Historical Society To Join Statewide Open House Day

Newtown Historical Society will once again join forces with the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism in promoting CT Open House Day across the state.

Many museums and historical societies around the state will be open with free or reduced admission on Saturday, June 13, and many offer special programs as well. For more information and a full listing about the statewide activities, visit CTVisit.com or call 888-CT-VISIT.

In Newtown, the circa 1750 Matthew Curtiss House museum at 44 Main Street will be open from noon to 4 pm. Costumed docents will be on hand to offer tours of the historic house and its diverse contents.

The historical society has tried to furnish the house to represent each century of its occupation as a residence, and while some of these artifacts are simply representative of their periods, many have a direct link to Newtown.

In addition to the tours, the Society will play host to a demonstration of creating and repairing cane and rush chair seats and backs, to be offered by Richard Major of Pound Ridge, N.Y.  Admission is free.

Starting at 1 pm, Town Historian Dan Cruson will lead a walking tour of the business district of Sandy Hook. Participants should meet at Washington Park at the corner of Washington Avenue and Church Hill Road.

Mr Cruson will highlight some of the important buildings of the immediate area and tell exciting stories behind them. He will point out how the disastrous fires of 1905 and 1916 remade the landscape of the district, and will offer the story of a robbery and Wild West style shootout at the intersection that has always defined the Hook.  This old-style shoot-‘em-up should not be confused with the more recent Hells Angels shootout in the same area, although Mr Cruson confides he might be persuaded to tell that saga as well.

The tour will take a little less than an hour, and will involve short walks up and down some gentle hills to see the village’s historical and essential features.

Participation in the tour is also free, and all walkers are invited back to the Curtiss House for refreshments afterward.

Contact Newtown Historical Society for further details and information, at 426-5937.