Children Go To Camp, Then Step Back In Time

By Nancy K. Crevier

It was not your usual summer camp, and that is exactly what lead teacher Nanette Maturi, former Historical Society president Gordon Williams, and their assistants had in mind when they developed the idea for the first Newtown Historical Society Camp. The camp was held Monday, July 17, through Friday, July 21, at the Matthew Curtiss House on Main Street.

“When the children walk through the doors, they step into another time,” said Ms Maturi. Armed with a mission statement and a vision, Ms Maturi, Patty Graves, Gordon Williams, Shari Row, and Jordan Frey developed a curriculum for the week that would introduce children to what life was like for children growing up in colonial Newtown. Beginning in the 1600s, the camp worked its way through the next 200 years of Newtown life in increments of 50 or 100 years each day.

“We came to this with a focus,” said Ms Maturi. “We didn’t want this to be just another picnic camp. All of the docents are teachers the rest of the year, so it came together very nicely. When the children are here, they are colonial children.”

The children slipped easily into their roles all week, addressing each other as “miss” or “master,” as would children have done so 300 years ago. Adults became “mistress” and “master,” as well.

Historical events from various eras of Newtown history were focused on each day at the camp. “For instance,” Ms Maturi said, “the first day we talked about the Indians signing the peace treaty and then we had each of the children sign a ‘treaty’ saying that they would be peaceful with each other this week.” Docent Shari Rowe pointed out that the children had signed the treaty with quill pens and had written their name tags with a quill, as well, on the first day. Because early colonial children would have been expected to sew and embroider, another activity on Monday involved the boys sewing their own felt vest and the girls decorating caps and aprons.

Living history did not mean all work and no play at this camp for the 11 children enrolled, though. Marble making, folk painting, butter churning, spinning, making ice cream and wooden toys immersed the group in fun, historical activities. Guest visitors each day discussed or demonstrated other aspects of colonial life that Newtown children would have encountered when the town was young.

The positive response to this year’s historical camp was encouraging, said the docents, and they look forward to next summer and the return of the Newtown Historical Society Camp.