Canterbury Historical Society

Presented by Georg Papp, Sr. of the Bull Hill Workshop in Colchester, Connecticut. George educated us on everything you ever wanted to know about outhouses but were afraid to ask! Always promising an entertaining and enjoyable program, Mr. Papp has crafted quality outhouses since prior to the turn of the century, restored many others, and […]

Presented by actor Campbell Harmon. There will be a brief business session at 7:00 pm, followed by the program & refreshments. Free and open to the public. Bring a friend. Just in time for the Halloween season, we cordially invite you to spend a very special evening with Edgar Allan Poe, as the author and […]

Presented by author Zachary Lamothe. There will be a brief business session at 7:00 pm, followed by the program at about 7:30 & then refreshments.Free and open to the public. Bring a friend. Meet author Zachary Lamothe as he presents Connecticut Lore: Strange, Off Kilter and Full of Surprises, as the program at the November monthly meeting […]

Presented by Rick & Dawn of Catfeather Music. A lighthearted look at America's motivation to be “on the move” from one place to another, and about the many modes of transportation we’ve used in getting from here to there. The presentation included traditional and modern songs about travel by just about every different mode imaginable […]

Presented by former State Troubadour Tom Callinan. Drawing on his extensive repertoire of folk songs, sea songs, chanteys, and popular songs and tunes from a variety of times and places, Tom has constructed a program of diverse songs from and about the Civil War period. Presented in conjunction with the good folks at CT Humanities, […]

CHS Members and Friends shared interesting items from their home collections.

Presented by Richard Franklin Donohue, Cromwell Town Historian. The J & E Stevens Company was formed in 1843 by brothers John and Elisha Stevens in Cromwell intending to manufacture cast-iron hardware, hammers, and a few iron toys but eventually they became the largest manufacturer of cast-iron toys in the country. Producing their first cast-iron mechanical […]

Presented by Rick & Dawn of Catfeather Music. Much of the American Popular Music industry was centered around the Brill Building at 1619 Broadway in NYC, home to 165 music businesses including composter, lyricists, recording studios, performers and publishers responsible for some of the most memorable pop music ever created. This program features some of […]

Presented by David Malloy, moderator of the Facebook group of the same name. David presented some of the colonial stone carvers whose work can be found in cemeteries all over New England including those in Canterbury and the surrounding towns. Very rarely did any of the early carvers sign their work so the only carver […]

Presented by the Eastern Connecticut Paranormal Society. A very interesting - and historically different - evening featuring an in-depth paranormal investigation and associated historical research into a long-standing family from the town that has been making themselves known in the south Canterbury area. Co-founded in February 2016 by David Bray and Chris O'Connor, the Eastern […]

Presented by Laurie Masciandaro, Site Manager at Historic New England’s Roseland Cottage. Roseland Cottage is a landmark example of Gothic Revival architecture, and was a fitting summer home to wealthy businessman Henry Bowen, his wife Lucy Tappan, and their growing family. This presentation will focus on the unique charms and stories of the fabled Pink […]

For the program portion of our February meeting, we're once again inviting our Historical Society members & friends to bring a favorite treasure (antique or collectible) to share with everyone. In the past this program has always been very popular and we've seen everything from 'popcorn' plagues to antique woodworking tools to Canterbury maps to […]

Presented by Walter Banhaf. On January 6th, 1969, a 118-foot research vessel named the R/V Sea Surveyor departed Groton, CT on a testing mission for the United States Navy. The mission was routine: Sail from Electric Boat, rendezvous with a submarine, conduct tests, return home but she never made it to her destination and never […]

Presented by Ranger Bill Reid of the Last Green Valley. Join us as we welcome Ranger Bill Reid of the Last Green Valley back to Canterbury to share with us an update on the status of the bald eagles that live in our town and surrounding area. With abundant rivers, lakes and ponds The Last […]

Between 2012 and 2015, the Library of Congress commissioned acclaimed documentary photographer Carol M. Highsmith to travel Connecticut in order to permanently capture images of the state’s iconic places and cultural treasures as they appeared at the beginning of the 21st century. Highsmith asked state historian emeritus Walter W. Woodward to help her identify Connecticut’s […]

We invite you to join us for an unforgettable evening with Kevin Johnson, a living history performer, as he vividly brings to life the struggles of an African American soldier who served during the Civil War. Private William Riley Webb, a native of Hartford, was an actual soldier who was recruited in 1863 and served […]

Known as the Western Reserve, once upon a time a substantial portion of Ohio belonged to Connecticut. The acreage was part of the original land grant given to Connecticut by the British monarchy dating back to the 1600s. When Connecticut gave up its claim to most of the land stretching westward to the Pacific Ocean, […]

Perfect for a Friday the 13th in October, Beverly Lucas, Director of the Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation, will be presenting a terrific program on Hartford's well-known and beautiful Cedar Hill Cemetery. Established in 1864 in the Victoria era "rural" style, Cedar Hill encompasses 270 acres of landscaped woodlands, waterways, and memorial grounds. An urban oasis, […]

"Which side are you on?" That’s the question that every single person in Connecticut, including those here in Canterbury, had to answer in 1775 as the thirteen colonies began a rebellion against British rule. Loyalty was not only a matter of words or opinion. For soldiers and civilians alike, loyalty could mean loss of fortune, […]

During the Revolutionary Period (1764-1789) approximately 5,000 slaves lived in Connecticut including many here in Windham County. At this presentation by Pomfret Historian Donna Dufresne, you can learn about the role Windham County played in the institution of slavery as she gives witness to local enslaved Africans and the money trail that brought them here. […]

It is more than fair to say that the Ovation guitar, built in both Moosup and New Hartford Connecticut, played a significant role in the singer/songwriter explosion of the late 60’s and early 70’s music scene. Advancements in live-sound systems at that time required an instrument that was yet to be produced but when the […]

The Canterbury Historical Society will present Kevin Johnson as Jordan Freeman, an African-American servant of John Ledyard and the body servant of Colonel William Ledyard in the Revolutionary War. An actual person and native of Old Lyme, although Jordan Freeman did not enlist himself, he witnessed key events of the War for Independence while with […]

The worst disaster in Connecticut's modern history, as well as one of the worst fire disasters in United States history, occurred 80 years ago on July 6th, 1944. The tragic fire occurred during a matinee performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford's north end which was attended by upwards of […]

Have we got a sweet program coming up in September! Robert Lecce of Pewter Pot Fine Spiced Chocolates will be coming to Canterbury to teach us about the art of 18th-century chocolate making. The lecture will include a demonstration along with a question and answer period. Attendees will be invited to enjoy delicious samples of […]

October is National Fire Prevention Month so what better time to learn more about our own Canterbury Volunteer Fire Company? Join us as we welcome Chief Kyle McCarthy who will share lots of archival photos and stories as he teaches us about the history of the department which has been proudly serving Canterbury since 1948. […]

In a time when secular music was discouraged as an “extravagance and dissipation,” the fledgling composers of the American Colonies found fiery inspiration in the culture of Liberty. With songs published or performed in Connecticut during the American Revolution, historian and musician Richard Franklin Donohue will illuminate the colony's often overlooked contribution in this spirited […]

Take a fascinating storytelling trip around the globe for a sampling of beautiful and historic lighthouses with author and Canterbury resident, Elinor DeWire. Elinor has traveled widely and written extensively about these iconic, humanitarian structures. Her work on this topic has been honored with the Ben Franklin Book Award, the National League of American Pen […]

Please join us as we welcome historian and educator Bev York back to Canterbury and discover the fascinating history about how the Colonial outhouse - aka the necessary privy - played a major part in the American Revolution. In the olden days, saltpeter - a major component in gunpowder - was primarily produced by collecting […]

For the program portion of our October meeting, we are once again inviting our Historical Society members and friends to bring a favorite treasure or two to share with everyone. Got an antique or collectible that you'd like to bring? We'd love to see it! Think of it as "Antiques Roadshow" without the appraisal! Show […]

Presented by author Peter Lion, our program is just in time for the Christmas season featuring the critically-acclaimed book American St. Nick: A True Story that tells the story of a group of American soldiers who, during World War II, help bring Christmas to a small town in Luxembourg, unknowingly creating a holiday tradition that […]

The Canterbury Historical Society is back in action with monthly meetings and programs for 2026, and we're starting the year by welcoming the return of some fine friends: Rick Spencer & Dawn Indermuehle with what promises to be an interesting AND entertaining program! In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette returned to America to visit the […]

Join us on a new meeting date as we welcome former CHS President Bob Noiseux to talk about the adventure he had with his son CJ in running the 2024 Great Race - a long distance, timed event for vintage automobiles. While most participants use common cars like Fords, the Noiseuxs chose an obscure orphan: […]

As we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States, we invite you to meet six Revolutionary War heroines including a soldier, a spy, and a seamstress. To get a real sense of women's lives and their war efforts, Bev York, Director of Programming for The America Museum, will walk the audience through the empowering […]

Featuring a dramatic recitation of the Longfellow poem “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere”, this timely America 250 program will also discuss the historical background on the Lexington Alarm & the riders who carried it, and a review of the Romance that the Revolution inspired as it neared its 19th century Centennial - some of […]

Join us for an evening of music and storytelling that celebrates the unique spirit of Connecticut during the American Revolution. This hour-long musical program weaves together the state's rich tapestry of history, folklore, and legend from that tumultuous era with a unique performance that blends engaging storytelling with beautifully crafted songs, each one a window […]