New Exhibit Opening!
Friday, April 13, 2012
6:30-8:30pm
Litchfield Historical Society
(Following Annual Meeting at 5:00pm)
Members Only
Please join us for the opening of our new exhibition about Litchfield's experience during the Civil War, The Hour of Conflict.
The Litchfield Historical Society invites visitors and families of all ages to examine the exhibit through letters, diaries, photographs, and artifacts from the Historical Society's collections. Articles carried by local soldiers, everyday objects used by Litchfield's children, and items related to Dr. Josiah Gale Beckwith and the Litchfield Peace Movement are just some of the collection pieces that will be highlighted. Visitors will also have the chance to view Civil War Uniforms thanks to the Museum of Connecticut History and the Cornwall Historical Society
The exhibit will also incorporate hands-on activities and the opportunity to experience camp life as Litchfield's men did more than a century and a half ago. Students of the Litchfield Montessori School have joined with the Litchfield Historical Society’s Junior Curator program to curate the death and dying component of the exhibit.
Please register for this event by calling (860) 567-4501 or by emailing eogrady@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.
Litchfield: The Making of a New England Town
by Rachel Carley
Now Available!
The first history of Litchfield to be published in nearly 100 years, this lively portrait of the town is sumptuously illustrated with rarely seen maps, photographs, and paintings.
Architectural historian, preservation consultant, and local resident Rachel Carley engages readers with an expansive view of the town's rich heritage through its buildings and landscapes in Litchfield Village, Bantam, Northfield, Milton, and South Farms.
For more information and to order the book, go to the Litchfield: The Making of a New England Town page.
The Ledger Is Now Live!
The Ledger is a comprehensive online searchable database that presents the stories of two nationally significant educational institutions, the Litchfield Law School and the Litchfield Female Academy. The Law School, founded by Tapping Reeve in 1784, was the first of its kind in the country and attracted over 1,200 students from 13 states and territories. Sarah Pierce founded the Female Academy in 1792 which drew an estimated 3,000 girls to Litchfield over the school’s 41 year history.
The words, artwork and personal belongings of the students together with biographical and genealogical information will now be available at a user’s fingertips. The Ledger links materials held in private collections and by various public institutions together providing users with as much information as possible on each individual student. If you have any additional information on an existing student or feel that you may know of a student who attended one of the schools and is not included in the database please contact the Curator of Collections at 860-567-4501 or curator@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.
