November 2010

Governor Jonathan Trumbull's house is unusual in having the only central chimney with a central hall in the state of Connecticut. It was extensively remodeled by the Governor when he inherited it from his father in 1755.

What had been a smaller house was considerably enlarged, and the molded pediment window cornices and the classical doorway, typical of this period, were also added.

Generals Washington, Lafayette and Rochambeau were among many distinguished visitors. The house was moved a short distance north of its original sige in 1824.

The Governor’s Office, Senate and High Court Chambers, and State Library will be restored to their nineteenth-century appearances. The renovated House of Representatives chamber will continue to be used for special programs and events. Other exhibits will tell the story of Jackson as the capital city, the Old Capitol’s use in the twentieth century, and the importance of historic preservation.

The 2006 Mississippi legislature provided $14.2 million to restore the Old Capitol after severe damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced the building to close. The Department of Archives and History, Bureau of Building, and preservation architect Robert Parker Adams are overseeing the restoration of this National Historic Landmark.

Other displays include the military cavalry sword of John Chisum, more than 150 firearms of varying ages, and antique automobiles ranging from 1914 fire trucks, Model Ts, and Model As to 1956 classic cars.

The Museum is America's resource for nuclear history and science. It presents exhibits and quality educational programs that convey the diversity of individuals and events that shape the historical and technical context of the nuclear age.

Visitors can explore how nuclear science continues to influence our world. The museum strives to present through permanent and changing exhibits and displays the diverse applications of nuclear energy and its pioneers.

Today, the Glebe House Museum and Jekyll Garden is a non-profit educational institution that seeks to make itself available to everyone as a unique historical, religious, and cultural landmark by preserving its heritage and providing programs and opportunities for education, research, and reflection.

The Fairfield Museum and History Center was established in 2007 by the 103-year-old Fairfield Historical Society. The 13,000 square-foot museum presents engaging exhibition galleries, a special collection library and reading room, a family education center, an 80 seat theater overlooking Fairfield’s Town Green and a delightful museum shop.

The museum’s inaugural main exhibition, Landscape of Change, celebrates southwestern Connecticut’s rich history through engaging stories and treasured artifacts that date back to the seventeenth century. The exhibition was made possible in part by a grant from the Connecticut Humanities Council.

Initially, Hill's Academy served as the main focus of the society for it was both a "home" and a museum" having been purchased from the Town of Essex in 1955. In The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) turned Pratt House on West Avenue in Essex over to the Essex Historical Society in 1985. This transaction included almost 2 acres of land as well as many artifacts. This was already an operating museum and has carried on as such since. The acquisition of this valuable property firmly established the reputation and significance of the society. An added advantage is its location, which is literally in the “back yard” of Hill’s Academy.

The Essex Historical Society has always concentrated on the presentation of a variety of public programs, usually in the Essex Town Hall. These cover a relatively broad range of subjects, but a focus on local history always draws the most interest.

The last family member, David Dudley, gave the farm to the North Guilford Volunteer Fire Company upon his death in 1991. Lamenting the disappearance of farm life in the face of the rapid development of the late 20th century, the Volunteer Fire Company decided to establish a farm museum to preserve the region's agricultural heritage. Thus was born the Dudley Foundation, a nonprofit, member supported organization that maintains, through the work of volunteers, the Dudley Farm as a late 19th century farm museum. The restored farm house, barns, and grounds allow visitors to experience life as it once was.

More than just a wonderful interactive tool for educating the region's children, the Humphreys House is also a museum dedicated to its famous resident and the community he called home.

This historic Denison house, Pequotsepos Manor, was the home for six generations of one American family before it became a museum in 1948. Ann Borodel Denison Gates (affectionately know as "Aunt Annie") established the Denison Society in 1930 for creating an historical museum which tells the story of the Denison family in Mystic, CT. She died in 1941, at which time the house became the property of the Denison Society. World War II was raging at that time so nothing was done until the war was over and the house remained idle.