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In July 2010, the historical society presented an exhibit of the patriotic artwork of Gary Kollberg—collages featuring American icons such as eagles, Stars and Stripes, Uncle Sam, and the Statue of Liberty.

Patriotic collage by Gary Kollberg.

Kollberg, who has studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Parsons School of Design, has said that the events of 9/11 “crystallized people’s support for their country,” and led him to take his art in a new direction. He began creating works celebrating Americans' patriotism and showing his "appreciation for those individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Patriotic collage by Gary Kollberg.

The patriotic exhibit was organized by Marcie Shepard, the historical society's special events chairwoman.

A “Patriotic Sing-Along” for the community was held on July 4th at 138 Main Street.

Image courtesy of VintageHolidayCrafts.com.

The historical society held its annual meeting on June 13 at 5 Church Street in Farmington. Jean Pickens, president of the society, presented the slate of officers and board members for election.

5 Church Street, Farmington

The program also included a talk by Gay Ayers on the history of 5 Church Street, which was once part of the property at 87 Main Street and served as a barn and carriage house until the early 1900s. The house at 87 Main was built in 1815 for Major Timothy Cowles and is often referred to as TimCo.

Gay Ayers gives a talk at the annual meeting
of the historical society on June 13, 2010.

Ayers, whose grandmother Marguerite Chase Boas Holcombe lived in TimCo, shared stories gleaned from a collection of approximately 1,500 letters that Marguerite wrote between 1898 and 1954.

The program alsoThe historical society hosted a luncheon titled Farmington Women Honoring Farmington Women on May 21 at the Farmington Country Club. Thirty-three amazing women—including present-day Farmington residents and those from the town’s history—were honored for their contributions in the arts, health care, politics, education, business, civic organizations, athletics, and other fields. Those attending received a ribbon and a medallion saying “Honored Farmington Woman, 2010” with their name inscribed. They also received a photo frame with the same information and a booklet with each woman’s story as a keepsake of the day.

The thirty-three women included: Stacia Balazy, Mary Barnes, Julia Brandegee, Isabel Carrington, Martha Cheshire, Betty Coykendall, Barbara Donahue, Jane Driscoll, Hope Emery, Jean Filer, Helen Gray, Lydia Bulkeley Hewes, Ann Howard, Mabel Hurlburt, Jean Johnson, Barbara LaRochelle, Joanne Lawson, Patty LeBouthillier, Harriet Barney Lidgerwood, Isabel Lyon, May Nevius, Marilyn Ostreicher, Jan Owens, Erin Pac, Jean Pickens, Sarah Porter, Judy Reardon, Mary Grace Reed, Theodate Pope Riddle, Bea Stockwell, Arline Whitaker, Helen Cutler Winter, and Peg Yung.

The Farmington Historical Society, at 138 Main Street, was open in February for an exhibit showcasing a dollhouse replica of a nineteenth-century home on Route 6 in Farmington.

Steve King gave a talk on a dollhouse replica of an
of an eighteenth-century Farmington home at the
historical society's New Year's gala on January 10.
Photo by Brooke Martin.

The home, formerly known as the William Crampton House, is a good example of the Greek Revival style. The Crampton family owned the house until 1887, when it was sold to George A. Beckwith of Southington for $2,300. Beckwith sold the property in 1915 to Edward T. Smith. Since then, it has changed owners several times. In 1964, William E. and Edith T. King purchased the property. An addition housed William’s optical business and Edith’s antiques shop. At that time, the property was referred to as “King’s Little Acre.”

Family photo of the "William Crampton House."

In 1972, Edith commissioned Gary McLeod of Wethersfield to build the dollhouse replica. Edith then furnished it with homemade items. Gina King, Edith’s granddaughter, inherited the dollhouse in 1995. In 2009, Gina, who lives in Massachusetts, contacted the historical society and arranged to donate the dollhouse. At a recent New Year’s gala held for members of the society, Gina and her father, Steve King, gave a talk about the history of the dollhouse.

Interior of dollhouse. Photo by Brooke Martin.

The historical society hosted an exhibit for Black History Month in February at its headquarters at 138 Main Street. The exhibit included posters and information on the Amistad story. The freed Amistad captives lived in Farmington in 1841 before returning to their homeland in what is now Sierra Leone, Africa.

Freedom Trail marker and lantern, 2 Mill Lane.
Photo by Brooke Martin.

The exhibit also included information on the Underground Railroad in Farmington, where a number of prominent abolitionists lived. The book Speaking for Ourselves, about the history of African Americans in Farmington, is available for sale from the historical society. This book was written in 1998 as a project of the historical society under the direction of Barbara Donahue.

The historical society met for its annual New Year's gala on January 10, 2010, at the Gridley-Case cottage at 138 Main Street.

Jean Pickens, president of the historical society, addresses
members at the New Year's gala on January 10, 2010.

At the event, Gina King and her father, Steve King, gave a talk on a dollhouse that is a replica of their nineteenth-century family home on Route 6 in Farmington. The dollhouse, which the King family donated to the society, was on display during the gala.

Steve and Gina King, with the dollhouse they donated
to the historical Society. Photo by Brooke Martin.

Peg was a leader of many historical society projects, including the restoration of the Gridley-Case cottages and Old Stone Schoolhouse; development of tours of local Amistad and Underground Railroad sites; work with the Freedom Trail Foundation; and programs related to the restoration of the Amistad ship and its history. As part of her work with the Amistad Committee, Peg traveled to Sierra Leone, birthplace of the Amistad Africans, and met with that nation's president. She was also active in volunteer projects sponsored by the First Church of Christ Congregational in Farmington.

Peg's dedication, knowledge, enthusiasm and energy will be sorely missed.

The historical society will lead hikes to Will Warren’s Den on Rattlesnake Mountain this summer. "The hike follows the scenic Metacomet Trail, which runs along the ridges of central Connecticut from the Massachusetts border to the Hanging Hills of Meriden," board member Patrick Lamb wrote in the society's March 2009 newsletter. 

Will Warren's Den. Entrance is at bottom center, at base of cleft in rocks.

"Will Warren, Farmington’s legendary ne'er-do-well, is said to have sought refuge in a natural cave formed by large boulders near the top of Rattlesnake Mountain." Lamb wrote. "According to Robert Brandegee’s 1906 book, Farmington, Connecticut, The Village of Beautiful Homes, Warren was an outsider in early Farmington whose various offenses including skipping church and fishing on the Sabbath. In response to his behavior, the village of Farmington subjected him to a public whipping. Then, in a burst of incendiary vengeance, Warren attempted to set the village on fire. The conflagration may have offered the arsonist a chance to escape into the hills and find the cave.

"The full tale of this mysterious figure, and rumored “retired pirate,” will be retold for a family audience during the hike. The hike involves climbing over uneven terrain. Due to the natural environment, the hiking trail is not handicap accessible and participants should be in reasonably good health. Children and adults alike may choose to get dirty and explore the cave."

Plaque at Will Warren's Den.

For more information on the society's upcoming programs and events, including rain dates for hikes, please send your name, street address and e-mail address to: membership@ farmingtonhistoricalsociety-ct.org. The society also offers hikes to Hospital Rock, the site of a smallpox inoculation hospital in the 1790s where names of long-ago Farmington residents are carved in a traprock ledge.

A program called “Clockmakers from Farmington and Unionville” was presented on March 22, 2009, at Miss Porter’s School. Mary Jane Dapkus, assistant curator at the American Clock and Watch Museum in Bristol, gave a talk on 19th-century shelf clock makers and manufacturing companies in town. 

Shelf clock owned by the historical society.
Made by John Hunt, ca. 1830. Photo
by Jean Pickens.

Shelf clocks from the Farmington Historical Society and the Unionville Museum were on display at the lecture.

In her talk, Dapkus told the story of Eli Terry, who designed the first “pillar and scroll” clock in 1816. The clock, which could stand on a shelf, was smaller and more affordable than traditional tall clocks, or “grandfather clocks.” Terry, who began mass-producing clocks with interchangeable parts, is considered one of the fathers of America’s industrial revolution.

Eli Terry. Photo from Wikipedia.

Dapkus is currently writing a series of articles on antique clocks with Snowden Taylor of Tappen, N.Y., an author, lecturer and internationally recognized authority on clocks. At the museum, Dapkus works under the guidance of horologist Chris Bailey, one of the leading scholars and historians of the clock-making industry in America. Horology is the art or science of measuring time.

The Historical Society held its annual New Year’s Gala January 4, 2009, at the newly redecorated Millrace Bookshop at 40 Mill Lane, Farmington.

Farmington River Literary Arts Center, 40 Mill Lane.

Millrace owner Jan Owens, who has created a new space for the Farmington River Literary Arts Center at the bookshop, gave a talk about the center’s programs, the bookshop and the history of the 17th-century Grist Mill.

Jan Owens discusses the history of the Millrace Bookshop
at the Historical Society's annual New Year's gala.

The arts center offers writing workshops for children and adults, book talks and author events. Jan’s recent newsletter article about the mill and bookstore, "Light and the River: The History of Millrace Books," can be read here.

An exhibit of nineteenth-century clothing and linens was held in June 2008. The Gridley-Case cottage came alive with items from the 1800s. A table was set in the dining room overlooking the restored garden; several pieces of period furniture filled the parlor; the small bedroom held a youngster’s bed and children’s items; and the kitchen contained a variety of household goods, from laundry products and tools to a display of hats and capes. Mannequins dressed in period clothing were arranged throughout the cottage.

 
Nineteenth-century dress, 138 Main Street.
Photo by Brooke Martin.

The exhibit committee included: Wendy Burki, Jean Pickens, Lois Wadsworth and Peg Yung.

The Historical Society’s Gridley-Case cottage and garden at 138 Main Street was one of the six homes and two museums featured in the Friends of the Farmington Library Kitchens & Gardens Tour on June 14, 2008.

Garden at Gridley-Case cottage, 138 Main Street.
Photo by Brooke Martin.

The eighteenth-century formal garden was designed by Sarah C. la Cour, a landscape designer from Amherst, Mass. The garden reflects the style and plantings typical of New England. The design incorporates boxwood-edged brick and bluestone walks and quadrant beds.

This spring, as part of a volunteer UConn master gardener project, annuals, herbs and perennials were added. The Treadwell list of 18th-century plantings was used as a guide. John Treadwell documented commonly found vegetables, herbs, and flowers planted in Farmington gardens. Plantings in 1999 included: geranium striatum, blue Campanula ,and autumn joy in the center circle; white phlox, Stella d'Oro lilies, red bee balm, blue columbine, and Russian sage in the quadrants; and lilacs, red bud, coreopsis, and hostas above the stone wall.

Side garden, 138 Main Street.
Photo by Brooke Martin.

From the Treadwell list, the society added pinks, daffodils, tulips, violas, blackberry lily, poppies, hollyhocks, sweet william, sweet pea, morning glories, and marigolds. Herbs to be added to the garden include: parsley, coriander, pepper, savory, sweet marjoram, thyme, rue, hyssop, lemon balm, chive, tansy, and wormwood. These and lamb's ear, iris, oregano, yellow yarrow, germander, and lavender were generously donated by the Connecticut Unit of the Herb Society of America. We welcome volunteers who would like to work in the garden, as well as donations of perennials. The goal is to have the garden in bloom from April to October.

The Library Gardens Tour also included the garden and orchid room of advanced master gardener Sandy Myhalik. The orchid room contains more than 100 varieties of tropical orchids.

A talk on the life and personality of Theodore Roosevelt was presented by Gordon Williams on March 30, 2008, at Miss Porter's School. Williams is a lecturer and retired history teacher from Trumbull, CT.

Gordon Williams

Williams began his talk by discussing Teddy Roosevelt's connection to Farmington. Roosevelt's sister, Anna Roosevelt Cowles, lived on Main Street in Farmington, in the house called "Oldgate." She was the wife of Admiral William Sheffield Cowles, a naval officer and diplomat. Roosevelt visited the town and his sister's home several times, including when he was president, on October 22, 1901. That visit included a carriage ride, lunch with U.S. senators, inspection of an oak tree planted on the town green in memory of President William McKinley, and a hike up Rattlesnake Mountain.

Theodore Roosevelt visits "Oldgate" in Farmington;
 Farmington in Connecticut, by Christopher P. Bickford.

From left: Ann Arcari, former president, FHS; Gordon Williams;
Evan Cowles, great-grandson of Anna Roosevelt Cowles;
Jean Pickens, president, FHS.

The historical society and the Farmington Library presented a program on the Farmington Canal February 15, 2007, at the Farmington Public Library. Dr. Carl Walter, a canal historian, and Ruth Hummel, of the Plainville Historic Center, spoke about the engineering aspects of the canal, the people who created and ran it, and life along the canal.

The Farmington Canal

Construction on the canal, which was inspired by the Erie Canal, began in 1825, and by the 1830s it was the state's "superhighway" for trade between New Haven and central Connecticut. Within two decades, however, the canal was put out of business by the railroads.

Parts of the canal, its towpath and boat basin, as well as stone supports for an aqueduct across the Farmington River, can still be seen in town.

Farmington Canal towpath