Historic Stonington

Reflections in the Ice: Discovery and Demise in Antarctica 1820-2020
2020-09-16 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
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 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.

Annual Meeting
2020-07-19 16:00 - 17:00
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]

The Work Must Be Done: Women of Color and the Right to Vote
2020-07-11 10:00 - 11:00
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.

Declaration of Independence
2020-07-04 11:00 - 23:30
Join us in celebration of America’s birthday with our annual reading of one of our nation’s founding documents. Typically, the Declaration of Independence is read at the completion of our annual parade through the Borough. This year, because of the global pandemic, there will not be a parade. However, you can find us on Facebook at @stoningtonhistoricalsociety during our live-stream event for a rousing call for “A pox on King George!”

Woolworth Library Window Display
2020-07-02 17:00 - 22:00, 2020-07-01 17:00 - 22:00, 2020-06-30 17:00 - 22:00, 2020-06-18 17:00 - 22:00, 2020-06-17 17:00 - 22:00, 2020-06-16 17:00 - 22:00, 2020-06-04 17:00 - 22:00, 2020-06-03 17:00 - 22:00 and 1 more date | The R. W. Woolworth Library & Research Center, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Visit the Woolworth Library after hours to see a sample of our extensive textile collection. Every other week during the month of June we’ll have a new display. Dresses, military uniforms, pajamas, shoes and more will rotate through our window. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings beginning at 5 p.m.

The Cannon Ball: A Virtual Blast
2020-06-27 19:00 - 20:00
Join us online for our annual fundraiser and participate in a live auction from the comfort of wherever you might be! Ticket holders for this one-of-a-kind event will receive a gift basket, and will be eligible for two drawings during the show. For tickets and details on how to attend, visit thecannonball.givesmart.com.

Forty Palmer Street
2020-06-23 15:00 - 15:30, 2020-06-09 15:00 - 15:30
Join us on Facebook for a short, engaging live video. On every other Tuesday afternoon during the month of June we’ll feature an item from our collection, and answer your questions. Handwritten journals and clothing are always interesting, but who knows what we might grab!

Forty Palmer Street
2020-05-26 15:00 - 15:30, 2020-05-19 15:00 - 15:30, 2020-05-12 15:00 - 15:30, 2020-05-05 15:00 - 15:30
Join us on Facebook for a short, engaging live video. Every Tuesday afternoon during the month of May we’ll feature an item from our collection, and answer your questions. Handwritten journals and clothing are always interesting, but who knows what we might grab!

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/

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: 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.

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 - 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.

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.

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.

The Founding of Saint Michael's Church by the Downerville Irish
2020-02-23 13:00 - 14:30 | Saint Michael’s Church, 60 Liberty St, Pawcatuck, CT, 06379
Join the Irish Presence Project of the Stonington Historical Society for this illuminating presentation by Larry O’Keefe. Explore the Irish community of the 19th century that came together and made this church a reality. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to see the church after its recent restoration! Free and open to the public so we hope to see you there.

Annual Harpsichord Concert
2019-12-13 18:00 - 20:00
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!
