Historical Society Annual Meeting
- September 10!
We enjoy seeing members at any of our meetings but especially at the annual
meeting. Please join us at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10 at the Squires
Tavern, 100 East River Road in Pleasant Valley (about a mile north of the bridge
in Pleasant Valley). You will have the opportunity to elect new officers and we
will present a progress report on our efforts over the past year. The highlight
of the evening will be an informal tour of the building led by Walt Landgraf.
Walt will bring you up to date on the progress made on the building and the
priorities we are working on now. Refreshments will be provided, including a
birthday cake recognizing the 223 anniversary of the town of Barkhamsted. Join
us!
Flea Market September 7
Membership Drive
Each year in August we conduct our annual membership drive, eager to re-enlist
our loyal supporters for another year and hopeful that we can bring in new
members by the score. If you are currently a member, we want you to know that
your support is very much appreciated. Please use the attached membership
envelope to respond. Our annual dues are: single $7; family $10; senior $5.
Donations over and above the standard dues amount are always welcome! We realize
that many of you have just recently responded to our Squires Tavern Friends
appeal in support of that project. It is our hope that we can also retain (or
add) your name on the general membership roll of the Historical Society. The
support of our members motivates us in our efforts to preserve and protect the
history of our town.
Historical Society Accomplishments
The Historical Society starts a new fiscal year on September 10 so we would like
to take this opportunity to report to you on our work over the past year:
Squires Tavern -
Saving and restoring this important building at 100 East River Road in Peoples Forest has been a priority of ours for several years now. It is incredible how much work has been accomplished. In the past year there have been major chimney and fireplace repairs, extensive plumbing and electrical work, new roof shingles installed, major drainage work and foundation repairs, trim work both inside and out, exterior paint for the entire building, interior trim painting, removal of modern floors and sheetrock and major plaster work on interior walls. We have worked very hard to secure grant funds for much of this work, including generous grants from the State of Connecticut, the Torrington Area Foundation for Public Giving and the Farmington River Coordinating Committee.
These grants allowed us to bring in skilled contractors; however, a significant portion of the work was completed by Historical Society volunteers donating hundreds of hours. Over 50 volunteer work days were held at the Tavern. Research efforts during the past year have continued to uncover more facts about the building and the families that occupied it. Old wall stencils were discovered and an archeological dig uncovered snippets of history in the back yard. Experts have inspected the building and have reported on building features, paint history and door hardware. The Historical Society has worked hard to make this project a success and we very much appreciate the support of our members and Friends who have contributed time and resources to help save the Squires Tavern .
Program Series
- We continued our program series for the third year in a row with four special programs during the winter months: local author Fred Fenn discussed his Journey to Common Ground; Harriet Winchenbaugh explored the evolution of the early American hearth from the 17th thru 19th centuries; Fred Warner looked at the transition from fireplace to stove; and Herbalist Alicia North examined how native Americans and early settlers used wild plants for food and medicine. We hope the program series continues as an annual tradition; be sure to look for more information in January 2003!Web site - We continue to expand our web site with new and updated information. Visitor traffic has expanded. In May of this year we attracted over 1,000 unique visitors. To track progress on the Squires Tavern project and check the monthly entries in the “Town Diary” section, visit our site at www.barkhamstedhistory.org.
Flea market fund raising event - In June 2002 we held a very successful flea market at Mallory Brook plaza on Route 44. Thanks to the hard work of many volunteers it was our best effort yet in terms of money raised. Be sure to attend our September 7 flea market at the same location in front of Ames.