Middlesex County Historical Society

MCHS Annual Meeting: How We Remember the Revolution
2026-04-30 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Middletown Senior Center, 61 Durant Terrace, Middletown, CT, 06457, United States
Join the Middlesex County Historical Society for our 2026 Annual Meeting, featuring a keynote presentation by acclaimed historian Dr. Michael D. Hattem. This event offers a timely exploration of the American Revolution’s lasting impact on our national identity as we approach the semiquincentennial.

Format: In-person & Virtual (Hybrid)
Schedule
6:30 PM | Business Meeting: Annual reports from the Executive Director, President, and Treasurer, followed by the election of Board members and officers.
7:00 PM | Keynote Address: “How We Remember the Revolution (and why it matters)” by Dr. Michael D. Hattem.

About the Presentation
Why have Americans maintained such a powerful emotional connection to the nation’s founding for nearly 250 years? Dr. Hattem will examine the unique place the Revolution holds in our politics and culture. His talk will explore:

How different generations have reshaped the story of the Revolution.
The influence of politics on historical memory.
Why the legacy and meaning of the Revolution remain a subject of debate today.

This presentation serves as a companion to the Society’s upcoming exhibition, “Democracy 250: Making Every Voice Count,” part of the local and national commemorations of the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary.

About the Speaker
Dr. Michael D. Hattem is a public historian, author, and the Associate Director of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. A specialist in early America and historical memory, his works include:

The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History (2024) – Finalist for the 2025 George Washington Prize.
Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution (2020).
The Declaration of Independence: A Concise History (Forthcoming, Nov 2026).

His insights have been featured in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, and The Washington Post.

Registration
While all are welcome to attend in person, those who prefer to join virtually must register to receive the Zoom link:
Register for Zoom Access: bit.ly/MCHS2026

The Lasting Legacy of Dr. Alice Hamilton
2026-03-28 15:00 - 16:30 | Russell Library, 123 Broad St, Middletown, CT, 06457, United States
A Women’s History Month Presentation By Janet Lemond

(Note: 3 PM is the correct time, changed from 1 PM!)

This event is free. No registration required.

The National Women’s History Month theme for 2026 is “Leading the Charge: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” focusing on women’s vital roles in creating environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Who better exemplifies this than Dr. Alice Hamilton? Dr. Alice Hamilton, M.D., a local legend, was a neighbor and friend of William Gillette, but she was much more than this.

Come hear the legend of the woman who helped cure the insane “Mad Hatters” in Danbury, CT, driven mad by their job.

Learn about the women who stopped factories from exploding and destroying entire towns on the east coast during the World War.

Hear the voice of the first female professor at Harvard University, before women were even allowed to matriculate at this institution.

See how our neighbor, Dr. Alice Hamilton, met with the Pope and tried to stop World War One.

Prepare to be amazed!

At the conclusion of this presentation, Janet will present a case study with guidance on how to discover what your ancestors did for a living. She will discuss the lasting legacy of Dr. Alice Hamilton and how her impact is still being felt today.

About the Presenter:
Ms. Lemond worked for both OSHA and the EPA. While at OSHA, she was responsible for sampling at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks. Her presentation will be both informative and empowering. Following the presentation, Ms. Lemond’s book, Doctor Alice Hamilton, M.D., Neighbor of William Gillette, will be available for purchase. If you like, the author will be available to autograph your purchase.

Virtual Event: Early Women Artisan Photographers in Middletown and Beyond
2026-03-05 19:00 - 20:00 | CT
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH LECTURE SERIES:
LEE MCINTYRE, PHD
Click Here to register and receive the Zoom Link.

Dr. Lee McIntyre is an independent historian living in Manchester, CT. She holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. McIntyre has given lectures on the social history of photography to international audiences at academic conferences, universities, museums, libraries and other public venues.
Her current project, Photographs, Pistols & Parasols (website: p3photographers.net) looks at the social history of early women artisan photographers, exploring the lives of women who owned and ran photography studios between 1840-1930. The project celebrates the too-often overlooked achievements of women artisan photographers from the U.S. and Canada, women who were both early photographers and early photographic entrepreneurs.
Dr. Lee McIntyre will bring the lives of some of these women into focus in her talk, Early Women Artisan Photographers from Middletown and Beyond. The talk will include several late-19th-century women who operated photography studios in Middletown. Join us to learn their fascinating stories and to see gems from the Middlesex County Historical Society’s photo archives, taken by these women and their peers.

Virtual Event: Book Talk By Eric A. Smith, Beman Triangle Descendant
2026-02-26 19:00 - 20:00 | CT
In conversation with Jesse Nasta, PhD via Zoom.
Join us to hear author Eric A. Smith speak about his new book, A Journey of a Thousand Sorrows, an account of Smith’s New England indigenous ancestors and their role in history.
Smith is a direct descendant of the Jeffrey family, the first people of color to own property on Middletown’s Beman Triangle, one of the first free, property-owning African American communities in Connecticut and New England. A Journey of a Thousand Sorrows is an account of the history, destruction, genocide, and migration of certain tribes out of New England in the eighteenth century. In addition, Smith’s book reveals how he discovered his indigenous ancestry among the seashore tribes of New England through historical and genealogical research. From his very first documented ancestor, Wyandanch, a Montaukett, sachem, to the Jeffrey family, Smith’s ancestors played a significant role in Indigenous and African American culture in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and the Upper Midwest.
This Zoom talk is free but registration is required. Register at: bit.ly/BemanTriangle
Click here to learn more about Smith’s book, and to purchase a copy
About the Author
Eric A. Smith is a lecturer, teacher, author, historian, and television talk show host. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and Master of Arts degree in history from Chicago State University. Eric is also a member of Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society and has served as past president of the Afro-American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago.
Smith has published articles in the Afro-American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago newsletter and the Iowa Genealogical Journal, Hawkeye Heritage, and various other publications. His book, Oak Hill: A Portrait of Black Life in Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1920-1950, appeared in 2006.
Smith has been a consultant and contributor to Iowa Public Television’s documentary, Searching for Buxton (2012). In addition, he has been a consultant to Professor Henry Louis Gates’s PBS series Roots, concerning the genealogy of Gayle King. Smith has also appeared on local Chicago affiliate ABC News interviewed by Janet Davies and FOX 32 News by Wanda Wells about genealogy. Over the years he has been a contributor to the online encyclopedia blackpast.org .
He has given presentations on history and genealogy in numerous venues, including in the Chicago Public Schools, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, the University of Illinois, Chicago, Chicago State University, and the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc., National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, and other national conferences. In 2023, Smith was a presenter at Wesleyan University, at a conference convened by Jesse Nasta, concerning the Jeffrey family history in early Connecticut. Also, in 2023, Eric gave presentations at Nazareth University and the Rochester Genealogical Society concerning the role the Jeffrey family played in the early Civil Rights, Abolitionist, and Women’s Rights Movements in Rochester, New York.

Voices of Portland: The Fight For Freedom & Equality
2026-02-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Portlad Senior Center, 7 Waverly Avenue, Portland, CT
The Middlesex County Historical Society is delighted to partner with the Portland Historical Society, Portland Committee on Solidarity, Portland Library, and Portland America250 Committee for this exciting Black History Month event.
To register for this free event, and to learn more, visit:
https://portlandct.libcal.com/event/16223123

Wangunk History Film Screening, Artist Talk, and Symposium, at Wesleyan University
2025-10-24 16:30 - 2025-10-25 17:30 | Wesleyan University
The Middlesex County Historical Society is proud to co-sponsor this two-day event on the history of the Wangunk, the indigenous people of central Connecticut, at Wesleyan University on Friday, October 24, and Saturday, October 25, 2025.

Friday, October 24, 4:30 PM (Ring Family Performing Arts Hall, Center for the Arts, Wesleyan University): artist talk by Gary O’Neil (Wangunk Elder, artist, and educator), with professor and author J. Kēhaulani Kauanui. O’Neil’s exhibition, Excavations, is on display at Wesleyan’s Zilkha Gallery (curated by Kauanui, who is also lead organizer of the symposium the next day).

Saturday, October 25, 8:30 AM -5:30 PM (The Russell House Millet Room, 350 High Street, Wesleyan University): symposium on Wangunk history, the first event of its kind, featuring scholarly works by members of a new initiative called the Wangunk Studies Working Group.

For full event details and schedule, visit https://events.wesleyan.edu/event/wangunkhistorysymposium

39th Annual Antique Car Show & Flea Market
2025-10-05 09:30 - 13:30 | Palmer Field, 28 Bernie O'Rourke Drive, Middletown, CT, 06457, United States
MCHS’ 39th Annual Antique Car Show & Flea Market: Sunday, October 5, 2025 (rain date: Sunday, October 12, 2025)
All eyes at the Middlesex County Historical Society’s 39th Annual Antique Car Show and Flea Market will gravitate to this year’s featured car, a 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint. It will motor to the show located at Palmer Field adjacent to Washington Street, Route 66, in Middletown on Sunday, October 5.
Car registration begins at 9:30 am and judging starts at 11:30 am, with trophies awarded to the top vehicles at 1:30 pm.
General admission is $3.00 and children 12 and under are free.

Car registration is $10.00.

Although cars registered for judging must be dated 2000 or older, there is no cut-off date for cars being placed in the car corral. In case of rain, the show will be held Sunday, October 12.
The Falcon Sprint convertible was ordered new in 1963 and has been lovingly cared for by its owner, Gary Nenninger, for 62 years and in his words “is part of my family and my life. It is nice to know that my youth is just outside the family room door in my ‘Ford Country Garage.’ ” Gary would not settle for anything less than a triple black convertible with the following options: a 4-speed manual transmission, AM radio, heater, tinted glass all around, 2 speed electric wipers, windshield washer, backup lights, white wall tires, and front seat belts. Today the Falcon has a little more than 30,000 original miles, with the majority of them, about 24,000, being put on in the first two years. The Raven Black Paint, black pleated vinyl interior, vinyl 3-ply top and plastic rear window are factory original. Mechanically the engine, transmission, clutch and pressure plate are still the originals.
In the early 60s, Gary raced the Falcon at the Connecticut Dragway (top speed, 93.1 MPH), and in 1965, it was his wedding limo and honeymoon ride. He has shown it at various auto shows as far west as Kansas City, winning many First Place and Best of Show awards, including the Middlesex County Historical Society William E. Sheedy Sr. Award in 1997. Since his wife, Kathy, passed away in 2017, he has not shown the Falcon as often, but he is very gratified to have it featured in this year’s show.
The car show was founded 40 years ago (it was not held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic) by longtime Society supporter and past president, Bernie Prue, and kept humming by an intrepid group of volunteers. This year’s committee consists of Rich Bergan, Chairman; Jerry Augustine; Pete Bozzo; Mark Olerud; Jack Pieper; Larry Riley; and Debby Shapiro.

Town-wide Tag Sale: Items, Shoppers, and Volunteers Wanted!
2025-09-20 08:30 - 14:30 | Middlesex County Historical Society, 151 Main Street, Middletown, CT, 06457, United States
On Saturday, Sept. 20, 8:30–2:30, the Historical Society will again host a Tag Sale on the sidewalk in front of the Mansfield House, 151 Main St, Middletown. Please stop by to treasure hunt!
This year we aim to offer quality rather than quantity, and we hope you have some objects to donate—objects to which the labels vintage, antique, period, classic, interesting, beautiful, fascinating, unique, or, in the words of the Cartalk Brothers, historic or folkloric could be attached. We encourage you to undertake a fearless appraisal of your possessions and zero in on those you have to admit are not really your taste but are bound to be treasured by someone else.
Perhaps someone gave you an art-nouveau pitcher, but your décor is mid-century modern. Or you inherited a print by an Expressionist artist that you’ve never hung on the wall because you find it too upsetting, even though you’re aware the artist counts as one of the greats. Or a third edition of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, because, well, you know…High-quality hand tools you no longer use, excellent new or hardly worn attractive articles of clothing, out-of-the ordinary cooking vessels —the possibilities are many. If you have something you’d like to donate and want to be sure it will be suitable, please email Krishna Winston: kwinston@wesleyan.edu, or text her at 860-918-8713. Photos always help.
Donations can be dropped off at the Mansfield House (151 Main Street, Middletown) between 10 AM and 3 PM from Monday, September 8 through Thursday, September 11. Enter through the front gate and ring the bell by the porch door.
If you’d enjoy volunteering at the sale, extra hands are always welcome and it’s a chance to make new friends!

Lafayette Marker Dedication & Summer Party, Friday, August 22, 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
2025-08-22 17:00 - 19:30 | CT
LAFAYETTE MARKER DEDICATION
AND SUMMER PARTY
AT THE MIDDLESEX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY!
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2025, 5:00 – 7:30 PM

Please join us for an end-of-week party and official unveiling of the Historical Society’s splendid Lafayette Marker on Friday, August 22, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm (house opens at 5 PM, dedication ceremony at 5:30 PM). This program is part of our commemoration activities celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and all that bold proclamation set into motion.

PLEASE RSVP HERE

The event will begin with the unveiling and an address by Julien Icher, founder and president of The Lafayette Trail, Inc. A cocktail party with Franco-American theme will follow.

A little history…On September 4, 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette made a brief stopover in Middletown, Connecticut as he paid a farewell visit to all twenty-four states to see how the new country was faring almost fifty years after his participation in the Revolutionary War. To read more about Lafayette’s stay in Middletown, click HERE to see the Middlesex County Historical Society’s contribution to the Connecticut Lafayette Trail’s website.
In 1776 the wealthy young French nobleman had been so captivated by what he had heard about the colonists’ pioneering spirit and resistance to tyranny that he had set sail for America, defying the orders of Louis XVI, at whose court he served. Arriving in July 1777, the twenty-year-old, who came from a long line of military officers but had no prior experience in combat, plunged into the War. The close relationship he formed with George Washington, his strategic acumen, and his success in persuading the French government to send troops and naval vessels under Count Rochambeau made him a hero to the Americans.

The House will be open beginning at 5:00 pm; the dedication ceremony starts at 5:30 on the sidewalk, and the party follows immediately in the backyard of the General Mansfield House.
Everyone is welcome; bring a friend. Light hors d’oeuvres and libations will be served.
Tickets for the party are only $20 for Members and $25 for Friends, and there is no charge for children under 12. We very much appreciate you registering and paying in advance with a credit card- at the link below- but you will not be turned away if you show up and pay cash at the door.

PLEASE RSVP HERE
This is a rain or shine event; in case of bad weather, we will host the party inside.

During the party you are welcome to take a self-guided tour of our Outdoor Museum, inaugurated last summer. Informative brochures and signage will show you the way.

Online Book Talk: Adjacent to History: The Nearly Forgotten Stories of Immigrant Families and Their Struggles in America
2025-05-08 19:00 - 20:00 | CT
Join the Middlesex County Historical Society & the Godfrey Memorial Library for a free, online talk by author John Rilli. He will be speaking about his new book, Adjacent to History: The Nearly Forgotten Stories of Immigrant Families and Their Struggles in America, featuring the author’s ancestors who immigrated to Middletown, CT, from Melilli, Sicily in the early 1900s. This talk will be of great interest to anyone with Italian immigrant ancestors and/or an interest in Middletown history, including an excellent case study of how to research your own family history.

Visit bit.ly/JohnRilli to register and receive the Zoom link.

Annual Meeting & Lecture, April 24, 2025
2025-04-24 18:30 - 20:00 | deKoven House, 27 Washington Street, Middletown, CT, 06457, United States
Dr. Jeffers Lennox, 2025 annual meeting speaker

The MCHS will hold its annual meeting on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in the first-floor meeting room of the deKoven House, 27 Washington Street, Middletown.

The brief business meeting begins at 6:30 PM, including annual reports by Executive Director Jesse Nasta and Board President Alain Munkittrick.

The 2025 Arthur R. Schultz Memorial Lecture will begin immediately after, at 7:00 PM. Dr. Jeffers Lennox, Wesleyan University Professor of History, will give a lecture entitled, “More than Thirteen Colonies: The American Revolution and Indigenous Homelands.” This annual meeting lecture will kick off the Historical Society’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

All are cordially invited to attend, Historical Society members and non-members alike

Holiday Open House
2024-12-07 13:00 - 15:30 | CT
Join us at the General Mansfield House, 151 Main Street, Middletown, for our annual Holiday Open House.
Magic Lantern Show starts at 1pm, featuring Charles Dickens’ Winter Stories.
We hope to see you for refreshments and holiday cheer. Please consider contributing to the party with a holiday donation. Please click here to donate,
Registration is requested.

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Jewish Life in Middletown
2024-11-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Congregation Adath Israel, 8 Broad Street, Middletown, CT, 06457, United States
In honor of Congregation Adath Israel’s 120th anniversary, learn about the legacy of the Jewish community in Middletown, Connecticut from the nineteenth century to the present.
Explore Middletown’s early Jewish history, the evolution of the Adath Israel synagogue and recollections of growing up in Middletown and of Jewish-owned businesses on Main Street. You’ll also have the chance to learn about and visit the synagogue’s Judaica Museum, the largest and most diverse collection in Connecticut.
The program is free, but advance registration is required and your optional donation appreciated.
Register here: https://jhsgh.org/events/jewish-life-in-middletown/

Walking Tour of Historic High Street
2024-10-16 10:00 - 11:30 | CT
JOIN US FOR A WALKING TOUR OF MIDDLETOWN’S HISTORIC HIGH STREET, LED BY DEBORAH SHAPIRO AND ALAIN MUNKITTRICK, CO-AUTHORS OF HIGH STREET AND WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, WITH MCHS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JESSE NASTA

DATE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2024
10:00 AM TO 11:30 AM

WE WILL MEET AT 10:00 AM SHARP AT THE WASHINGTON TERRACE PARK (NEAR THE WAR MONUMENTS), CORNER OF WASHINGTON TERRACE AND HIGH STREET. PARKING IS AVAILABLE ON WASHINGTON TERRACE (PARALLEL TO WASHINGTON STREET) AND IN ANY WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY PARKING LOT.

This is a “light rain or shine” event; if it is lightly raining, bring an umbrella and good walking shoes. If it is pouring we will reschedule.

$10 for historical society members, $12 for non-members. Reserve your spot by paying online with a credit or debit card; please visit https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/777ZTNH6UUJE6

Beginning in the 1820s, some of Middletown’s most prominent residents built their mansions on High Street, most of which still stand and are now part of Wesleyan University’s campus. These include the homes of Samuel Russell, who made his fortune in the China trade, and Nathan Starr and Simeon North, some of the nation’s earliest arms manufacturers. A number of the street’s 19th-century architectural treasures are on the National Register of Historic Places, and Charles Dickens even reputedly called it “the most beautiful street in America.” OK, that last part has been difficult to prove, but it really was the most beautiful street in America, in our opinion!

Join us to learn about the fascinating history packed into High Street’s few short blocks. Signed copies of the book High Street and Wesleyan University will be available for sale.
