Historic Stonington

Stonington Independence Day Parade
2024-07-04 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)

Offices, Library, & Palmer House closed for Independence Day
2024-07-04

The Cannonball 2024: Voyage on the Houqua
2024-06-29 17:00 - 22:00 | Captain Palmer House
To Purchase Tickets or Learn More about the event, Click Here: https://e.givesmart.com/events/BSf/This year, we are excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our Cannonball Gala! It will be held on June 29th, 2024, at the Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer house. Our theme this year, “Voyage on the Houqua,” holds a special significance to Stonington and the Palmer family.Abiel Abbot Low (February 7, 1811 – January 7, 1893) was an American entrepreneur, businessman, trader, and philanthropist who gained most of his fortune from the China trade, importing teas, porcelains, and silk, and building and operating a fleet of reputable clipper ships. In 1833, Low sailed to Canton, China, and started working as a clerk for the mercantile house of Russell & Company, the largest American firm in China and also the country’s leading American opium trading and smuggling enterprise. In 1840, he launched his own business in a joint venture with Wu Bingjian, also known as Houqua, a mentor for young Americans in China, a very important Hong merchant, head of the Canton Cohong and one of the richest men in China. The company, A. A. Low & Brother named for both him and his brother, Josiah Orne Low, rapidly became one of the leading China and Japan silks and teas trading companies. Their original offices are now home to the South Street Seaport Museum.In 1843, William Low and his pregnant wife, Ann, traveled back to the US from China on board the ship Paul Jones. During the journey, Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer, a Stonington native, was also on board. Palmer had spent more than thirty years at sea and was the first American to sight the continent of Antarctica in 1820. Frustrated with the slow pace of the Paul Jones, Captain Nat started carving a block of wood to create a model of his ideal hull design for a trading ship. When they arrived in New York, Nat brought the design to A.A. Low & Brothers. When completed in 1844, it was the fastest clipper ship in the world, condensing a six-month voyage into just 100 days. The ship was named Houqua (Hoo-Kwah), after the powerful Hong merchant, who had died the year before the ship was launched.The Voyage of the Houqua propelled Captain Nat and other Stonington captains deep into the lucrative China Trade with innovative new designs that helped to create a global economy with America in the lead and effectively changed the course of history. Fortunes were made importing tea, opium, spices, and silk – and some of it was used to build Pine Point, the Palmer Family home, in 1851. This year we celebrate the ingenuity of Captain Palmer, explore trade routes, and dive into the shipboard experiences of the men and women who traveled these routes.

Private Event at the Lighthouse Museum
2024-06-29 16:00 - 21:00, 2024-06-15 16:00 - 19:00, 2024-05-04 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-29 08:00 - 17:00 | Lighthouse Museum, 7 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States

Private Event at the Captain Palmer House
2024-06-22 16:00 - 21:00 | Captain Palmer House

Offices and library closed for Juneteenth
2024-06-19 00:00 - 23:59

Stonington Cultural District Commission
2024-06-10 17:00 - 19:00, 2024-05-13 17:00 - 19:00, 2024-04-08 17:00 - 19:00, 2024-03-11 17:00 - 19:00, 2024-02-12 17:00 - 19:00, 2024-01-08 17:00 - 19:00 | The R. W. Woolworth Library & Research Center, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States

Offices, museums, and library closed for Memorial Day
2024-05-27 00:00 - 23:59

Book Club Meeting: King Philip's War by Eric B. Schulz & Michael Tougias
2024-05-21 17:00 - 18:00 | Captain Palmer House
This Book Club Meeting — King Philip’s War by Eric B. Schulz & Michael Tougias — will be hosted by Tom Sanford, board member of Historic Stonington. join us for casual conversation, light refreshments, and good company. Registration is required for this event. Click here to register.

Adventures in Wonderland - A Celebration of Tea and Flowers
2024-05-18 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-05-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Captain Palmer House
Joining forces with the Stonington Garden Club to present this year’s theme Adventures in Wonderland, Historic Stonington is thrilled to announce our spring event. Join us at the Preview Party on Friday night from 6 pm to 8 pm for the first look at Stonington Garden Club’s floral displays and exhibits. Then join us on Saturday anytime between 1 PM and 4 PM to enjoy a proper tea with light snacks, and lemonade. You might get a chance to meet our special guest, Alice in Wonderland! Ticket holders will receive admission to the museums and exhibits and are also invited to a lecture with horticulturalist Tovah Martin on the history of Wardian cases and begonias at 3pm in the RW Woolworth Library.
Tickets are available here: https://www.historicstonington.org/visit/get-tickets/

Adventures in Wonderland Flower Show - A Celebration of Tea and Flowers
2024-05-17 - 2024-05-18
Joining forces with the Stonington Garden Club to present this year’s theme Adventures in Wonderland, Historic Stonington is thrilled to announce our spring event. Join us at the Preview Party on Friday night from 6 pm to 8 pm for the first look at Stonington Garden Club’s floral displays and exhibits. Then join us on Saturday anytime between 1 PM and 4 PM to enjoy a proper tea with light snacks, lemonade, and a bit of prosecco. You might get a chance to meet our special guests Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts. Ticket holders will receive admission to the museums and exhibits and are also invited to a lecture with horticulturalist Tovah Martin on the history of Wardian cases and begonias.

To purchase your tickets, click here: https://www.historicstonington.org/visit/get-tickets/

Professor Chris Steiner on History of Portraiture
2024-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 | The La Grua Center, 32 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States

Rollie McKenna Community Photo Contest
2024-04-15 - 2024-04-26 | The Old Lighthouse Museum, 7 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
The Rosalie Thorne McKenna Community Photo Contest is held in April every year at the Lighthouse Museum. This year’s theme is portraits. Rollie McKenna made her career in portrait photography, and we’d love to honor her amazing talent with this year’s theme. So go through those photos from last year, or make arrangements to take a photo of that person you really love speaking to. We are constantly asked for photographs of Stonington residents of the past, and this will ensure that we continue recording our town for future generations. As always, photographs should be of a Stonington resident. Please submit your entry to Chelsea Mitchell at cmitchell@historicstonington.org before April 1.

Book Club Discussion – Draggerman's Haul by Ellery Thompson
2024-03-28 17:00 - 18:00 | Captain Palmer House
Join us at the Captain Palmer House (40 Palmer Street) for a book club discussion! Click here to purchase the book through our website or stop by the Palmer House between 8 AM and 3 PM to purchase from the shop. Our discussion takes place on March 28th at 5 PM. Registration is required. Click here to register. Please note: This is not a lecture. Please come prepared to discuss the book, which will be moderated by Susan Tamulevich.

Private Event
2024-02-24 08:00 - 17:00 | Lighthouse Museum, 7 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States

Offices and library closed for Presidents' Day
2024-02-19 00:00 - 23:59

Book Club Discussion - In the Village
2024-02-06 17:00 - 19:00 | Captain Palmer House
Join us at the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House for a book club discussion of In the Village by Anthony Bailey. This is the second date added for this discussion, due to popular demand. If you missed out on registering for January 31st, be sure to register for this one. Spaces fill up quickly! Register here.

Book Club Discussion - In the Village
2024-01-31 17:00 - 19:00 | Captain Palmer House
Join us at the Captain Palmer House (40 Palmer St., Stonington) for our first book club discussion! This winter, tuck into “In the Village” by Anthony Bailey. Our discussion takes place on Wednesday, January 31st at 5pm. Registration is required at this link – Click Here.

Offices and library closed for Martin Luther King Day
2024-01-15 00:00 - 23:59

Stonington High School Student Photography Exhibit
2024-01-08 - 2024-02-29 | The R. W. Woolworth Library & Research Center, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States

Offices and library closed for New Year's Day
2024-01-01 00:00 - 23:59
