Republican Motherhood and Sarah Pierce’s Litchfield Female Academy

Republican Motherhood and Sarah Pierce’s Litchfield Female Academy

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Author: Emily McAdam Before the American Revolution, New Englanders considered learning to be masculine and education for girls unnecessary. However, women’s contributions to the political revolution as protesters, spies, nurses, camp followers, and household and business managers led to a social revolution that not many anticipated. Americans believed that a republic depended on a virtuous and informed citizenry, which gave mothers new importance in the home and justified the existence of educational institutions for girls. Litchfield, Connecticut embodied this revolution…

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The Service of Africans from Connecticut in the American Revolution

The Service of Africans from Connecticut in the American Revolution

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Author: Kenneth Neal The American Revolutionary War era is consistently at the forefront of the consciousness of Americans, whether in touting the contributions of the founding fathers, or boldly asserting rights promised by the Constitution. The present day development of American Revolutionary War consciousness has been shaped by a selective use of the historical written record from the American Revolution that has devoted considerable attention to the subjects of the ‘Founding Fathers’ and ‘Rights’.  A recent collaboration of a number…

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Building Peace after the Revolution: William Spratts and Old Gate Mansion

Building Peace after the Revolution: William Spratts and Old Gate Mansion

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Author: Teresa Lewis   Today, many historians are attempting to revise Connecticut’s revolutionary history by presenting a more complete historical picture, including the plight of loyalists and prisoners of war in New England both during and after the conflict. During the war, many loyal Tories were imprisoned in jails located in central Connecticut, including one at Farmington (Gilbert, 287). One such prisoner was William Spratts. Unlike many other loyalists and British soldiers, however, Spratts stayed in the United States following…

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Tale of Two Trumbulls: The Arts in Connecticut During and After the American Revolution

Tale of Two Trumbulls: The Arts in Connecticut During and After the American Revolution

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Author: Chelsea Marti Connecticut became known as the “Provision State” during the American Revolution because the colony was one of the main providers of supplies, such as guns and food, to the Continental Army. However, other than a surplus of guns and food, there was also a surplus of art coming out of this colony during this time, specifically in the form of paintings and poetry. Coincidentally, the two Connecticut men most commonly associated with the arts during this time…

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The Farmington Table: A Moveable Feast (October 14, 2017 Set for Popular Fall Fundraising Event)

The Farmington Table: A Moveable Feast (October 14, 2017 Set for Popular Fall Fundraising Event)

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A lovely autumn evening in a charming village…dinner in a beautiful private home…hors d’oeuvres and desserts in stunning village houses….This year’s elegant progressive dinner fundraising event promises an experience to remember.  Reservation only. Reserve your tickets now, as seats are limited.   $150  person. Tickets available until sold out. Register until October 7 here or call the museum for an invitation and registration reply card (860-677-9222 x 305).              Stanley-Whitman House is a museum of Early American…

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Avon Historical Society asks for help after a fire at the Derrin Farmhouse

Avon Historical Society asks for help after a fire at the Derrin Farmhouse

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Hello everyone, As many of you know the c.1810 Derrin Farmhouse at 249 West Avon Road, part of the Avon Historical Society, suffered severe fire damage this past Wednesday, May 11th.  Thanks to the very quick and precise response by the Avon Volunteer Fire Department, with mutual aid from Simsbury, Canton and Farmington, the structure was saved and it is structurally sound.  The cause was deemed to be an accident – spontaneous combustion of oily stain soaked rags left in…

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A Glimpse into Farmington’s Past: The Charlotte Cowles Letters

A Glimpse into Farmington’s Past: The Charlotte Cowles Letters

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Author: Garrett Coady Farmington, Connecticut had been a New England hub for evangelical abolition during the decade of 1835 and 1845. Farmington had established an anti-slavery society in 1836 that was initiated around abolitionist reform and evangelical revival. One of the Farmington Anti-Slavery Society’s founding members had been Horace Cowles. Horace and his wife, Mary Anne Steele Smith Cowles had a large family. Among their ten children was their daughter Charlotte Cowles. During the heart of the Farmington abolitionist movement,…

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Opium Dependency in Early 19th-Century Simsbury

Opium Dependency in Early 19th-Century Simsbury

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Author: Chelsea Farrell The history of opium evokes images of wars and imperialism across the globe. This large history often overshadows the prevalence of opium in America. Even before medical morphine was first extracted, opium and its derivatives were used medically and mixed in tonics. Opium, though, causes severe withdrawal, which makes it a highly addictive substance. Early nineteenth-century Simsbury, Connecticut, residents were fully aware of the dangers of opium, especially when the Congregational Church buried Mary Woodbridge, an unmarried woman who…

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Keeping It In the Family: Land Control in the Case Family of Simsbury

Keeping It In the Family: Land Control in the Case Family of Simsbury

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Author: Brianna Dunlap When conjuring the image of a quintessential New England town, the mind’s eye visualizes an ancient town center with colonial homes surrounded by rolling hills and fields peppered with herds of cattle. The town Simsbury, which was developed during the first two hundred years of its existence by the simple necessities of colonial settlers, is the quintessential New England town. The town selectmen required regions for homes to be built, a common center district for shared use,…

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Charlotte Cowles: Writing Herself into History

Charlotte Cowles: Writing Herself into History

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Author: Regan Miner Charlotte Cowles (1821-1866) lived in Farmington, Connecticut during an extremely polarizing time. During the 1830s, Farmington was grappling with the divisive issue of abolitionism; many people in town were either indifferent to or opposed to changes to the current gradual emancipation legislation. There was a significant minority of influential and wealthy citizens who favored abolitionism. Many abolitionists in Farmington were members of the same social and familial networks. Numerous members of Charlotte’s extended family were abolitionists, such…

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