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Strong-Porter Museum new schedule for 2008
Strong-Porter Museum Hours:
2382 South St., Coventry
Open Sundays - June 1 through October 12
12:00 to 3:00 P.M.
Admission is free.
The Coventry Historical Society is a non-profit group dedicated to discovering, collecting and preserving whatever pertains to the history of the Town of Coventry and promoting historical research in all its aspects and making available to the members of the Society and to the public, the results of this research.
As part of our mission, the Society provides local schools with materials and resources to tell children the story of Coventry's rich history and its place in the history of our great nation. The Society has several projects currently underway including the restoration of the North and South Coventry Hearses, restoration of a 19th century Armstrong Wagon, built in South Coventry, and restoration of the carriage shed at the Strong-Porter House. Future projects include restoration of the barn at Strong-Porter and reconstruction of the "Great Barn" that once stood on the property. Donations towards these projects are gratefully accepted.
New members to the Society are always welcome and the Society has something to offer for all ages. Volunteer opportunities of all kinds are available. Please email us at WriteToUs@coventrycthistoricalsociety.org for more information about the Society, how to join, to volunteer or to make a donation.
General membership meetings of the Coventry Historical Society are held in conjunction with special events several times a year.. Please see our Calendar of Events for specific information. A brief business meeting is usually held prior to the program for the evening. The meeting concludes with a social gathering and refreshments. Please email the Society for times and places of these meetings. All meetings are open to the public.
The Executive Council meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month to carry on the business of the Society.
Our fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. Officers are elected and the budget approved at the September meeting. All meetings are open to the public. The Society's newsletter, The Signpost, is sent to members as well as other local historical societies and interested organizations.
The Strong-Porter Museum is a small country museum that houses the Society's Archives. Visitors can see a country farmhouse that was once home to twenty-one people, several outbuildings, including a 19th century privy, and the foundation of The Great Barn. The original building was a small house with probably only two rooms. One the second floor can be seen the pegged joint where a second section of the house was joined to the original building. The Museum is open from June through October on Sundays, from Noon until 3:00. There is no admission charge.
The Brick School Museum is an educational exhibit in one of Coventry's original district schoolhouses. The Society has chosen to focus on what school was like in the early 20th century. There are hundreds of photographs from all ten of the one-room district schoolhouses and many stories have been collected from people who once attended these schools. Students from the Coventry Schools visit the old Brick School to learn about what school was like when their grandparents and great-grandparents were children. The Museum is open from May through October. There is no admission charge.
The Society continues to participate in local history studies with the Coventry schools. The Society recognizes the need to teach children to understand the importance of preserving history. As they grow older, we hope they will continue to be active participants in the preservation of our history.
Coventry Colonial Camp, cosponsored with the Antiquarian & Landmarks Society, is a one-week day camp held in July for youngsters in the 5th, 6th, and 7th grades. All Coventry Historical Society sites, as well as the Hale Homestead, are used for this program.
The Society also works collaboratively with Eagle Scouts on individual projects that contribute to the preservation of Coventry history.
Stew and Story Night has become an annual, sellout event. Members and guests gather 'round the fireplace as stories from Coventry's past are recalled and everyone enjoys a sumptuous hearth cooked meal.
Privy Project. The return of the Strong-Porter Outhouse was a momentous event in the life of the Society after having been located at the Hale Homestead for many years. A grant for $5,000 from the Quinebaug Shetucket Heritage Corridor helped fund the restoration of the outhouse.
The Great Barn Project. Coventry Eagle Scout candidate Chris Ferguson took on a monstrous project to uncover the foundation of the Great Barn at the Strong Porter House Museum. As a result of his efforts, visitors to the museum can imagine the size of the barn and how prosperous this farm must have been during the 19th century.
The Sprague House Restoration Project. Coventry Eagle Scout Brendan Carroll recently completed the restoration of the back porch, clapboarding, bulkhead and windows at Sprague House. The Society is deeply indebted to Brendan for his work on this historic building.
Inventory of Historical Buildings and Sites. Currently underway is an important project to document historic buildings and sites, as well as scenic vistas in Coventry. There are more than 500 sites in this inventory at present. The immediate goal is to be able to provided information on any historically significant sites when inquiries are received. The long term vision is to trace and record the ownership of each property and to digitize all of the information so as to make it easily accessible to all. This is an on-going project in collaboration with the Conservation Committee of Coventry. Volunteers for this project are welcome. Anyone wishing to help should email the Society.
House Tours - The Society's first house tour, the "Coventry Kitchen Tour", was held in the fall of 1992 to introduce the Exclusively Pumpkin cookbook. The "Christmas Magic in Coventry" house tour was held on December 3, 1994. The response to these first tours was excellent and as a result the "Home for the Holidays" Christmas house tour was held on December 6, 1997 and the "Christmas on Broadway" tour was held on December 4, 1999. Both tours were extremely successful and well attended. The Silver Bells Christmas House Tour, held on December 5, 2004, showcased six seasonally decorated houses and the sanctuary of the Second Congregational Church. A luncheon was also provided by members of the Church.
A Hauntingly Enchanted Evening is our lantern tour and haunted woods walk, done in partnership with Graveside Manor. This is a very popular event that has been going for many years. This year the event will run for two evenings, October 17th & 18th.
Annual Fund Drive - Each year the Society asks for community support during the Annual Fund Drive. Money from this event is used for the upkeep of the Society's three properties. Community response has been very positive and the Society appreciates the generosity of those who contribute. This year's Drive is now underway. If you would like to contribute, please mail your check to the Coventry Historical Society at P. O. Box 534, Coventry, Connecticut 06238.
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