Milford Historical Society 34 High Street, Milford, CT 06460
Sunrise over Charles Island
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Tag Sale June 9
A Tag Sale will be held on the grounds of the Milford Historical Society, 34 High St., on Sat., June 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Rain date June 10). MHS will have a table and other tables will be sponsored by individual members. Proceeds will go toward the ongoing restoration and preservation of the Bryan-Downs House (c. 1785).
House Tour Season Opens June 2
Tours of the Milford Historical Society’s Historic Houses begins the weekend of June 2 and 3 from 1 to 4 p.m. and continues every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 7. Docent-led tours of the society’s three houses will be held every weekend at the MHS at 34 High Street, not far from the Town Dock.
Threads of Milford History: Quilts from 1830 to 1990
Features Quilts Made in Milford
“Threads of Milford History: Quilts from 1830 to 1990” is the title of the Milford Historical Society’s summer exhibit that opens the weekend of June 2 and 3 from 1 to 4 p.m. and will be on view every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 7. Free docent-led tours of the society’s three houses will be held every weekend at the MHS at 34 High Street, not far from the Town Dock.
ANNUAL MEETING AND DINNER
May 21, 2018
6:00 PM
The family-style dinner will be held on Monday, May 21 at 6:00 pm at the Costa Azzurra Restaurant, 72 Broadway, Milford. Please make reservations by sending your check for $30/person to Helen LaPlante, P.O. Box 337, Milford, CT 06460.
ON SATURDAY MAY 19th, THERE WILL BE TRAINING FOR NEW DOCENTS AND REFRESHERS FOR RETURNING DOCENTS.
DOCENT REFRESHER
AND
TRAINING FOR NEW DOCENTS
SATURDAY MAY 19th AT 1PM
Come tour the society houses and be the first members to see this year's Special Exhibit.
REFRESHMENTS TOO!!
RSVP: Chris Bishop at cbishop116@gmail.com or text at 203-645-3291 or Barbara Ortoleva at balortoleva@sbcglobal.net or call at 203-874-0035
UKRANIAN DELEGATION VISITS
THE MILFORD HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Devon Rotary hosted six young officials from Ukraine for eight days in March. The visit, sponsored by the Open World Leadership Center, an arm of the U.S. Congress, included a meeting with Milford's Mayor Ben Blake and other City officials at City Hall and trips to New Haven, New York City, and the State Capitol in Hartford.
Among the other sites and trips arranged for the delegation by the Rotary was a tour of the Milford Historical Society's houses and exhibits mostly about life in Milford during the 17th and 18th centuries. During the tour, there were comparisons made between early 18th century New England and Ukraine. One in particular was that by 1710, about the same time that the Eells-Stow house was expanded, Ukraine already had a written constitution that established a government of three equal branches consisting of an executive branch, a legislative branch and a judicial branch. This constitution was in effect about 75 years before the U.S. Constitution with its three branches of government.
Tamara Jackson, President of the Devon Rotary, said "We are very proud to be partnering with Open World in this effort to promote mutual understanding and friendship between these two important nations and their citizens." And the Milford Historical Society was proud to assist in and be a part of the Devon Rotary's effort.
The Milford Historical Society thanks the Devon Rotary for its $100 contribution.
MHS thanks Al May, Marilyn May, Chris Bishop and Barbara Ortoleva for their help.
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ON MONDAY MARCH 19
JENNYFER HOLMES TALKS ON
THE HISTORY OF MILFORD'S
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
On Monday, March 19 at seven o’clock at the Mary Taylor Church Hall on Broad Street the Milford Historical Society will welcome Jennyfer Holmes as its guest speaker.
The topic for the evening will be the history of the First Baptist Church and its parallels to Milford History.
The Church is located in the Milford Historic District and was founded in 1865. As part of the Connecticut Freedom Trail the names of six soldiers who fought in the American Revolution are displayed on a memorial marker in front of the First Baptist Church. The names of these soldiers are Job Caesar, Pomp Cyrus, Juba Freeman, Peter Gibbs, William Sower, Congo Zado.
The Connecticut Freedom Trail designates places that explain the struggle for freedom and human dignity and celebrates the accomplishments of Connecticut’s African American Community.
The Milford Historical Society welcomes and encourages all members of the public who are interested in our Nation’s History to attend this exciting presentation.
At this meeting, the Milford Historical Society will receive donations of non-perishable food for the Milford Senior Center.
Monday January 22
2018 at 7:00 PM
Historical Society Will Hear Story
of Revolutionary War Soldier from Milford
Come hear the words of war from a boy who was an eyewitness to the Revolution that set the country free more than 200 years ago.
That’s the topic at the next meeting of the Milford Historical Society on Monday, Jan.22. , at 7 p.m. at the Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church, 168 Broad St.
Local historian Tim Chaucer will bring the story of Joseph Plumb Martin to life with his re-enactment of this teen-ager who for a time called Milford his home. Martin was born in 1760 in Massachusetts, but – at the age of 6 - when his family fell on hard times, he was sent to live with his well-off grandparents on a farm in Milford. He had great affection for his grandparents who taught him to read and write and gave him a good education.
Chaucer’s re-enactment will tell the story of a soldier’s life: his battles with British forces and the struggles of marching, watching, waiting, freezing and starving along with the relentless problems of lack of ammunition, uniforms, boots – even water.
In 1776 Martin voluntarily enlisted in the Connecticut State Troops of the Continental Army when he was 15 and served until the hostilities ended in 1783. And all that time he kept a diary. This singular account is like no other story of the Revolution, because it tells a first-person account of what war was like for an ordinary private.
He tells of day-long marches and having to forage for food or go without it for days and encamping with little or no shelter. However, it’s not all about the hard days. His wit and sarcastic observations reveal a lot about his character and dedication to the other soldiers.
Martin was in his 70s when he decided he needed to tell his story, because he was unhappy that veterans were not being treated well and were not recognized for their service and the sacrifice of their young years. In 1830, he anonymously published his diary in book form and gave it the august title “A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier.”
The book did not sell well and was soon out of print; at one time it was thought that the account was lost to history. It wasn’t until more than a hundred years later in the mid-1950s that a first edition copy was discovered. It has been reprinted many times since with various titles. In 1962 it was reprinted under the title of “Private Yankee Doodle.” (The latest edition was printed in 2001.) The book is a trove of information for historians, researchers and people who generally like reading about the Revolution.
After the war, Martin ended up penniless in Maine and died there in 1850 at age 89. His written contribution to our understanding of the war and of one boy in the 18th century add much to our knowledge and will not likely be “lost” again.The program is free, although contributions at the door are gratefully accepted. For more information call the Society at (203)874-2264.
Friday Dec. 1 and Saturday Dec. 2 Christmas Open House at its headquarters
The Milford Historical Society will hold a Christmas Open House on Friday, Dec. 1 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its headquarters, 34 High St. Admission is free.
The highlight will be a holiday bake sale with beautifully decorated cookies, cakes, muffins, and candies, along with specialty breads. There will also be a gift basket raffle, and the Bryan-Downs and Eells-Stow houses will be open for tours.
You can get some Christmas shopping done in the Country Store where you will find Milford history books, map reproductions, games, jewelry, candles, lavender sachets, soaps, Christmas ornaments and many things for stocking stuffers.
November 20 - at the Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church
Sikorsky - That Magnificent Man in His
Helicopter is Topic for Historical Society
The speaker will be Dan Libertino, president of the Historical Archives of Igor Sikorsky since 2004
October 14: Graveyard Tour meeting at 12:50 PM behind the Freelove Baldwin DAR building
September 30 (October 1 rain date): South of The Green Walking Tour meeting at the Eells-Stowe House at 1:00 PM
September 25: Open meeting at the Mary Taylor Methodist Church featuring Ed Oberg
September 23: Visit the Herbcrafters' booth at the Fall Garlic Festival on the Milford Green
July 17: Annual Picnic
June 24: Herbcrafters Tea
June 10: Open House Day
June 3: Houses open for the season
May 16: Annual Dinner at Gusto's
March 16: Program with Orange Historical Society
"Historic Women of Southern CT" by Judith Ann Schiff
March 15: Program with Milford Library
Not-so-good Life of a Colonial Goodwife
Milford Library 6:30 pm
2016:
December 2 and 3: Christmas Fair 2016
34 High St, Friday 5-9pm, Saturday 12-5 pm
November 21: 7 pm The Red Cross
Mary Taylor Church Hall, 168 Broad St.
October 15: 1pm Annual Cemetery Tour
September 19: 7 pm Yale Football
August 20: 10-4 Oyster Festival
July 18: Annual Picnic, Wharf Lane
June 25: Garden Tea Party, Wharf Lane
June 2: Houses open for the season
May 21: Docent Training, Wharf Lane, 1pm
May 18: Annual Dinner and Meeting
Aldario's Restaurant, 240 Naugatuck Avenue, 6pm
March 21: Silas Burton of Stratford, New England weaver Mary Taylor Church Hall, 168 Broad Street, 7pm.
January 18: Glimpses of Conservation History, Past Lessons and Choices for the Future
Mary Taylor Church Hall, 168 Broad Street, 7pm
2015:
December 11 and 12: Christmas Faire
34 High Street, Friday 6-9 pm, Saturday 12-6 pm
Nov. 28 & 29, Dec. 5 & 6: General Store open for Christmas shopping, 1-4 pm
November 16: Milford Paugussett Indians
Mary Taylor Methodist Church, 7 pm
October 31: Woodmont Walking Tour
Milford Bank, Woodmont 10 am
October 24: Cemetery Tour - Re-enactors
DAR parking lot 1 pm
September 21: Connecticut in the Civil War
Mary Taylor Methodist Church, 7 pm
August 15: Oyster Festival - houses open
August 1: Guided Tour of Herb Garden
34 High Street 2 pm
July 25: Guided Tour of Summer Exhibit
34 High Street 2 pm
July 20: Annual Pot-Luck Picnic, 34 High Street 6 pm
July 12: Guided Tour of Indian Collection
34 High Street 2 pm
July 11: Docent Training, 34 High Street 1 pm
July 11: Historic Downtown Milford Walking Tour 10 am
June 27: Herbcrafters' Garden Tea Party
June 20 and 27: Ghost Hunt & Paranormal
Investigation, 9pm-midnight
June 13: CT Open Museum Day
May 31: Historic houses open for the season, 2-4 pm
May 20: Annual Dinner and Meeting
Aldario's Restaurant, 6:30 pm
March 24: Restoring Historic Homes: The Bryan-
Andrew House, Orange, 7pm
January 19: Historic Preservation in Milford
Mary Taylor Methodist Church, 7 pm
January 11: Twelfth Night at the Society
Society Houses, 1-5 pm
2014:
November 30, December 6, 7, 14, 21: General Store
Bryan Downs House Open 1-4 pm
November 24: Herbcrafters meeting
Location TBA, 7 pm
November 17: Laudamus: In Praise of Milford Harbor
Carlyne Labrecque, photographer
Mary Taylor Methodist Church, 7 pm
October 27: Haunted Milford
Northeast Paranormal Investigations Society
Mary Taylor Methodist Church, 7 pm
October 25: Woodmont Walking Tour
Meet Adams parking lot, 10 am
October 20: Board Meeting
Bryan Downs House, 7 pm
October 18: Old Milford Cemetery Tour
Meet DAR parking lot, 1 pm
October 4: Downtown Walking Tour
Meet at Parsons parking lot, 10 am
September 29-October 10: School Tours
Society Houses
September 29: Herbcrafters meeting
Bryan-Downs House, 7 pm
September 22: Peter Pond, Milford Explorer
David Chapin, author
Mary Taylor Methodist Church, 7 pm