*All programs are held
at the Windsor Historical Society unless noted
otherwise.
February 15
7 PM to 8 PM
Slavery and Race in
Connecticut: Attitudes Before, During and After the
Civil War. The history of slavery and
race in Connecticut is not what you may think. As
the New England state with the largest slave
population at the time of the American Revolution,
Connecticut reveals a troubled connection to the
"peculiar institution" and the problems of race that
were woven within. Join CCSU Professor of History
Dr. Matthew Warshauer for an intriguing and at times
disconcerting look at how Connecticut residents
viewed slavery and race before, during, and after
the Civil War. COST: $6 adults, $5 seniors and
students, $4 members. For more information,
contact the Society at 860/688-3813.
February 20-24
10 AM – 1 PM
Candle-Dipping and Photo
Contest Kick-Off:
Wondering how to entertain your children over
Winter Break? Bring them to Candle-Dipping
at Windsor Historical Society; we’ll provide
different colors to make each candle unique. The
society’s Hands-On-History Learning Center will be
open where children can try on reproduction colonial
clothing, try out a child-sized rope bed or “milk”
Flavia the cow. Children and adults can also take
and submit digital images for the Society’s “Windsor
Wonderland” Photo Contest on Facebook. Photographers
of all ages can bring their own cameras or use those
available at the Society (adult must have ID). COST:
$5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 children, $2 members or
$10 per family. For more information, contact the
Society at 860/688-3813.
March 3 2
PM – 3 PM
Slavery: Stories of
Survival at Windsor Historical Society.
What was it like to be an enslaved person? Join
gifted storyteller Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti as
she assumes the character of Ruth who provides an
unflinching portrait of her kidnapping, the horrors
of the Middle Passage her experiences as an
enslaved person in America, and her escapes. Ruth’s
story is a composite gleaned from maritime log
books, slave narratives, slave owner records, and
newspaper advertisements. COST: $6 adults, $5
seniors and students, $4 members. For more
information, contact the Society at 860/688-3813.
March 22
7 PM -- 8 PM
“With Womanly Weapons Girt:” Women’s Voluntarism
during the Civil War
at Windsor Historical Society. Join Lynne Bassett,
guest curator of textiles and costumes for the
Wadsworth Atheneum for an illustrated lecture
examining the Herculean efforts of women on the home
front and the textiles that women from both North
and South created to honor their country and the men
on the battlefields. Through their
handmade socks, hospital shirts, flannel drawers,
carpet slippers and quilts, women not only supplied
their absent men folk with necessary clothing and
bedding, but with assurance that their sacrifice was
honored and their presence missed.
COST: $6 adults, $5 seniors and students, $4
members. For more information, contact the
Society at 860/688-3813.
March 31
10 AM – 11:30 AM
Researching the
History of Your House at Windsor Historical
Society. You can research the history of your house
whether it is 20 years old or 150 years old. Marian
Pierre-Louis will introduce where to find the deeds
to your house, how to chain a deed, and how to
locate other sources of information such as the US
Federal Census records. Beverly Garvan, historian
and land records researcher will also be on hand to
answer questions about access to land records at the
Windsor Town Clerk’s office and collaborate with
Marian Pierre-Louis to present a local case-study.
This talk is appropriate for both beginners and
those who have some research experience.
COST: $6 adults, $5 seniors
and students, $4 members.
For more information, contact the Society at
860/688-3813.
April 5
5PM
Windsor Wonderland Facebook
Photo Contest Submission Deadline:
Attention all photographers! Let Windsor’s people,
places, or objects capture your imagination – and
your camera’s attention. Photographers from all over
can submit up to five digital images of Windsor
subjects. All images will be posted and voted on
through the Society’s Facebook page. Prizes: 1st
- $100, 2nd - $75, 3rd - $50.
FREE. For submission requirements, contact Windsor
Historical Society at 860/688-3813 x. 104.
April 12
9PM
Windsor Wonderland Facebook
Photo Contest Voting Deadline: Enjoy
spectacular images of Windsor and Windsorites, and
exercise your right to vote. Anytime from February
20th to April 12th, visit the
Society’s Facebook page and vote for your favorite
set of Windsor photographs. You can only vote once
– so choose carefully! The winners will be announced
Friday, April 13th. Contact Windsor
Historical Society at 860/688-3813 x. 104.
April 17
7 PM – 8 PM
A Colored Man’s
Constitution: Emancipation and the Act of Writing
at Windsor Historical Society. Dr. Christopher
Hager, assistant professor of English at Trinity
College will share what he has learned from diaries,
journals, letters, and other forms of writing that
survive from “marginally literate former slaves”
writing during the years of emancipation. John
Washington learned to read secretly by reading
Harper’s Magazine and wrote a memoir in 1873. An
enslaved potter in South Carolina we know only as
“Dave” scratched lines of poetry in the clay pots he
made. Other materials have surfaced in attics of
descendants of former slaves. Hear some powerful
words from those who were making the transition from
slavery to freedom. COST: $6 adults, $5 seniors and
students, $4 members. For more information,
contact the Society at 860/688-3813.
April 28
10 AM - 4 PM
House Tour
sponsored by Windsor Historical Society. A striking
selection of historic Windsor residences will be
open for public touring. Costumed members of the
Windsor Jesters community theater group portraying
early homeowners will welcome tour participants.
Advance tickets: $20; day-of-tour tickets $25. For
more information, contact the Society at
860/688-3813.
