News and Events

When: Tuesday, September, 27

Where: The Mark Twain House and Museum, at 351 Farmington Avenue

"Join us from 4 to 6:30 p.m. to hear an exciting group of panelists discuss how arts, heritage and architecture influence how neighborhoods and cities evolve and play a key role in the revitalization of urban areas, followed by a reception until 7:30 p.m."

For more information, visit the Greater Hartford Arts Council website, at connectthedots.org.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 8:55 PM

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Flood of '55 Remembered

The Hartford Courant is marking the 50th anniversary of the Flood of 1955 with a massive collection of articles, photographs, and online messages from survivors. "Flood control measures taken after the Hurricane of 1938 helped save the Hartford area from the devastation that hit much of western Connecticut, but there was still widespread flooding and significant loss of crops and livestock," the newspaper notes.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 12:00 PM

Friday, August 12, 2005

Mark Twain House Wins Federal Grant to Renovate Boardman House

The Mark Twain House and Museum has been awarded a $496,000 grant from the federal government to fund renovation of the Charles Boardman Smith House on Forest Street, across the street from the Twain house. Here's a press release on the grant from the office of U.S. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Connecticut:

"WASHINGTON – The Mark Twain House and Museum will receive $496,000 in federal funds to renovate historic properties on Forest Street in Hartford, CT, Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman announced today. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the museum a Special Project Grant for restoration and development of the properties.

"'Mark Twain was an American original. It’s no surprise that the Mark Twain House and Museum is one of Connecticut’s premier attractions,' said Dodd. 'This assistance can help further preserve and promote this American icon’s legacy.'

"'The Mark Twain House and Museum has firmly established itself as an important mainstay within the Greater Hartford community and the State of Connecticut,' Lieberman said. 'By affording the museum the opportunity to renovate and expand its own facility, the Special Project Grant will also allow it to contribute to the educational and historic character of this national treasure.'

"This important landmark and center for learning has been a premiere tourist attraction for the State of Connecticut since 1927. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963, the Mark Twain House seeks to preserve the honor and legacy of the author, Samuel Clemens. In 1977 the National Trust for Historic Preservation honored the museum by presenting it with the David E. Finley Award for 'exemplary restoration.'

"The museum purchased the Charles Boardman Smith House from the Antiquarian & Landmark Society, located on Forest Street, in the Spring of 2005. The renovation of the Forest Street property, which houses administrative offices and conference rooms, will allow the Mark Twain House and Museum to reopen a number of spaces in the Main House for public viewing.

"The Mark Twain House and Museum attracts more than 60,000 visitors from all 50 states, as well as from 70 other countries, annually."

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 11:31 AM

Thursday, August 11, 2005

First Thursday Walking Tour: Rediscovering the South Side of Main Street

The Antiquarian & Landmarks Society will hold a walking tour of historically important buildings on the south side of Main Street on Thursday, September 1, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. It will begin at the Butler-McCook House & Garden, at 396 Main Street. Stops will include Charter Oak Cultural Center, Armsmear, St. Peter Church, and the South Congregational Church. Call (860) 522-1806 to make reservations. The cost is $6 for A&L members, $8 for non-members.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 12:25 PM

ALS Hires Preservation Expert As New Leader

The Antiquarian & Landmarks Society, a statewide cultural organization that owns an assortment of historic properties across Connecticut, including the Butler-McCook House and Garden on Main Street and the Isham-Terry House on High Street, announced today that it has hired Sheryl N. Hack as its executive director.

Hack succeeds William Hosley, who left at the end of 2004. (Previous blog entry.)

She is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture at the University of Delaware. She worked for the Winterthur Museum, Mid-Atlantic Archaeological Resource Associates, and Woodward-Clyde Consultants before becoming curator of buildings at the Canterbury Shaker Village in 1993. She was promoted to chief curator in 1996, to director of programs and collections in 2000, and to director of development, marketing and administration in 2004.

Hack is currently enrolled in the Nonprofit Management and Leadership masters program at New England College. She is active in several historical and preservation organizations, including the New Hampshire Historical Resources Council, Plan New Hampshire, New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. She has also consulted for many nonprofits.

The ALS will hold a reception for Hack at noon on August 17 at the Butler-McCook Gardens, 396 Main Street. She and others will offer remarks on the importance of historic preservation.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 11:51 AM

Thursday, August 04, 2005

So Long, Carmichael's

Carmichael's, the landmark restaurant at the corner of Wethersfield Avenue and Airport Road, is no more. Signs on the building announce that the contents will be auctioned off, and an advertisement for the auction in Tuesday's Hartford Courant says the building will be demolished.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 5:18 PM

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Local News Photos of Past Three Decades on Display

From the Greater Hartford Arts Council: "Mon Aug 8, 5-7pm, Pump House Grille, 60 Elm St, Bushnell Park, Hartford. Opening reception for exhibit taken from the front pages of The Hartford News, Southside Neighborhood News and The Hill Ink since 1977. Elections, protests, scandals, parades, and familiar names from Mike Peters to George Athanson. On display through Sat Sep 10. Free, food provided. 728-6730."

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 7:06 PM

Hartford's Renee Roy, Actress and Beauty Queen

"Renee Roy, a statuesque beauty from Hartford who won the talent competition in the 1950 Miss America pageant, performed on Broadway with Bea Arthur and pitched everything from Lanacane itch cream to Air Wick air fresheners on television, died Saturday. She was 74." - Hartford Courant news story

Roy was best known for her role as a nightclub owner on the daytime soap opera "Love of Life" in the late 1960s.

Hartford History