New Canaan Historical Society

The Society's daily operations encompass many different activities:the Society maintains and operates New Canaan's first town hall (1825), now expanded to house a library and vault with documents, genealogies, art and artifacts, as well as the sillman-monroe-cody drug store museum (1846) and an extensive clothing and textile collection; the hanford-sillman house museum (c. 1764); the rogers studio museum (1878); the tool museum and nineteenth-century printing office; the rock school (1799); off campus the little red school house (1855), and the mid-century modern gores pavilion (1960). It operates a research library; a full schedule of educational programs for both children and adults; a plaquing program for historic homes; publications on New Canaan's history. It has three gallery spaces and puts on exhibitions in each of those. It runs programs, events and lectures. The largest programs from fiscal year 2021 were: 1. October4design, a month long series of programs, lectures, and activities involving architecture, art, and design. 2. Evolution of design + three iconic houses: in this program, participants purchased a basket of food and drinks and then were sent a video link of a slide show the museum prepared, and a documentary it produced on midcentury modern architecture in New Canaan. 3. The historic trail project: participants purchased bricks in honor of a family member or friend, and we constructed a path and patio that connected the historic house museums. The project also helped to fund interpretive signage for each house museum.