Sunday, August 1, 2010	2 pm	Special Camp Bethel Tour Join us for a special tour and history of Camp Bethel, a charming historic summer interdenominational Christian "campground" located along the banks of the Connecticut River in Tylerville. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Camp Bethel features a splendid assortment of late 19 th century seasonal cottages associated with the camp meeting tradition. Founded in 1877, Camp Bethel is a significant example of the religious camp meeting similar to those found on Martha's Vineyard. A presentation by Stephen Gephard will highlight the visit. Please r.s.v.p. to Lisa Malloy at 860-345-2400 or director@haddamhistory.org for this "not to be missed" event.
September 3 to 6, 2010	All Day	Haddam Neck Fair Visit us at the Haddam Neck Fair over Labor Day Weekend. Third grade scavenger hunt projects on display as well as an exhibit on the Haddam Neck Fair.
September 11, 2010	Noon to 6 pm	Haddam River Days Haddam Meadows State Park, Haddam. CT Visit our booth and try your hand at "Catch the Bilbo"
September 11, 2010	1 to 4 pm	Venture Smith Day First Church in East Haddam Speakers: Marta Daniels and Nancy Byrne Power Point presentation on Venture's house site at Barn Island in Stonington

A Week in the Life of an Early American Child
June 28 to July 1, 2010
The Haddam Historical Society announces its fifth annual “ A Week in the Life of an Early American Child,” a program for girls and boys ages 8-12 that will take place Monday, June 28 th to Thursday, July 1 st 2010. Students will travel back in time to the year 1830 and spend the week with Mrs. Thankful Arnold. All activities take place at the Thankful Arnold House Museum in Haddam and include caring for farm animals; carding, spinning and felting wool; writing with a quill pen; making butter; baking; making a mini floor cloth; playing games, and even dancing! The fee is $130 for the four days which include three half-day sessions (9 am to noon) June 28-30, and one full day session (9 am to 3 pm) on July 1 st. For more information and an application, go to www.haddamhistory.org. For questions, contact Sarah Neal, Education Coordinator, The Haddam Historical Society, at education@haddamhistory.org or 860 345-2400.

Volunteer Thank You Party, May 16, 2010

 

Quilt Exhibit at Antiques Show

The Haddam Historical Society will host the 37 th Connecticut Spring Antiques Show on March 13 and 14, 2010 at the Connecticut Expo Center in Hartford.

The show entry will feature an exhibit titled “Haddam Collects-Quilts” a display of antique quilts loaned by friends and members. Two of the quilts on display are friendship quilts made in Haddam in the mid-19 th century. Friendship quilts were made to celebrate a special event like a birth or marriage. Others were made to commemorate a major milestone or community event and many were made as going away gifts to dear friends, neighbors or clergy. The friendship quilt became popular in the 1840s when the country was experiencing a great migration and many families were leaving their New England roots for lands to the west. The quilts would feature blocks with the signatures of family and neighbors or precious messages from friends left behind.

Frances Dallas (shown in photo) will display a friendship quilt made by members of the Haddam Neck Congregational Church in 1847. One of the squares is signed by her great-great grandmother “Elizabeth M. Gillette” as well as other members of the church including men. The quilt has been passed down through the generations and is a prized family piece. The antique quilt features the chimney sweep pattern (also called the pioneer friendship album) using mid-19 th century fabric of blues and browns.

Another quilt on display will be an interesting T-shaped quilt made for a four poster bed featuring a simple pieced motif and dating between 1780 and 1830. A recent acquisition to the Thankful Arnold House Museum the quilt was found in an auto repair shop about to be used as a drop cloth for oil changes. Fortunately the customer had a deep respect for quilts and rescued the piece. Other antique quilts on display come from the mid-west, upstate New York and Vermont.

The Connecticut Spring Antiques Show will also feature educational booth chats on Sunday which are free with admission. Saturday hours are 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday hours are 11 am to 4 pm. Admission is $10 and parking is free. The Connecticut Expo Center is located at 265 Rev. A. Moody Overpass, (I-91, Exit 33) in Hartford, CT. Visit the www.ctspringantiquesshow.com for additional information.

Sweaters Galore at our annual Janteenth Night Party.

 

Home for the Holidays in Haddam
To celebrate the holiday season the Haddam Historical Society and neighbors will host several special events showcasing local historic homes festively adorned and trimmed with period and traditional decorations. This is an opportunity to step back, slow down and savor the sights, sounds and smells of times past.

A Charming Christmas Cape will feature the beautifully restored 18 th Century Cape known as the “Flatiron House” on Park Road across from the UConn Extension Center. Working with Town and Country Nurseries, owner Cheryl Czuba will festively decorate her charming and intimate home to celebrate the holiday. The house will be open between 3 pm and 5pm with a suggested donation of $10. Parking available along Park Road.

Walkley Winter Windows will highlight historic homes neighboring the Thankful Arnold House Museum. These homes will feature one or two interior rooms decorated for the season and tour participants will have the opportunity to “peek” through an exterior window to experience and enjoy the holiday merriment. The walking tour will run between 5 pm and 7 pm. Between 5 pm and 8 pm, the Town Hall/Brainerd Academy will feature refreshments, including a decadent dessert bar, beverages, carol singing and children’s activities, as well as the opportunity to shop for special local gifts. We will also offer plain and decorated evergreen wreaths with handmade bows.

An Arnold Family Holiday will also open on December 5 . The Thankful Arnold House will be decorated for the season with four rooms interpreted to reflect the way four different generations of the Arnold Family celebrated the holidays. The kitchen will illustrate how Thankful observed the holiday in 1830 and the front parlor will show how her daughter, Nancy, marked the season around the time of the Civil War. The back parlor will be decorated in the late Victorian period when Sabra Arnold Ingersoll resided in the house, and the ell will feature a 1950s Christmas, complete with Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas.” Visitors can walk through each room and experience how the holidays evolved over 150 years. The museum will also be open for special tours on December 13, and December 27, 2009.

Admission for Winter Windows and Arnold House, including dessert bar and activities is $15 per person. Children under 12 are free. Tour 5 pm to 7 pm. Town Hall activities, 5 pm to 8 pm. Parking at the Town Hall and Town Office Building.

December 13 and December 27 admission for an Arnold Family Holiday is $10 per person. Children under 12 are free. (HHS supporters are free on these two days) 1 pm to 4 pm.

 

2010 Calendar Has Arrived!

The Haddam Historical Society’s “Vintage Haddam” calendars for 2010 are now available for purchase. They will be available at the Arnold House and Town Office Building for $10. You can also purchase on our web site with FREE shipping until the end October. We will also be selling them at the Higganum Farmers Market on October 16 and October 30. They will also be available at other select locations around town shortly and locations will be posted shortly. To Purchase-Click Here!

RON CHAMBERS RECEIVES 2009 FOUNDERS' DAY AWARD

Ron Chambers is the 2009 recipient of the Haddam Historical Society’s Founders’ Day Award. Ron has been a member of the society for many years and has volunteered in a multitude of ways including serving on the Board of Directors, Antiques Show Committee and Collections Committee. He has volunteered as a guide at our successful house and barn tours, contributed to our newsletter and serves as our resident “antiques” expert or go-to guy. Ron has been an ardent supporter of the Society since coming to town and is always available in a pinch to help out. He has shared his knowledge, talent and hospitality with us.

Ron and his lovely wife, Jan reside in the John Brainerd House in Higganum where they have recently restored a very early 18 th century barn and ornate outhouse. Ron who retired from Pratt and Whitney after 32 is currently a dealer specializing in pewter and early American antiques. This background in early Americana has helped the Society in numerous ways from cataloging and inventorying our collections to museum interpretation. He has assisted in storing items for us and helped identify objects. The Society is pleased and honored to acknowledge Ron for his dedication to the organization

 

FOUNDERS' DAY FEAST, NOVEMBER 6, 2009

 

Haddam Neck Fair, Labor Day Weekend, 2009

Old House Enthusiasts Group to Meet August 22
 
On Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 2 pm the HHS Old House Enthusiasts Group will tour the Nehemiah Brainerd House at 988 Saybrook Road.  Gracious hosts Jeffry and Maryan Muthersbaugh have just completed a substantial renovation of the guest cottage and main house.  Long associated with the Brainerd Family the house was owned in the early 20th century by Katherine Ingham Brush, "glamour-girl best selling novelist".  Several of her novels were made into Hollywood Movies including "Redheaded Woman" starring Jean Harlow.  The house was also featured on HGTV's "If Walls Could Talk".  Please call Jan Sweet at 345-4246-reservations.

 

 

Sampler Workshop
Join Executive Director, Elizabeth Malloy to make a simple reproduction of an early 19th century schoolgirl sampler using the traditional cross-stitch method. Appropriate for ages 10 and above. All materials will be supplied. Cost for members is $25 and non-members is $35. Space is limited so call for reservations at 345-2400.

 

Summer Program 2009

Between June 29 and July 3 the Haddam Historical Society and Thankful Arnold hosted 12 enthusiastic and eager young ladies who traveled back to 1830 to experience early American life. They did chores including wash clothes, dishes and emptying the chamber pot. The girls also learned about animal care and had the opportunity to experience goats and chickens on site. Participants made baskets, felted table mats, homemade gingerbread (baked over an open fire), carded and spun wool and visited local historic sites. Below are photos of the program. Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped out including Vivienne McGarry, Chris and Jessica Labbe, Amy Roper, Sean Reynolds, Hannah, Grace and Dave Malloy, and Abbi Straus. A special thank you to Jan Sweet and Rod Auclair for their support in memory of Tasha Sweet.

New Publications Available!

The Haddam Historical Society is thrilled to offer two new publications, Making Freedom, The Extrodinary Life of Venture Smith by Chandler B. Saint and George A. Krimsky and The Old Leather Man by Dan W. DeLuca. Both books are published by Wesleyan Press and are available at the Thankful Arnold House or our online store. Great gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day!

Museum Joins Connecticut’s Historic Gardens

The Haddam Historical Society has been invited to join Connecticut Historic Gardens, a consortium of distinctive historic sites and gardens throughout Connecticut. Membership is by invitation only and just three sites were asked to join in 2008 including the Wilhelmina Ann Arnold Barnhart Garden at the Thankful Arnold House. The site joins other distinguished and nationally known gardens including the Florence Griswold Museum, Harkness Memorial State Park and Hill-Stead Museum.

The garden at the Arnold House is overseen by a handful of dedicated volunteers, who maintain it from early spring to late fall. The garden crew has scheduled the spring clean up and will be joined this year by students of the Master Gardeners Program at the UCONN Extension Center in maintaining the herb garden and addressing the border beds. The garden is open daily during daylight hours. A guided tour of the garden is available during museum hours and by appointment. Sunday, June 21, 2009 is Connecticut Historic Garden Day and the Society will offer free tours, demonstrations and refreshments from 1 to 5 pm. The House and Garden will also be free to visitors on Connecticut Open House Day on Saturday, June 13, 2009 from 1 to 5 pm. If you are interested in volunteering for the garden please call Deb Rutter at 345-2813 or Lisa Malloy at the office 345-2400.

To learn more about the garden, click here.


The Society Goes to Florida and Alabama

In an effort to promote our mission world wide members and friends are bringing our name to places of interest and visiting sister heritage organizations and museums. Our banner is available to join you on your next trip to places afar, just make sure you snap a picture to include in our scapbook.


Malloy Family visits Spear Hunting Museum on the Gulf Shore of Alabama in April, 2009. Sue and David Costa visit the Dunedin Historical Society in Florida, February 2009


Photos from Winter Woolies with Beth Hartke and Quilling Valentine Craft

 

2008 Founders' Day Award goes to Deb Rutter

On Friday, November 7, 2008 the Haddam Historical Society honored long time volunteer Deborah Rutter at the annual Founders' Day Dinner held at the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station in Haddam. Deb is a volunteer who has done almost everything for the organization from digging in the dirt to running a board meeting. She is a hands-on member, volunteer and board member who has spearheaded a number of successful committees, events and projects that have raised our profile in the community. She held many positions over the past years including President of the Board from 2003-2006, Vice-President, House Maintenance Committee Chair, Chair of Development and Membership and now chair of Events and co-chair of the Garden and Grounds Committee.

Deb is the epitome of a person who can juggle it all: family, job and community. She currently serves as Deputy Library Director at the Cheshire Public Library and formerly worked at Russell Library in Middletown. When not out jogging on Walkley Hill or working in her garden, she can be found driving her children to soccer games, swimming events, sleepovers and many other family activities. Deb values her relationships with family and friends and makes a special point to visit with them whether they are here in Connecticut or in another state. She is also known for her fabulous baking and healthy dishes and our spirits improve immediately when she arrives with a plate of delectable cookies.

Recently she spent hours pouring over our archives and writing the text for our wonderful 2009 calendar and is already gearing up for next years project's. We are a better Haddam Historical Society not just because of Deb's many accomplishments and contributions to the organization but because of the encouragement she offers to all with whom she works. Thank you Deb!

Scenes from Founders' Day Dinner
The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station, November 7, 2008

HADDAM NECK BARNS AND FARM TOUR,
OCTOBER 4, 2008 10 AM TO 3 PM

On Saturday, October 4, 2008 the Haddam Historical Society will host a barns and farms tour of seven historic barns in the Haddam Neck section of town. The tour will run between 10 am and 3 pm and tickets and maps will be available at the Haddam Neck Fairgrounds Grange which will also feature a market and bake sale. Tickets are $15 per person ($20 with craft)and $30 for families (additional $5 per person for craft). The day will feature guided tours, farm animals, children’s activities and demonstrations. Haddam Neck resident Peter Smith will give a talk on the “Neck” at the scenic Brainerd overlook and the Ladies Aid Society of the Haddam Neck Congregational Church will serve lunch at the historic Haddam Neck School House from 12 pm to 2 pm.

Kruger Barn located on protected open space owned by Middlesex Land Trust                                    
Johnson Millworks Inc. make quality architectural woodwork for clients such Mark Twain House, Harkness Mansion and Wesleyan University
                                   
Brainerd/Foltz Family Barn.  Property has been in same family for close to 300 years                                  
Mark Aldieri Architect. Historic barn adaptively reused as a modern architectural office                                    
Barn at Morning Pond, picturesque English style barn on riverfront property                                    
Riverview Farm at Ansel & Josiah Brainerd House, stunning agricultural barn on Connecticut River

Cold Goats Farm, active farm with thriving cottage industry.

Tour Headquarters: Haddam Neck Fair Grounds, 26 Quarry Hill Road
11 am and 2 pm: Adult craft, felted pumpkin at Cold Goats Farm, $5
12 noon to 2 pm: Lunch offered by Church Ladies Aid at Historic Schoolhouse, $10
1 pm: History hike with Peter Smith, Brainerd's Point
All day: Children's Activities, Cold Goats Farm and other tour locations
All day: Spinning demonstrations

 

What's wrong with this picture?
Taken along Quarry Hill Road


A Week in the Life of an Early American Child, June 23-27, 2008

Read more on the camp in the Hartford Courant: Click below http://blogs.courant.com/itowns_mr/2008/06/haddams-thankful-arnold-house.html

Crossword Puzzle Answers

Across 1. Merchant 4. Olmstead 6. Scovil 9. Hannah 10. pneumonia 11. Thirty 12. Islamic 13. Brainerd 16. Middletown 19. Shopboard 20. Maynard 21. Tavern 22. Filley 23. Wright 24. Deacon	Down 1. Middlesex 2. Clark 3. Horses 5. Benham 7. Pataloons 8. Starvation 14. Knowles 15. airstrip 17. Dartmouth 18. fourteen

To access crossword puzzle from March 2008 Haddam Bulletin click here.

Thankful Arnold House Shards and Venture Smith featured in New England Antiques Journal

The February issue of New England Antiques Journal has a special section on the Connecticut Spring Antiques Show and features an article by noted local author Anne Farrow on Venture Smith and an interview with Executive Director, Elizabeth Malloy on the Arnold House shards. We will have copies available at the museum if you are interested in picking up a copy. You can also visit the magazine on line at www.antiquesjournal.com



2007 and 2008 Archived Events and News Click Here!

Barn Survey of Haddam

Barns have long been an integral part of the Connecticut landscape. These outbuildings are the story of our agrarian past and since Colonial times have played a vital role in our community. With the decline of farming in our state many barns have become obsolete and with the pace of rapid development are quickly disappearing.

In the summer of 2006 the Haddam Historical Society plans to conduct a town-wide survey of historic barns and outbuildings and is seeking volunteers to help. Surveyors will be trained and the data collected will be on file at the Society and submitted to the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation to be posted on the Connecticut Barns website. The Trust is currently conducting a comprehensive survey of historically significant barns throughout the state and is seeking help from communities in completing the survey.

Haddam has many fine examples of barns ranging from the early “English” style barn to the later “ New England” form. Most, if not all, early homes in town had barns to house animals and finished crops. Some barns were built for specific purposes such as tobacco, poultry, dairy and apples. Some of these buildings are simple in construction and design, others more ornate.

Haddam also has a number of accessory outbuildings and structures which are worthy of documentation including corn cribs, outhouses and root cellars. The Historic Jail property for example has a corn house/piggery and pump house on the property which are important reminders of the history of the site as a working agricultural facility.

If you are interested in helping out with the survey please call Lisa Malloy at the Historical Society for information 345-2400.

Images in America, Haddam 1870-1930
The Haddam Historical Society is please to present Haddam 1870-1930, a pictorial history of the community. Co-authored by Town Historian, Jan Sweet and Professor Charlotte Gradie, Haddam 1870-1930 recounts the story of a dynamic period in the history of our town. Following the Civil War, Haddam's population like many rural New England localities stabilized. Shipping declined and the town lost its courthouse. Rejecting stagnation, the people of Haddam capitalized on their Connecticut River location and fast-running streams to develop industries as complements to agriculture and quarrying. This period of industrial expansion is exemplified by the Cutaway Harrow and Scovil Hoe companies, among others. The population also changed, as immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Czechoslovakia and other countries moved to town to work along side the native Yankees in both agriculture and manufacturing.

The publication features 200 fascinating photographs, some rarely seen before, from private collections and the archives of the Society. The authors interviewed town residents and used historic records and documents in researching the book. Published by Arcadia Publishing, the book is available for $19.99 and may be purchased at the Thankful Arnold House, 14 Hayden Hill Road and other designated locations around town including the Town Office Building, Higganum Pharmacy, Hi-Way Package Store and the River Gallery. For further information please call 860-345-2400.

The Haddam Guides
The Haddam Historical Society has recently instituted a new program called the "Haddam Guides". The guides will offer a personal driving tour of Haddam to new residents, which will highlight historic and significant landmarks in town. The tours which will last about 1 ½ hours will tell how our community evolved from a shipbuilding river town in the 1700s to an industrial center in the 1800s. Highlights will include historic Haddam Village and Higganum Center. This is an opportunity for new residents to learn about our community's fascinating heritage and important historic sites.

Contact the Society to arrange a tour at your convenience. Weekend and summer evening tours readily available. Shorter, family friendly tours are also available. In addition, we have a Haddam Neck tour available for new residents on the "other side" or for other interested parties.

Call 860-345-2400 for your tour TODAY!