News and Events

"Park Street's derelict Lyric Theater building, a once-grand Hartford structure that's been allowed to deteriorate almost beyond repair, is poised for resurrection as a public library and regional cultural center," the Hartford Courant says in an editorial today. "It couldn't happen to a nicer building in a more deserving neighborhood."

The theater, located at the corner of Broard and Park streets, has three floors. Under an $8.5 million renovation plan developed by the Broad-Park Development Corp., the first floor would become a Hartford Public Library branch focusing on Puerto Rican and Latino history and culture, while a performing arts center, artists' studios, and spaces for live theater, dance, concerts and films would occupy the second floor. Broad-Park would move into the third floor, freeing up its current office space on Park Street for retail use.

Now that there's a plan, the new task is to raise money. "Surely the state should consider kicking in for this worthy project, which has so many potential benefits and beneficiaries," the Courant says.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 11:26 AM

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Ridgefield Historic District created

The City Council has voted to create a historic district in the city's Blue Hills neighborhood.

The new Ridgefield Historic District covers approximately 30 homes along Keney Park, running on Ridgefield Street between Westbourne Parkway and Plainfield Street, the Hartford Courant reports. The move gives homes in the district some legal protection, along with prestige.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 4:57 PM

Historic Capewell gets new investor

The long-anticipated conversion of the former Capewell Horse Nail Co. factory into condominiums may start by September, thanks to a new investor in the project: the New Boston Fund Inc., a real-estate investment fund that owns the new condominium complex at Pearl and Trumbull streets.

The project’s developer, John Reveruzzi, says he has signed a letter of intent that makes New Boston his new partner, according to the Hartford Courant.

The red-brick building, located on Charter Oak Avenue, between the Colt factory and Main Street, has been vacant for some time and vulnerable to vandalism.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 7:42 AM

Friday, April 21, 2006

Save the gravestones of our Revolutionary War veterans

By one count, the Old South Burying Ground holds the remains of 32 Revolutionary War veterans, not to mention those of many other early residents of Hartford. Yet the place is almost invisible, set far back from Maple Avenue and overshadowed by the adjacent Fox Elementary School (formerly Bulkeley High School.) That invisibility has been costly. Most of the gravestones have crumbled; some have all but disappeared. A small group, Friends of the Old South Burying Ground, has been trying its best to preserve the cemetery, but it needs help -- especially from the City of Hartford, which controls the site.

On Monday, April 17, the Friends took it upon themselves to hold Patriots Day ceremonies at the gravesites of the Revolutionary War veterans they could identify. Here's a PDF file containing photographs of the event and some of the stones.

And here's a Yahoo! map for finding the place.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 5:31 PM

Friday, March 24, 2006

Edythe Gaines: 1922-2006

Edythe Gaines was a Hartford "first" in two respects: She was the first African-American to lead the city school system and the first woman to do so. Gaines, whose tenure as superintendent of schools lasted from 1975 to 1978, died Thursday morning at the age of 83, according to the Hartford Courant.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 9:45 AM

Thursday, March 16, 2006

CHS director leaving for New Orleans

The Hartford Courant reports today that David M. Kahn, executive director of the Connecticut Historical Society for the past nine years, will leave in May to become director of the New Orleans-based Louisiana State Museum.

Kahn told the Courant that he could not pass up the opportunity to help a historic institution rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The newspaper listed these as some of Kahn's accomplishments at CHS:

The museum's decision in 2003 to assume responsibility for managing the Old State House, where a $3.5 million permanent exhibit on the history of Hartford will open in September. A new audio tour of the Old State House was introduced on March 4.
An expansion of audience-friendly and interactive exhibitions on topics ranging from 18th-century Connecticut furniture to the history of the comic book.
Improvements in cataloging the museum's collections and making them easier for the public to navigate.

By the way, CHS wants visitors to its museum and headquarters on Elizabeth Street to know this: "In order to better protect and preserve our collections, the CHS Museum will be installing new climate control (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems in 2006, thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. While access to the exhibitions, plus the library and museum collections may be limited (especially between February and June 2006), we’ll strive to accommodate your interests and research needs, but recommend you call ahead. Thanks for your patience! Call for further information (860) 236-5621, or e-mail ask_us@chs.org for further information."

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 1:05 PM

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Historic gardens lecture on April 6

Artist, garden designer, and historic gardens consultant Rob Fuoco will present an illustrated lecture on Victorian gardens and new thinking in historic landscapes on Thursday, April 6, at the Butler-McCook House & Garden at 396 Main Street.

Mr. Fuoco oversees the historic gardens at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford and has authored an extensive historic grounds report on the Nook Farm neighborhood.

The event is sponsored by the Antiquarian & Landmarks Society, a statewide cultural organization that operates a network of historic house museums, including the Butler-McCook house. The cost: none for A&L members, $6 for non-members. Reservations are suggested, so please call (860) 522-1806.

Also on April 6, the Butler-McCook House’s Aetna gallery will host the opening of "A Photographer’s Eye: H. Robert Thiesfield’s Hartford Images." The opening was originally scheduled for last month, but a snowstorm forced postponement.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 12:47 PM

Monday, March 06, 2006

Nominations sought for Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame

Governor M. Jodi Rell is accepting nominations to the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame, which she created last year "to recognize the post-military achievements of generations of outstanding veterans from the state, living or deceased, and to spotlight their contributions to their community, including education, public safety, politics, recreation and other areas of public service."

Under the executive order that established the hall, 10 Connecticut veterans will be inducted every year, with the ceremony taking place around Veterans Day.

Veterans who served in all military conflicts will be considered, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Iraq invasion.

Rell, in a press release, emphasized that the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame is not a military hall of fame. Rather, veterans selected for induction must have honorably served their country in the military and continued to serve it afterward, in civilian life. Nominations for deceased veterans are also accepted.

For more details and a nomination packet, visit the state Department of Veteran Affairs website, or call (860)721-5939.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 9:48 PM

Sunday, March 05, 2006

No free lunch -- but there is a free bus

It's a little nippy out lately for walking tours of the historic sites in downtown Hartford. But you can still check them out from the sheltered warmth of the FREE shuttle bus that runs downtown.

Here's a map of the route and the stops.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 11:15 PM

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Series of Hartford history lectures begins May 16

The Greater Hartford Arts Council is co-sponsoring a series of lectures on the history of Hartford, in the belief that "newcomers as well as long-term residents of the region should share a base of knowledge about our core city and its environs."

Trinity College historian Andrew Walsh will deliver the first lecture, "The Changing Face of Hartford: From River’s Edge to Ribbons of Concrete," on Tuesday, May 16, at the Hartford Club, at 46 Prospect Street. A half-hour of socializing, with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar, will precede the lecture, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $35, with seating limited to the first 100 paid admissions.

Visit the Arts Council's website for more information.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 9:04 PM

Monday, February 27, 2006

See historic postcards at March 30 reception

Historic postcards depicting towns throughout Connecticut will be on display at a wine and cheese reception on Thursday, March 30.

The reception will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Petrini Gallery, located in the former G. Fox department store building at 960 Main Street. The event is sponsored by the gallery and the Antiquarian & Landmarks Society.

On display will be postcards from the collection of Raymond Cable, a Milford resident who owned about 12,000 images, including albums, loose cards, and a dozen boxes of glass-plate negatives of Connecticut landmarks dating primarily from 1870 to 1920. The collection is a rich source of illustrations for authors, publishers, educators, and researchers. All 169 Connecticut cities and towns are represented in his postcards. (Shown here is a postcard depicting Hartford's Bushnell Park at a time when the Park River remained exposed.)

According to A&LS, the reception "will be an opportunity to order your personal landmark image. It could be the place where you were born or your parents lived all their lives; it could be a building which doesn’t exist anymore or your favorite place in Connecticut. Do not miss this unique chance to view, to mingle, to cherish, to acquire a keepsake which will last for ever!"

The full Cable Postcard Collection is available for viewers by appointment at A&L’s headquarters at 255 Main Street, 4th floor, Hartford, CT 06106, call (860) 247-8996, ext.12 or visit www.hartnet.org/als.

Petrini Gallery specializes in quality custom framing and has been serving the Hartford area since 1970. The gallery is open to the public Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information call (860) 241-1099.

The Antiquarian & Landmarks Society is a statewide cultural organization that operates a network of historic house museums. It promotes interest in Connecticut's special places by preserving properties and collections of historic, scenic, and artistic value

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 10:45 PM

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Know someone deserving of a preservation award?

This call has gone out to members of the Hartford Preservation Alliance:

"In May of each of the past five years, national Preservation Month (formerly Preservation Week) in Hartford has been celebrated with an awards ceremony for persons who have, during the preceding year, contributed in exceptional ways to architectural preservation in Hartford.

"We have now started the process of collecting recommendations for this year's preservation awards and would very much appreciate your suggestions. We are especially interested in awards which show preservation activity at the neighborhood level. Recommendations will be accepted in at least the following categories:

Historic restoration, exterior and interior
Historically-sensitive in-fill and new construction
Historic painting
Facade restoration
Park improvement and landscaping
Historically-sensitive streetscape improvements
Historic signage
Historic district creation
Adaptive reuse
Community education
Preservation advocacy
Lifetime contribution to the preservation movement

"These categories, however, are not exclusive. Recommendations of all sorts are welcome -- we encourage creativity. We also encourage you to ask your friends and associates to help identify potential awardees.

"If you have recommendations for Preservation Week awards in 2006, please send them to us. We would appreciate your responding by March 11 (although we will accept recommendations past that date)."

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 11:44 AM

Find out what's new at the Old State House

Among the Aetna First Thursdays events to be held in Hartford on Thursday, March 2, will be a noontime talk on the developments planned for the Old State House. Given at the downtown landmark by Old State House Executive Director David M. Kahn, it will include a multi-media exhibit, "History Is All Around Us." It's free. Bring your own bag lunch. For more information, call 522-6766.

Another First Thursday event planned for 5:30 to 7 p.m. that day is an exhibit photographs taken throughout the Hartford area over the past 30 years by Glastonbury photographer Robert Thiesfield. They include images of the state Capitol, the Ancient Burying Ground, and Hartford City Hall. Meet the artist during a wine and cheese reception in the Aetna Gallery at the Butler-McCook House and Gardern at 396 Main Street. For more information, call 522-1806. The Butler-McCook House is operated as a museum by the Antiquarian & Landmarks Society.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 11:19 AM

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

First 150 years of Hartford Courant now online--for free!

A news release from the Connecticut State Library:

"HARTFORD, CT -- It was April 10, 1865 and the Hartford Daily Courant headline read 'Glorious News! Surrender of Lee and His Whole Army!' This is but one of the fascinating moments in time captured by the Hartford Courant historical collection, a newly created digital archive offered through the State Library’s Connecticut Digital Library (iCONN) project.

"The Hartford Courant historical collection is a fully searchable digital archive of more than 280,000 pages of the paper that is 'older than the nation.' The collection spans over 150 years of news, from the inception of the paper in 1764 to December 31, 1922.

"'This is an exciting and signficant addition to the suite of iCONN databases and one that benefits all Connecticut residents,' said State Librarian Kendall F. Wiggin.

"The Hartford Courant historical collection joins the current iCONN offerings of more than 4,000 full-text magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals, ebooks, images, encyclopedia entries, and a statewide library catalog. iCONN databases are available to every academic, public, and K-12 library in Connecticut. They are also accessible to Connecticut residents through www.iconn.org. Residents using iCONN from outside of a library need their public library card to use the service.

"The Connecticut State Library worked with a coalition of other libraries, educational institutions, and private foundations to underwrite the costs of digitization. The State Library contracted with ProQuest Information and Learning to create the digital archive.

"'This was the first time the State Library has gone to the library community to help fund an iCONN database and the response was gratifying,' noted Mr. Wiggin.

"The Connecticut Digital Library – a.k.a., iCONN - was proposed by then-Lieutenant Governor M. Jodi Rell in 1999 and was subsequently passed into law in the 2000 legislative session. Since the service 'went live' in 2001, over 30 million searches have been conducted. iCONN is administered by the Connecticut State Library, in conjunction with the Department of Higher Education.

"A direct link into the Hartford Courant historical collection is available at http://rqst-agent.auto-graphics.com/LoginModule/Goto.aspx?cuid=rqst&dataid=765. If you are outside of a library, you will be asked to provide a valid public library barcode number to enter the database.

"If you have questions or comments about the Hartford Courant historical project, you can contact the Connecticut Digital Library offices at 860-344-2475 or via our web-based form at: http://www.iconn.org/SendComments.aspx."

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 12:11 AM

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Pictures sought for book on Hartford's West Indian community

"West Indian-Americans in Greater Hartford: Images of the Past, 1920 to 1970" will be published this fall by Arcadia Publishing, the same company responsible for the wonderful "Images of Hartford" picture books. This book, slated to appear in the fall, is being put together by members of the West Indian Foundation, the West Indian Social Club, and other organizations, according to the Hartford Courant. Photographs are still being sought. If you have any you'd like to share, call Keith Carr at 860-241-0379 or Fiona Vernal at 860-486-5539.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 11:19 PM

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Hartford's synagogues

Today's Hartford Courant includes a long and fascinating op-ed article on the history of Hartford's synagogues, "Temples Woven In Hartford History." The author, Mary M. Donohue, architectural historian of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, writes: "There are no active Jewish synagogues in the city today, but there were more than a dozen, beginning in the 1800s." She notes that many of the buildings remain in use, "most often as Protestant churches with largely African-American congregations." A sidebar article lists nine major Hartford synagogues and their current uses.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 1:15 PM

Monday, January 16, 2006

Discovered: Tape of early King speech in Hartford

The University of Hartford recently discovered in its vaults a tape recording of a speech Martin Luther King Jr. delivered at the Bushnell on May 7, 1959, according to the Hartford Courant. King, then 30 years old, told an audience of about 1,400: "I come to Hartford not totally a stranger because I have very pleasant memories of this city." He was referring to visiting the city as a teenager, while among a group of Morehouse College students who worked on a tobacco farm in Simsbury one summer. His speech also contained hints of the more famous "I Have a Dream Speech" he would deliver four years later in Washington, D.C., the Courant reports. Alongside the article is a link to a sample of the recording.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 10:19 AM

Saturday, January 14, 2006

The 'Muni' is gone. Long live ... Dunkin' Donuts

The Municipal Cafeteria was a Main Street landmark for decades. Located across the street from City Hall and the Hartford Public Library, it was an ideal spot for downtown workers -- and a treasure trove of old Hartford photographs, which lined the walls. Unfortunately, it also became rundown in its later years; letting rock bands perform there at night didn't help the decor either. Finally, the Muni closed. Now a Dunkin' Donuts is preparing to open in that space. Say what you want about chain operations, but the place looks cleaner than it has in many years. And it's one less vacant storefront.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 5:07 PM

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Author of new Hartford memoir profiled

Mary-Ann Tirone Smith, author of "Girls of Tender Age," recounts in a Hartford Courant profile what it was like growing up in Hartford during the 1950s. The memoir focuses on the murder of her fifth-grade classmate in December 1953, along with difficulties (though she didn't see them as such at the time) of growing up with an autistic brother.

Author's page on Simon & Schuster site

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 9:41 PM

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Twain and Stowe homes featured in New York Times

In an article headlined, "Huck Finn's Hartford Birthplace, With Little Eva Across the Lawn," the New York Times on Friday profiled the homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe, located next-door to each other on Farmington Avenue. "Both houses are treasures," the Times reports. "Stowe's is simple and reflects the accomplishments of a storied career. Clemens's is a shrine to his family life but also contains the room where both Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer emerged from his pen--1,000 miles from their home on the Mississippi."

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 11:36 AM

Friday, January 06, 2006

New resources on State Library site

Check out these recent additions to the Connecticut State Library's website:

Research guide to old houses. "Today, many people are interested in finding the history of old houses," the library notes. "They may have purchased an old house, have one in their family, or just want to know more about the famous historic houses in their town. The Connecticut State Library has many sources that can help in this search."
Facts about Connecticut's governors. This page contains more than 50 questions -- and, thankfully, the answers. Several pertain to Hartford.
Connecticut Freedom Trail quilts. To convey the dramatic and important story of Connecticut's African-American experience, the legistature in 1995 approved the creation of the Connecticut Freedom Trail, a network of 40 public and private historic properties. This page contains images of quilts depicting the properties, including these in Hartford: the Frank T. Simpson House, the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, North Cemetery, the Old State House, Union Baptist Church, and Faith Congregational Church.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 6:31 AM

Saturday, December 31, 2005

Arch hit by yet another car, but help may be on the way

A car crash this week destroyed "a sizable section" of the brownstone bridge leading up to the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in Bushnell Park, making it the sixth time this year alone that a car has struck the arch or the bridge.

On January 18, the Bushnell Park Foundation will hold a "summit" of state, local and corporate leaders, among others, to seek funding for a $2.2 million street reconstruction for the arch area, according to the Hartford Courant.

"The plan would widen the sidewalks that run alongside the arch, and narrow the street underneath it by building obstructions that would force a fast driver to slow down," the Courant reports. "A 25-foot-wide section of the street underneath the arch would be elevated and built out of cobblestone or another material that would dissuade speed."

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 12:54 PM

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Former G. Fox mezzanine now home to cocktail lounge

Most of the former G. Fox department store on Main Street was taken over several years ago by Capital Community College--but not all of it. The latest issue of the Hartford Courant's NE magazine contains a review of Mezzanine, a cocktail lounge that occupies (where else?) the former store's great Art Deco mezzanine. "Swank is perhaps the best word to describe the cocktail lounge, outfitted with handsome furniture, rich textiles and low-watt lamps," the Courant reports. Those of us who shopped or worked there in the early '80s remember it as the home of G. Fox's suprisingly good record store.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 6:24 PM

Thursday, December 22, 2005

'Girls of Tender Age': A memoir of growing up in 1950s Hartford

Mary-Ann Tirone Smith, a Hartford native who previously used the city as a setting for her novel, "Masters of Illusion: A Novel of the Connecticut Circus Fire," writes directly about her South End childhood in her latest book, "Girls of Tender Age: A Memoir." According to Kirkus Reviews, the work "intertwines delightful stories from childhood with a grim chronicle of a sexual predator (Bob Malm) whose murder of the author's grade-school classmate has haunted her for decades."

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 10:47 PM

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

More lectures in the Connecticut Collectors & Explorers series

Press release from the Antiquarian & Landmarks Society:

"The 9th annual Connecticut Collectors and Explorers lecture series, 'Excellence in Excess: The Art, Architecture, and Landscape of the Victorian Era,' will explore the Victorian era in Connecticut. The late-19th Century was an era of great significance for the state, and this year’s lecture series will focus on the architecture, interior design, furnishings, gardens, and clothing of this era.

"The first lecture, 'History and the Invention of Tradition in Victorian America,' will trace how factors, such as the growth of cities, the impact of immigration, the development of an industrial and mass culture and the persistence and celebration of 'traditional' New England culture influenced the evolution of American and regional historical consciousness. Presented by Dr. Harvey Green, professor of history at Northeastern University and author of 'Light of the Home ... Women in Victorian America.'

"'Domestic Embellishment: Decorative Arts of the Victorian Era,' the second lecture,
examines the varied and often lush decorative arts of the Victorian period in America. The emphasis will be on Connecticut household furnishings, including furniture, ceramics, silver, and glass. Presented by Dr. Nan Wolverton, independent scholar and formerly Curator of Decorative Arts at Old Sturbridge Village.

"The third presentation, 'What Shall We Do With Our Walls?', discusses the numerous options for decorating walls and ceilings in the Victorian home, including wallpaper, paint, and fabric. The talk will utilize examples from historic properties in the era, including A&L’s own Butler-McCook House, and discuss the variety of styles available, lighting options, and the availability of papers, paints and people to do the work. Presented by Marianne Curling, independent curator, and formerly Curator of the Mark Twain House.

"Next, 'A Social History of Victorian Dress' examines the social context of Victorian costume and explain why men's, women's, and children's costume looked like it did, from the Gothic Revival to the Renaissance Revival, to the Colonial Revival. Presented by Lynne Zacek Bassett, an independent scholar specializing in New England's historic costume and textiles who recently curated the award-winning exhibition, 'Modesty Died When Clothes Were Born: Costume in the Life and Literature of Mark Twain.'

'The final lecture, 'Gardening in Victorian America 1850-1900' explores the details of Victorian gardens, including overall plans, the gardens’ relationships to architecture, and garden details, such as ornaments and plants. The lecture will conclude with thoughts on how the Victorian style influenced future garden styles, and what elements of the late 19th century era endure to this day. Presented by Martha H. Lyon, landscape architect and adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts."

The talks will be held in the spring of 2006 in Hartford, New Haven, Torrington, and Old Lyme. The Hartford talks will be held at the South Congregational Church, 277 Main Street, as follows:

March 7 - History and the Invention of Tradition in Victorian America

March 14 - Domestic Embellishment: Decorative Arts of the Victorian Era

March 21 - What Shall We Do With Our Walls

March 28 - A Social History of Victorian Dress

April 4 - Gardening in Victorian America 1850-1900

All the talks begin at 5:30 p.m.

Admission to individual lectures is $8 for ALS members, $10 for non-members. Admission to the series: $30 for members, $40 for non-members.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 8:23 PM

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Here's a great gift idea

Ten bucks gets you the 2006 Greater Hartford Heritage Calendar, courtesy of the Greater Hartford Arts Council. The calendar contains 28 photos of historical sites in Hartford and surrounding towns, including the state Capitol, the Old State House, the Mark Twain house, the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, the Wadsworth Atheneum, and the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 10:42 AM

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

So Long, YMCA Building--Again

The Hartford YMCA building at the corner of Jewell and Pearl Streets, overlooking Bushnell Park, will be torn down and replaced by what the Hartford Courant describes as "the largest downtown residential development in years," containing 200 upscale condominiums and 100 apartments. The Y plans to move its health facilities and headquarters to the Hartford 21 building at the Civic Center--another Northland development. Its remaining programs and services will move to new facilities in the city's north and south ends.

There will be no relocation, however, for the 145 residential rooms at the downtown Y. Early in its history, when Hartford was a factory city, the Y provided temporary housing to young men who came to town in search of manufacturing jobs. But times have changed. As Tom Reynolds, the Y's vice president for development services, told the Courant: "We now work primarily with children and families."

This won't be the first time a downtown YMCA has been razed. To make way for the current building, the Y's original headquarters--an imposing Victorian-style building--was razed in early 1970s, despite intense opposition from residents. That episode is often referred to as the genesis of the preservation movement in Hartford.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 11:12 AM

Friday, October 14, 2005

The other Harriet Beecher Stowe House

Before she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, before she moved to Farmington Avenue, Harriet Beecher Stowe lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her house there still stands, and according to a recent Chicago Sun-Times article, several groups are looking at its potential as a tourist attraction. The Sun-Times reports that Stowe, then in her early 20s, moved to Cincinnati in the early 1830s because her father, the Rev. Lyman Beecher, had became president of a local theological seminary. "While in Cincinnati, she encountered runaway slaves escaping to freedom and viewed a slave auction in neighboring Kentucky," the newspaper reports.

# Posted by Kevin Flood at 8:26 PM

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Connecticut Archaeology Expo 2005

"STORRS, CT, September 12, 2005 -- On Sunday, October 9, 2005, from 12 noon to 5 pm, the 2nd Annual Connecticut Archaeology Expo will be presented by the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Connecticut Archaeology Center at UConn, in cooperation with the Office of State Archaeology, the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism's State Historic Preservation Office, and the Wethersfield Historical Society. The Expo will take place in the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, 200 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT. Admission is $5.00 (free for members of the Museum of Natural History). Call 860.486.4460 for information, or check the website: http://www.cac.uconn.edu/archexpo.html.

"The Connecticut Archaeology Expo is a rare opportunity for people of all ages to learn about human culture in Southern New England over the last 12,000 years. Scientists, specialists and enthusiasts from all over the state will assemble for this one-day public event to share their fascinating research and preservation work on Connecticut's rich archaeological and historical heritage. This exciting Archaeology Month event will feature hands-on activities for children and families, presentations by experts, demonstrations of ancient technologies and early industry, informative displays from archaeological and historical organizations, and guided walks. Lectures by noted individuals in the field, including Dr. Ernest Wiegand, Dan Cruson and Walter Landgraf, will be open to everyone attending the event. You may also want to visit the outstanding historical museums, shops and restaurants all within easy walking distance in Connecticut's largest and oldest historic district, Old Wethersfield.

"'This is the only Archaeology Expo on the East Coast, designed to bring into one place numerous different activities and the entire community of working archaeologists, cultural resource managers and historians. During the Expo, you'll learn how humans have lived here from long ago to the present,' said State Archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni.

Hartford History