Annual Harpsichord Concert
2019-12-13 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | CT
Join us in the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House for a night of fun and music. Enjoy the beautiful sounds of the harpsichord over light refreshments, and be sure to join in the carols to end the night. One of our most popular events, this often sells out so make sure to get your tickets early. Members $25, Non Members $30 per ticket. We hope to see you there!

A Tour of the Stained Glass Windows of Saint Michael's Church
2020-03-08 13:00 - 14:00 | Saint Michael’s Church, 60 Liberty St, Pawcatuck, CT, 06379
Members of the Irish Presence Project of the Stonington Historical Society will be presenting a tour of the stained glass windows of Saint Michael’s Church, 60 Liberty Street in Pawcatuck. Come and learn about the local families who patronized the church and learn about the symbolism of these beautiful windows, so lovingly restored. Tour begins at 1pm and is free and open to the public.

Canceled - Stonington Free Library's Thoughtful Thursday
2020-03-19 17:00 - 18:00 | The R. W. Woolworth Library & Research Center, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
This event is canceled as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.
Please join us for our first 2020 Thoughtful Thursday talk on March 19th at 5:15. See seaweed differently with Suzie Flores, kelp farmer and co-owner with her husband Jay Douglas of the Mechanic Street Marina in Pawcatuck, who will talk about the history, the environmental benefits, and the nutritional value of what has been called the superhero of seaweed. The couple farm sugar kelp, the only variety approved for human consumption, on a 10-acre “plot” in Fisher’s Island Sound.
While SFL is under construction, Thoughtful Thursday talks will be held in the Woolworth Library at the Stonington Historical Society, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington. Plenty of parking available.

POSTPONED - Colonial Cocktails
2020-03-27 18:30 - 19:30 | Captain Palmer House
As a precaution against COVID-19 this event is postponed. A new date will be announced.
Join us for an evening of tasty cocktails in the historic Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House at 40 Palmer St. We will be sampling authentic alcoholic beverages from the time of the American Revolution: Grog, Rattleskull, Hot Ale Flip, Bogus and Switchel. Bring your friends and try something new! Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for non members, and will be available for purchase on our website, and at the door. No persons under 21 years of age will be permitted.

POSPONED -- Suffragettes in Corselettes: The Evolution of Underwear and our 19th Amendment
2020-04-15 18:30 - 19:30 | Westerly Public Library, 44 Broad Street, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
POSTPONED — Gather your girlfriends and join us on Wednesday, April 15th for Suffragettes in Corselettes: The Evolution of Underwear and our 19th Amendment, co-presented with Westerly Public Library. Enjoy a night of laughter and learning with Velya Jancz-Urban and her daughter, Ehris, as they lead you through a hands-on and blush-worthy history of women’s underwear and how that translated to female empowerment and the feminist movements of the 20th century. This event is free and open to the public and will be held at Westerly Public Library at 44 Broad Street at 6:30pm. We hope to see you!

POSTPONED: Book Talk with Gail B. MacDonald: Hidden History of Mystic and Stonington
2020-04-29 19:00 - 20:00 | Mystic Congregational Church, 43 E Main St, Mystic, CT
This event is being rescheduled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Join the Stonington and Mystic River Historical Societies on Wednesday, April 29th at 7pm as local author Gail MacDonald talks about her newly published book Hidden History of Mystic and Stonington. This colorful recounting of lesser-known tales explores the minorities of history with a keen and respectful eye. Come to the Mystic Congregational Church and discover something new! This program is free and open to the public.

POSTPONED: Gravestone Cleaning Demonstration
2020-05-03 13:00 - 14:00 | Saint Michael’s Church, 60 Liberty St, Pawcatuck, CT, 06379
This event is being rescheduled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Interested in historic cemeteries? Come and learn about the process of gravestone cleaning and preservation with Stonington Cemetery Association Advisory Board member and Historical Society trustee, Bob Suppicich, Sunday, May 3rd at 1pm. The demonstration will take place at the New Saint Michael’s Cemetery on the Stillman Avenue extension. This program is free and open to the public so we hope to see you!

POSTPONED: "The Work Must Be Done": Women of Color and the Right to Vote
2020-05-09 11:00 - 13:00 | The R. W. Woolworth Library & Research Center, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
This event is being rescheduled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspired by the words of notable African American reformer and political activist, Mary Townsend Seymour, The work must be done, the Connecticut Historical Society presents exciting new research about the women of color who worked for women’s suffrage. Ilene Frank, Chief Curator, and Karen Li Miller, Research Historian from the Connecticut Historical Society along with Professor Brittney Yancy, Goodwin College, will raise up the stories of women such as Ms. Seymour, Rose Payton, Minnie Glover, Daisy Daniels, and others. The program includes conversation on the importance of having a history that is inclusive. Participants will examine how this history ties into current civic issues around voting. Funding for this project is made possible by the State of Connecticut and the National Endowment for the Humanities, both of which provide significant support to Connecticut Humanities.
For more information, click here: https://chs.org/event/the-work-must-be-done-women-of-color-and-the-right-to-vote/

The Work Must Be Done: Women of Color and the Right to Vote
2020-07-11 10:00 - 11:00 | CT
Inspired by the words of notable African American reformer and political activist, Mary Townsend Seymour, The work must be done, the Connecticut Historical Society presents exciting new research about the women of color who worked for women’s suffrage. Ilene Frank, Chief Curator, and Karen Li Miller, Research Historian from the Connecticut Historical Society along with Professor Brittney Yancy, Goodwin College, will raise up the stories of women such as Ms. Seymour, Rose Payton, Minnie Glover, Daisy Daniels, and others. The program includes conversation on the importance of having a history that is inclusive. Participants will examine how this history ties into current civic issues around voting. Funding for this project is made possible by the State of Connecticut and the National Endowment for the Humanities, both of which provide significant support to Connecticut Humanities.
This event will take place via Zoom webinar, and a link will be provided.

Registration is required. Please send an email to library@stoningtonhistory.org if you would like to attend.

Annual Meeting
2020-07-19 16:00 - 17:00 | CT
Members are invited to join the staff and Board via Zoom for our annual meeting of the Stonington Historical Society, on Sunday, July 19, at 4 p.m. New officers will be chosen, awards announced, and a brief presentation on the history of the society will be given.
We hope to see you there!
Join the meeting on Zoom: Click Here
Meeting ID: 816 2883 0025
Password: [REDACTED]

Make and Take Crafts at the Palmer House
2020-08-08 11:00 - 14:00 | Captain Palmer House
Join us at the Palmer House on Saturday, August 8th for a Make and Take Craft day. Children ages 7 and up will have the opportunity to dip their own candles, as well as make a ditty bag and fill it with goodies – all while learning about the people of Stonington’s past. This program was made available by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut Foundation.
All participants must wear a mask and observe social distancing protocols.

Reflections in the Ice: Discovery and Demise in Antarctica 1820-2020
2020-09-16 19:00 - 20:30 | CT
Join the Stonington Historical Society this fall for a three-part lecture series commemorating the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica. In September, we will be joined by Dr. James McClintock, Professor of Polar and Marine Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research has been funded continuously over the past 25 years by the National Science Foundation and focuses on aspects of marine invertebrate nutrition, reproduction, and primarily, Antarctic marine chemical ecology. His research has grown to include studies of the impacts of rapid climate change and ocean acidification on Antarctic marine algae and invertebrates.
He has published more than 290 scientific publications, edited and written books, and been invited to make numerous scientific and popular science presentations. His research has been featured in a variety of media outlets including the NPR’s Diane Rehm Show and “On Point” with Tom Ashbrook, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Discover, Scientific American, CNN, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and The Weather Channel. He has served on National Academy of Sciences workshops on Climate Change and Polar Ecosystems. His book, Lost Antarctica: Adventures in a Disappearing Land (Palgrave/MacMillan), has garnered considerable national and international praise.
This event requires registration to attend. Please click the link here to do so:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UniGC1GcTRu-mC-O87DHcw
This event is free to the public thanks to support from the Chelsea Groton Foundation. To make a donation to the Historical Society, please click here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Make & Take Crafts
2020-09-26 11:00 - 14:00 | CT
Join us at Yellow Farmhouse Education Center, 389 N. Main St., on Saturday, Sept. 26, for a Make & Take Craft program. Children ages 7 and up will have the opportunity to dip their own candles, all while learning about the people of Stonington’s past.
This program is made possible by grant funding from the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut Foundation.
All participants must wear a mask and observe social distancing protocols. To register, please click the link here: https://www.yellowfarmhouse.org/bookings-checkout/make-take-craft-candlemaking/book

Make and Take Crafts at the Lighthouse Museum
2020-10-10 11:00 - 14:00 | The Old Lighthouse Museum, 7 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Join us at the Lighthouse Museum on Saturday, Oct. 10 for a Make-&-Take Craft day. Children ages 7 and up will have the opportunity to dip their own candles, as well as make a ditty bag and fill it with goodies – all while learning about the people of Stonington’s past. This program was made available by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut Foundation.
All participants must wear a mask and observe social distancing protocols. This event is free, so be sure to tell your friends!

Reflections in the Ice: Discovery and Demise in Antarctica 1820-2020
2020-10-14 18:30 - 20:00 | CT
Join the Stonington Historical Society this fall for a three-part lecture series commemorating the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica. In October, we will be joined by Dr. Glenn S. Gordinier. Dr. Gordinier is the Robert G. Albion Historian at Mystic Seaport and serves on the faculty of the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program. His specialty is the early national period. He has co-authored the book Fishing out of Stonington: Voices of the Fishing Families of Stonington, Connecticut and is editor of Gender, Race Ethnicity and Power in Maritime America, and wrote The Rockets’ Red Glare: the War of 1812 and Connecticut.
In January of 2020, Dr. Gordinier participated in Mystic Seaport’s cruise to Antarctica aboard Le Lyrial, and gave lectures pertaining to the life of Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer, as well as his sighting of Antarctica in November 1820. The October lecture by Dr. Gordinier will focus on the life of Captain Palmer, and his contributions to culture and the economy during the 19th century.

Registration is required. Please click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_evJEGG5PRmCMMp2r1dNQYg

Reflections in the Ice: Discovery and Demise in Antarctica 1820-2020
2020-11-18 18:30 - 20:00 | CT
Join the Stonington Historical Society this fall for a three-part lecture series commemorating the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica. In November, we will be rejoined by Dr. Glenn S. Gordinier. Dr. Gordinier is the Robert G. Albion Historian at Mystic Seaport and serves on the faculty of the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program. His specialty is the early national period. He has co-authored the book Fishing out of Stonington: Voices of the Fishing Families of Stonington, Connecticut and is editor of Gender, Race Ethnicity and Power in Maritime America, and wrote The Rockets’ Red Glare: the War of 1812 and Connecticut.
In January of 2020, Dr. Gordinier participated in Mystic Seaport’s cruise to Antarctica aboard Le Lyrial, and gave lectures pertaining to the life of Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer, as well as his sighting of Antarctica in November 1820. The November lecture by Dr. Gordinier will focus on the voyage of the Hero, and the sighting of Antarctica by Captain Palmer, as well as the other competing claims.

This event requires registration. Please click here to do so:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JRNvqgIsRd2Z3fh_4GCUCA

South of Cape Horn
2020-11-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Granite Theatre, 1 Granite Street, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Join the Granite Theatre and the Stonington Historical Society for a jump back in time. Relax and listen to a radio play, originally recorded and aired in 1949 by Mickey Rooney. “South of Cape Horn” was part of the Cavalcade of America series, and is based on the life of Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer. The radio play details his fantastic voyage from Stonington to Antarctica in 1820, and what he found there.
This play is being presented on Zoom for one night only. Tickets for this production are donation based, so please pay what you can. To register for tickets, click the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/south-of-cape-horn-tickets-125959055927

For more information, please visit www.granitetheatre.com

Santa's Ride Through Stonington
2020-11-27 19:00 - 20:00, 2020-11-28 19:00 - 20:00, 2020-12-10 19:00 - 20:00, 2020-12-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Captain Palmer House
This holiday season you have five different nights to catch Santa’s Ride Through Stonington! A family-friendly outdoor event, guests will join us at the Palmer House to watch as Santa flies through the skies over Stonington Borough. This shadow performance is a collaboration between the Stonington Historical Society and Jane Martineau, director of theater at the Williams School in New London. Performances each weekend through the evening of December 12.

Admission is free. Run-time: about 5-7 minutes, and new screenings begin every 15 minutes.

Deck the Walls
2020-12-02 - 2020-12-04 | CT
Our online auction of holiday wreaths and decor allows you to stay cozy by the fire while you shop our beautiful, hand-made wreaths.

Santa's Ride Through Stonington - CANCELED FOR WEATHER
2020-12-04 19:00 - 20:00, 2020-12-05 19:00 - 20:00 | Captain Palmer House

Annual Harpsichord Concert
2020-12-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Captain Palmer House
Join us from the comfort of your home for our annual Harpsichord Concert on Friday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. We are streaming the talented Elena Zamolodchikova from the parlor of the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House. To purchase a ticket, please visit the “Buy Tickets” page.
For this year’s concert we are letting you name your price! Tickets will be donation based, and you choose the dollar amount. Once you have made the donation of your choice, and the payment is processed, we will email you the Zoom link to tune in on Friday, Dec. 11.
If you have questions, please contact Chelsea Mitchell at library@stoningtonhistory.org.

Book Talk with M. Earl Smith and Jade Huguenin
2021-01-19 19:30 - 20:30 | CT
Did you receive the newest book on Stonington for Christmas? Join the authors of the newest Images of America book, M. Earl Smith and Jade Huguenin, on Tuesday, January 19th. The authors will discuss interesting and curious things they learned while researching, favorite photographs and stories, and how two people – one from Kentucky, the other from Idaho, decided to write a book about Stonington. This event is free and available by registering for the Zoom link by clicking below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_x7N8Z93jTqqf9ooUJVaN_A

Venture Smith in Stonington; A Family Affair
2021-02-11 18:30 - 20:00 | The R. W. Woolworth Library & Research Center, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Join Professors Nancy Steenburg and Elizabeth Kading as they present their findings from their most recent research into the life of Venture Smith, and the prevalence of enslavement along the Connecticut coastline. This project was made possible by a generous grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. If you think you know the story of slavery in the North, and particularly in our little corner of Connecticut, be sure not to miss this one because there’s so much to learn! This program is being presented via Zoom and requires registration. Please click the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dzMKvlRHQlm3ZSzz92W49g

Wet Plate Photography Program and Demonstration
2021-04-10 10:00 - 11:00 | CT
Join us for a truly unique learning experience on Saturday, April 10th at 10am. Together with locally owned Marquis Jewelry Academy, and the Victorian Photography Studio based out of Gettysburg, PA , the Stonington Historical Society is pleased to present this free educational Zoom program. Dave Wilson of VPS will explore the collodion process of wet plate photography. If you’ve enjoyed seeing our tintypes, or just love photography, then this is the program for you. The collodion process was invented in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer. During the subsequent decades, many photographers and experimenters refined or varied the process. Within twenty years it had almost entirely replaced the first announced photographic process, the daguerreotype, and allowed many images to be created from the one glass negative.

Registration is required, so please click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAudOGgrzkoEtw5zOVGxlgVA1IiczwuPD1a

On April 17th the Victorian Photography Studio will be in town, hosting wet plate photography demonstrations at Marquis Jewelry Academy. You too can be immortalized in image the way your great-great grandparents would have been! For more information on that event, please click here.
For more about the Victorian Photography Studio, click here.

"Hidden History" with Gail MacDonald
2021-04-15 18:00 - 19:00 | CT
Join local author Gail B. MacDonald as she discusses her book Hidden History of Mystic and Stonington.
“Mystic and Stonington are quintessential seacoast villages with colorful and diverse histories that extend well beyond the wharves and former sea captains’ homes. Native Americans, African Americans, immigrants and women also wove the unique story of this New England coastline. Now known for bucolic landscapes and tourist attractions, Mystic was once a workaday village that hosted thousands during annual Peace Meetings and provided groundbreaking education to deaf children. Stonington village teemed with railroad and steamship workers and passengers and was home to a women’s college. Gail Braccidiferro MacDonald peels back the layers of these southeastern Connecticut coastal communities, revealing a rich history that is sometimes surprising and always intriguing.”
Gail Braccidiferro MacDonald is a veteran Connecticut journalist and a member of the journalism faculty at the University of Connecticut-Storrs. She is the author of Morton F. Plant and the Connecticut Shoreline: Philanthropy in the Gilded Age and is an award-winning journalist and former reporter for The Day of New London, Connecticut. Her work has been published in newspapers and magazines throughout the country. As a longtime former resident of the Pawcatuck section of Stonington, she has a deep appreciation for and love of the unique history of the Mystic and Stonington communities. She lives in New London with her husband.

To Register for the Zoom talk, please click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlcOisqTkuHdwKBRL6-OI54jxLO1eXgGzi
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Rosalie Thorne McKenna Community Photography Contest
2021-04-20 12:00 - 2021-04-30 15:00 | The Old Lighthouse Museum, 7 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
In an effort to preserve and celebrate the town’s artistic legacy, we are proud to present a community-wide photography contest. Named for portrait-photographer Rosalie “Rollie” McKenna, this annual photography contest is held to inspire new generations of photographers, as well as to continuously document our changing town by the people who live in it. We also hold this contest in memory of Rollie McKenna, who left a photographic legacy to Stonington and the world through her determination, creativity and passion for photography. May we always remember the path she forged for women in the arts!

Our 13 finalists will be on display at the Lighthouse Museum from April 20th through the 30th. The Lighthouse Museum will be open with free admission from 12pm to 3pm Tuesday – Sunday. The winners will be chosen by popular vote, so be sure you come by and cast your ballot!

First place wins $100, and a Family Membership to the Stonington Historical Society. In addition, the first prize winner will have access to the Maurice LaGrua darkroom at the Woolworth Library, and act as an honorary photography fellow*. Second place wins a free Family Membership. Third place wins a free Individual Membership. The three winning images will be displayed at the Lighthouse Museum for the 2021 season.

*McKenna Honorary Photography Fellow has access during Library open hours to the Maurice LaGrua darkroom for one year. Chemistry materials are provided by the Historical Society, but film and paper must be supplied by the fellow. If the winner has no experience in dark room techniques, lessons can be arranged. Two copies of any images produced in the darkroom will be donated to the Stonington Historical Society, and serve to increase our modern documentation of the town for posterity.

Still have questions? Contact Director of Collections and Community, Chelsea Mitchell at cmitchell@stoningtonhistory.org
