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Box 212 Monroe, CT 06468
Quilt Show and Textile Sale Despite very rainy spring weather, we had a large number of people visiting the Beardsley House and Barn on April 26. Some of the finest textiles in our collection were on display in the House, including our Bicentennial Quilt, two recent acquisitions from the Burr family that were made in the 1880s, woven coverlets from Jean Lovelands family, and a collection of doll clothes made in the late 1800s. Bargain hunters found exactly what they were looking for in the Barn. Thanks to all who donated items for this sale. The most popular items were quilting and craft magazines and remnant pieces of fabric. Special thanks to Dolores Rossler and Doris Wolfe for their large donations of these items. The few items left at the end of the day will be offered again during the tag sale in June. Thank you to all those members who helped during the day as hostesses in the House and as salespeople in the Barn. This event had been planned as a one-time show and sale, but because of the wonderful turnout, we will be planning one again. Before you throw away old magazines, scraps of fabric or unfinished needlework projects, please call us (268-5511 or 261-8554) and donate them for our next sale. Our annual tag sale will be held this year on June 14 from 9:00 a.m.2:00 p.m. at the Old Schoolhouse on Wheeler Road. We will be working in the Barn at 31 Great Ring Road on June 2 and June 9 (Monday mornings) from 912 and we will be at the Old Schoolhouse on June 13 (Friday afternoon) from 47 p.m. getting things priced and ready for the sale. If you have any items to donate, please drop them off then or call 268-5511 or 261-8554 to arrange for pick-up. If you can volunteer any time on these days to help with pricing and display, or if you can help on the day of the sale please call 268-5511 or email judy@monroehistoricsociety.org. This has become a major fundraising event and will be held rain or shine. Children can try their hand at colonial life activities: Reverse Glass Painting, Needlework, Cooking, Weaving, Drop Spindle Spinning, Natural Dyeing, Colonial Toys and Games, and many other pastimes can be explored. This three day workshop is sponsored by the Monroe Historical Society and held on the grounds of the Beardsley Homestead at 31 Great Ring Road. Cost is $50.00 per child plus a $10.00 materials fee. Sessions are from 9:3012:00 each morning. Call 268-5511 or email judy@monroehistoricsociety.org for more information or to register. Enrollment is limited. Thank you to society member Gretchen Davison for her donation of a stereopticon. This wonderful vintage viewer is a welcome addition to our collection of toys and amusements. Many of us remember these from our childhood and for todays children its a great opportunity to see one of the ways that people passed their leisure time in the days before television. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Heritage Preservation are pleased to announce that the Monroe Historical Society has been awarded a 2003 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) Grant in the amount of $7,890.00. The Society joins the 2000 museums that have participated in CAP since the program began in 1990. CAP assists museums by providing funds for professional conservation and preservation architect specialists to identify the conservation needs of their collections and historic buildings and recommend ways to correctly improve collections and building conditions. Heritage Preservations President, Lawrence L. Reger, praised the Monroe Historical Society for making the vital work of caring for collections and sites a priority at their institution and helping ensure that they are available for present and future generations. Valerie Reich-Hunt of Shelburne Museum in Vermont has been named Collections Assessor and Roger S. Clarke of Hartford, Connecticut has been named the Architect Assessor. They will each spend two days surveying the sites and three days writing comprehensive reports that will identify conservation priorities. The on-site consultation will enable the Monroe Historical Society to evaluate its current collections care policies, procedures and environmental conditions. The assessment reports will help the society make appropriate improvements for the immediate, mid-range and long-range care of their collections and historic structures. The Monroe Historical Society is proud to own and maintain three historic sites: The Barn-Hill East Village one-room schoolhouse located on Old Tannery Road; the 18ll East Village Meetinghouse located at East Village and Barn Hill Roads and the circa 1760 Eliot Beardsley Homestead located on Great Ring Road. The buildings are used for programs, workshops, exhibits, etc. Anyone wishing to volunteer to assist the assessor on July 31st and August 1st and August 6th should contact Marge Tranzillo at 268-5048. Joan Vernieros April 2003 book,Victory or Death! Stories of the American Revolution, is a timely, multicultural biography for children about eight heroes and heroines of the Revolutionary War. It is published by HarperCollins Childrens Books. The author will be reading from Victory or Death! on Thursday, May 29th, at 4:00 p.m. at the Monroe Public Library. She will read Tarnation Sybil! about Sybil Ludingtons ride on April 26, 1777 after the burning of Danbury and the evening she mustered her fathers regiment. The next day, they participated in the Battle of Ridgefield. The books intended audience is 8-12 year olds. It takes its title from the included story of Washingtons crossing, The Decision. The books introduction explains, Victory or Death! The officers whispered the battle cry down the ranks. Participating in the library-sponsored event is Nancy Zorena, director of the Monroe Historical Society, who will present artifacts from the American Revolution, including a gravestone rubbing. The headstone belongs to a grave in a Monroe cemetery. The soldier crossed the Delaware River with George Washington. Says Nancy Zorena of the upcoming event on the 29th, Children will be treated to see, touch, hear. Judy Standerford will be on hand at the library to register children for the Monroe Historical Societys annual Hands On History days in late June, an interactive step on childrens paths to understanding colonial life. The illustrated book has earned a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. With a knack for seeing the story in history, Rappaport and Verniero offer real-life accounts of heroes of the American Revolution. & a model of excellent historical writing. The Childrens Department of the Monroe Public Library will have books available for signing. Parents and adults are invited to call to reserve copies at 452-5459. Says Verniero of her new book, It should offer food for thought for todays children and help adults answer immediate, sensitive questions about war, who participates, and why. Victory or Death! Stories of the American Revolution, written with Doreen Rappaport, hopes to transport young readers to the years of the American Revolution through the actions of real people. Some are famous and others are not-yet-celebrated. The eight stories in the volume provide inspiring and riveting glimpses into the lives of people who took part in the fight for independence on the battlefield and off. The collection includes the following heroes: Peter Brown and Peter Salem: Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775; Francis Salvador: South Carolina backcountry and oath of loyalty to patriots' cause, August 1775; Abigail Adams and family: Boston/Braintree during seige of Boston until British flee, March 3, 1776; George Washington: crossing Delaware, Christmas eve, 1776; Sybil Ludington: mustering her father's militia after burning of Danbury, April 26, 1777; James Armistead, slave who spied for Lafayette and won his freedom, 1781; Deborah Samson, who enlisted as Robert Shurtliff at the end of the war. Verniero and her co-author are at work on a follow-up multicultural biography about more American heroes and heroines. United No More! Stories of the American Civil War, will also be published by HarperCollins. A member of the Monroe Historical Society and co-founder of Save Our Stepney Task Force, Verniero teaches Literature for Children at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, Connecticut. Save Our Stepney Task Force held an informational gathering on February 23rd to tell residents about whats been happening with respect to the proposed Stepney Heritage Trail. Said Joel Leneker, co-founder of Save Our Stepney Task Force (SOS), We invite people to come find out where Mark Twain stopped to tell tales around a potbelly stove. The historic trail committee of SOS hopes to include 49 historic properties in Upper and Lower Stepney. Their purpose is to educate residents and visitors alike about the rich heritage of homes, buildings, and properties in Stepney. The Stepney Green will serve as a starting point for the proposed Stepney Heritage Trail. The trailhead marker will include a map that identifies points of interest along the trail. SOS has designed a freestanding historic marker prototype, along with oval house markers. The task force has mailed invitations to property owners along the proposed trail and is asking for their participation. Should residents show a groundswell of interest, SOS plans to apply for additional funding from the Connecticut Historical Commission. The Monroe Historical Society has generously given SOS the first donation of funds for the project. |
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