Connecticut Museum of Culture and History facts for kids
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| Established | 1825 |
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| Location | 1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, Connecticut, United States |
| Type | History museum, library, archive, education center |
| Public transit access | Connecticut Transit Hartford
11 Simsbury-Granby Express 72 Asylum Ave |
The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, once known as the Connecticut Historical Society, is a special place in Connecticut. It's a private, non-profit group that acts as the official state historical society for Connecticut. This means it helps collect and share the history of Connecticut. It was started in Hartford in 1825, making it one of the oldest historical societies in the United States!
This museum is open to everyone. It's not just a museum; it's also a library, an archive, and a learning center. It holds an amazing collection of 270,000 historical items and pictures. Plus, it has over 100,000 books and pamphlets! It even has one of the biggest collections of old clothes and fabrics in all of New England. Until 2023, it was called the Connecticut Historical Society.
Contents
The Museum's Story
How It All Began
In 1825, some people in Connecticut, like Thomas Robbins and John Trumbull, asked the state government to create a group that would save important historical items. The government agreed, and the Connecticut Historical Society was formed. Its goal was to collect things important to the history of Connecticut and the United States. The first leaders included John Trumbull and Thomas Robbins.
The society decided to hold its first meetings in Hartford. However, after a busy start, the group became quiet for a while. It wasn't until 1839 that new interest brought it back to life. The first official home for the Connecticut Historical Society was above a store at 124 Main Street in Hartford.
Growing and Moving
A leader in education, Henry Barnard, helped the society find new goals. He suggested that people from all over the state should join. He also encouraged a history and genealogy (family history) magazine. He found speakers to give talks across Connecticut.
As the collections grew, the historical society needed more space. In 1843, it moved into a room in the new Wadsworth Athenaeum building. By 1844, the collections had grown a lot. They included 250 bound newspaper books, 6,000 small books, and many old letters, coins, portraits, and furniture pieces. New leaders were chosen, including David D. Field. The Historical Society hired Thomas Robbins as its first librarian. He was chosen because he had a huge book collection and was an expert in old things.
Under Robbins, the new rooms were open six days a week. People could take tours to learn about the items. Some early items in the collection included a chest that belonged to William Brewster. There was also a sign from General Israel Putnam's tavern. Another item was a bloodstained vest worn by Colonel William Ledyard at the Battle of Groton Heights. After Robbins passed away in 1856, Connecticut historians James Hammond Trumbull and Charles J. Hoadly continued the society's work. They published research and gave lectures. In 1870, Ellen D. Larned became the first woman elected to the organization.
A New Home and Name
In 1893, the society hired Albert Carlos Bates as a full-time librarian. During his time, the number of members doubled. The money the society earned each year grew five times bigger. The collection also grew a lot. To hold all the new items, the Historical Society bought a house on Elizabeth Street. This house, in the West End of Hartford, used to belong to the inventor Curtis Veeder. The building was changed between the 1950s and 1970s. It was updated to have places for book stacks, exhibit rooms, an auditorium, and a reading room.
In the early 2000s, the organization planned to build a new museum near Trinity College. Famous designers like Bruce Mau and Frank Gehry were going to help. However, there wasn't enough money, so the project didn't happen. From 2003 to 2007, the Connecticut Historical Society also managed the Old State House. They created a special exhibit there called "History Is All Around Us." In 2023, the organization changed its name from Connecticut Historical Society to the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.
What You Can See
The museum has many interesting exhibits. One permanent exhibit is "Making Connecticut." It teaches visitors all about the history of Connecticut. Another permanent exhibit shows "Inn & Tavern Signs." These are old signs that used to hang outside inns and taverns.
There are also special galleries for temporary exhibits. These exhibits change over time. Some recent topics have included the American School for the Deaf. Other exhibits have shown women and needlework, and the Kellogg brothers' lithography (a type of printing) company. You could also learn about women's basketball, the ship Amistad, and the history of cleanliness. There have been exhibits about the Civil War and Eliphalet Chapin, who was an 18th-century furniture maker.
See also
- Albert Carlos Bates, librarian 1893–1940
- George C. F. Williams, president 1919–1922,1926–1934
- Newton C. Brainard, president 1953–1963
- List of historical societies in Connecticut
