward Griffin, a schooner master sailing between Madison and the West Indies. Captain Griffin was a slave owner who actually entombed two of his slaves within the walls of the house of the house, which is why the house is said to be haunted. The lecture will explore many of the fascinating stories associated with this Madison landmark.

The next lecture is on Sunday, Feb. 8 (snow date Wednesday,

Feb. 11) and will feature Madison architect Peter Clement discussing a circa-1880 house on Middle Beach Road in Madison known as "The Mikado." The final lecture in the series, on Sunday, March 8 (snow date Sunday, March 15) will feature designer Rosalyn Cama, speaking about the 1897 house on Island Avenue in Madison, known as The Pignatelli House or "Oakledge."

The Frederick Lee Lectures are supported by a grant from CT Humanities. All lectures take place at Memorial Town Hall, 8 Meetinghouse Lane, Madison. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $4 for MHS members. Children older than 10 are admitted free. For more information, call 203-245-4567 or visit www.madisoncthistorical.org.