Tag: History

Discover Rochambeau’s Revolutionary Route in Middlebury – January 15

The Middlebury Historical Society invites you to a fascinating evening of history, community, and discovery. On Monday, January 15, at 6 p.m., the Society will host a free public lecture at the Shepardson Community Center Auditorium, located at 1172 Whittemore Road, Middlebury. This is your chance to delve into the historical significance of General Rochambeau’s march through the region during the American Revolutionary War.

General Rochambeau

A Closer Look at Rochambeau’s Role in American Independence
Renowned local historian John Dwyer, the Municipal Historian for the town of Southbury, will lead the discussion. His expertise will illuminate the pivotal role that Middlebury and Newtown played in supporting General Rochambeau’s march with the French Army. This march was a critical chapter in securing American independence.

Participants will discover answers to intriguing questions such as which roads the French soldiers took on their journey and how Connecticut served as a vital supply base for Rochambeau’s forces. This lecture connects history to modern life by revealing how local roads we travel today trace the footsteps of Revolutionary War soldiers.

This event is part of the Middlebury Historical Society’s ongoing efforts to foster community engagement with history. As part of the Rochambeau Project, the Society is working to commemorate the General’s army’s encampment in Middlebury through the construction of a memorial at Meadowview Park.

Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a curious learner, or simply looking for a meaningful way to connect with your community, this lecture promises to educate and inspire.

John Dwyer, Historian


Event Details at a Glance:

What: Free Lecture on General Rochambeau’s March

When: Monday, January 15, 2024, at 6 p.m.

Where: Shepardson Community Center Auditorium, 1172 Whittemore Road, Middlebury

Mark your calendar, bring a friend, and join the Middlebury Historical Society in preserving and celebrating our shared heritage. Admission is free, and all are welcome!

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Lacrosse – More Than Just A Game New Exhibition @ Institute for American Indian Studies

Lacrosse was originally played by eastern Native Americans and Canada’s First People. The Institute for American Indian Studies located at 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut has just opened a fascinating special exhibition, “More Than a Game: The Story of Lacrosse,” that will be on view at the Institute through August 2022.

This well-researched exhibition touches on a variety of subjects, many of which are unexpected in light of the game many of us know today. Some of the most interesting aspects of the exhibition relate to the spiritual importance of lacrosse and how it connects to creation stories, the way they settle differences, and its continued social and communal significance.

This exhibition also explores the appropriation of lacrosse by Euro-Americans and Canadians. In the 1860’s Dr. George Beers of Canada wrote the first standardized rulebook for lacrosse in an attempt to “civilize” the game. By the 1890s, Native American communities were banned from participating in national competitions. This part of the exhibition includes documentation in the form of newspaper clippings and images that depict the history of lacrosse in popular culture and how it was interpreted.

More Than a Game also highlights how traditional lacrosse sticks evolved in North America. Several lacrosse sticks on display showcase the three major styles of Native American lacrosse and demonstrate the different regional interpretations of the game.

This exhibit touches on the relationship between lacrosse and Native communities today. It delves into the saga of the Iroquois Nationals, the only Native American athletic team
permitted to compete in international competitions. Don’t miss the exhibition’s video that shows Native Americans making wooden sticks in the traditional way and relating why it is important to the future of their culture. This exhibit can be summed up by a quote by Rex Lyons, Onondaga, “Lacrosse is part of the story of our creation, of our identity, of who we are. So when we play the game, we always say that there’s a simultaneous game going on in the Sky World and our ancestors are playing with us.”

The Institute for American Indian Studies is open Wednesday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and admission is $12 for adults, $8 for children 3-12, $10 for seniors, and members are free.

About Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

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Litchfield: The Making of a New England Town

On Saturday November 3, Historic New England and the Litchfield Historical Society host an event with local author Rachel Carley to award Litchfield: The Making of a New England Town Historic New England’s eighteenth Book Prize.

The afternoon starts at 1:00 p.m. with a reception and remarks by the prize winner Rachel Carley, followed by a book signing. The award-winning book, published by the Litchfield Historical Society is available for purchase at the event.

To attend, please call 617-994-5934 or e-mail Events@HistoricNewEngland.org. The event is free, but space is limited. The Litchfield Historical Society is at 7 South Street, Litchfield, Connecticut.

Litchfield: The Making of a New England Town is a lively exploration of the town’s history and architecture, not only during the colonial period but also during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The book is generously illustrated with maps, photographs, and paintings of this quintessential New England town, including many that are published for the first time. Carley is a preservation consultant and architectural historian. Her previous books include Building Greenwich, Architecture and Design, 1640 to the Present; The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture; Cuba: Four Hundred Years of Architectural Heritage; Cabin Fever; A Guide to Biltmore Estate; and Wilderness A to Z. She is a resident of Litchfield.

About Historic New England’s Book Prize

The Historic New England Book Prize recognizes works that advance the understanding of the architecture, landscape, and material culture of New England and the United States from the seventeenth century to the present. This includes works in the decorative arts, archaeology, historic preservation, and the history of photography. To qualify, works need not deal exclusively with New England but must make a significant contribution to our understanding of New England and its relation to the wider world.

About Historic New England

Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the nation. We bring history to life while preserving the past for everyone interested in exploring the authentic New England experience from the seventeenth century to today. Historic New England owns and operates thirty-six historic homes and landscapes spanning five states. The organization shares the region’s history through vast collections, publications, public programs, museum properties, archives, and family stories that document more than 400 years of life in New England. For more information visit HistoricNewEngland.org.

For area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com

JanetLeave a comment

A Duo of Two Revolutionary Events July 7

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The Burning of Fairfield 223 Year Commemoration & Walking Tour

On Saturday, July 7th the Fairfield Museum and History Center has planned an evening walking tour from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm to commemorate the 1779 Burning of Fairfield.

On July 7, 1779, the people of Fairfield awoke to a warning shot from the fort at Black Rock, signaling that a British fleet was spotted off the coast.    For two days, Fairfield was under British attack with troops burning virtually all its buildings.  This attack was actually one of three attacks, including New Haven and Norwalk, along the Connecticut coastline.

Following the Burning of Fairfield in 1779, there was ongoing worry among citizens about a repeat attack and this concern eventually led to the construction of the Powderhouse in Fairfield, which is located behind the site of Tomlinson Middle School.

This year marks the 223 rd. anniversary date of the destruction of Fairfield by British troops. This year, the animated walking tour brings to life an exciting piece of Fairfield’s history and will include stops at various homes on or adjacent to the town green with actors portraying prominent citizens. The event is so authentic that actual letters and depositions from 1779 are used. This is living history in action because you can hear the actual dramatic words of Fairfield citizens who were witnesses to the burning of Fairfield.

The rain or shine walking tour will begin at the Fairfield Museum and History Center, located at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield.  Each tour is $5 for museum members and $8 for non-members.

The Fairfield Museum is located at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield, CT. Hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free for members, $5 for adults, $3 for students and free for children age 5 and under.  For more information on exhibits and upcoming programs, visit www.fairfieldhs.org or call the Fairfield Museum at 203-259-1598.  The Museum annually hosts more than 18,000 visitors. For area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

 

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Hopkins Vineyard Celebrates 225 Years

On July 7 from noon to 5pm (rain date July 8th) Hopkins Vineyard, a National Bi-Centennial Farm (25 Hopkins Rd.) located in New Preston Connecticut will be celebrating 225 years of ownership by the same family.

The Hopkins Family has organized the Heritage Festival and is inviting the general public to come and experience this colonial themed event for free! The Heritage Festival, will be replete with music and costumes representing the year 1787.

In 1787, Elijah Hopkins, returning from the Revolutionary War, chose this rich and fertile site on Lake Waramaug to settle his family and start the Hopkins Farm. The farm, has witnessed many diversified forms of agriculture over the years including the raising of sheep, racehorses, grain crops, tobacco, and in the more recent past dairy farming.

In 1979, Bill Hopkins planted the first vines and converted his 19th century barn into a state-of-the-art winery that overlooks the serene waters of beautiful Lake Waramaug. The rest is award winning winemaking history.

Now in business for over 30 years this premier Connecticut Vineyard is celebrating its’ heritage in style. The events from noon to 5 pm at the Heritage Festival will include: Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard Parade at Noon followed by a Proclamation of the Anniversary, honoring American Patriot, Elijah Hopkins.

Adding ambience to the festival, there will be 18th Century Music by Hanford & Finlay, who will play Tavern Songs in addition to performing a family program called “In the Good Old Colony Days”.

There will be quilting, spinning and weaving, candle making, rope making, black smithing, kettle corn and open fire cooking displays. The festival will have plenty of fun children’s activities and games that will be provided by the Charles Merriman Society. The DAR will be on hand to help with genealogy research and an interesting selection of Colonial Era Arts and Crafts will be for sale.  Refreshments, baked goods and food catered by the Hopkins Inn will also be available.

For more information visit http://www.hopkinsvineyard.com. For area information and places to shop, stay and dine visit www.litchfieldhills.com.

 

 

 

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Fairfield CT – Fairfield Museum and History Center Plans Interactive Graveyard Tour

Fairfield Museum and History Center will hold an interactive graveyard tour at Fairfield’s East Cemetery, located at the end of the Old Post Road in Fairfield, Conn. from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 14th. According to Museum genealogist Roderick MacKenzie, this tour is particularly important, because 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War and there are 14 Fairfield Civil War veterans buried in the East Cemetery.

“We have been particularly careful to create detailed histories of our various subjects and are involving volunteer actors who really will bring their spirits to life,” MacKenzie said.

The tour will include authentic portrayals of Fairfield individuals like Major John Morehouse, lst Cavalry in the Civil War, Christopher Wells, Sr., lst rural mail carrier and Civil War veteran, Charles W. Thorpe, in John Morehouse’s regiment in Civil War, Captain Hanford Nichols – Civil War veteran, Amelia Sturges, who married J. Pierpont Morgan; John Bunker who lived in the Sun Tavern during the middle 1800s and a War of 1812 veteran; and Revolutionary War veterans, Abel and Aron Turney, whose family lived in the area of the East cemetery. One served on The Fence, a Revolutionary War ship; And the other on the Alliance, another war ship.

The cemetery is also the resting place for Edwin Randolph, a slave who lived to be about 100 and worked for the Jennings family in Fairfield and enjoyed going to Long Island Sound for clamming.

Tour participants will also learn about the history of the cemetery and about the symbols on the gravestones.

The Rain Date for the Cemetery Tour is Saturday, May 21 at 2 p.m. The cost of the tour is $7, non-members, $5 members and registration is preferred. For more information, please contact the Museum visitors center at 203-259-1598 or visit the website at http://www.fairfieldhs.org.

ABOUT THE FAIRFIELD MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER

The Fairfield Museum is located at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield, CT. Hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from Noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free for members, $5 for adults, $3 for students and free for children age 5 and under. For more information on exhibits and upcoming programs, visit http://www.fairfieldhs.org or call the Fairfield Museum at 203-259-1598. The Museum annually hosts more than 18,000 visitors.

JanetLeave a comment