News – Page 6 – New London County Historical Society

Historical Society Elects New Board Members

Posted on September 29, 2011April 25, 2019 by stevemanuel

The 141^st Annual Meeting of the New London County Historical Society was held Sunday 18 September. Five new members were elected to the Board of Directors, Deborah McCann Connors of New London, Barbara Lipsche of New London, Brian Cooper of North Stonington, Karyn Garside of New London and Jeffrey Nelson of Groton. In addition, two stepping off the board were honored for their service; Marilyn Davis, of Waterford, served on the board for more than two full terms; and Denis O’Brien, of Mystic, served as treasurer for the historical society for two years.

Officers elected were: president, Deborah Donovan, New London; vice president, Nancy Steenburg, Mystic; treasurer, Frederick E. Burdick, Stonington; and secretary, Joseph Selinger, Stonington.

Deborah McCann is a pastoral assistant at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church and a freelance writer. Barbara Lipsche conducts business liaison and website management for New London Main Street. Brian Cooper is a president of Deschenes and Cooper Architectural Millwork, and Early New England Restorations in Pawcatuck. Karyn Garside is a Branch Manager for Dime Bank in New London. Jeff Nelson is the Director of Community Development for Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut, in Norwich.

A reception in the garden of the Shaw Mansion preceded the business meeting. The featured speaker, Lynne Bassett, an expert on 19^th century textiles, shared her research on the work of women on the home front during the Civil War. She was able to compare the work of the New London Ladies’ Aid Society, making bandages, mattresses, quilts, shirts and uniforms to be sent to the front lines and hospitals, with the work of similar societies in other Connecticut towns.

Founded in 1870, the New London County Historical Society is one of the oldest historical organizations in the country. The Shaw Mansion, located near the intersection of Bank and Tilley Streets has been the home of the society since 1907 and is open for tours and research year-round.

Time and Again ~ Fall Foliage Cruise on the Thames

Posted on September 12, 2011April 25, 2019 by stevemanuel

Click below to purchase your tickets using our secure server:

Available to members of the New London County Historical Society
and members of the Norwich Historical Society.

Pick up tickets at the gate on the day of the event. Tickets must be presented for complimentary beverage onboard.

Please park in the Water Street Parking Garage or in town; NO parking will be available on the Cross Sound Ferry lot.

Thank you!

NLCHS Annual Meeting ~ 18 September 2011

Posted on August 22, 2011April 25, 2019 by stevemanuel

The Work of Women on the Home Front: Handwork and Organizing During the Civil War

Please join us for the 141st annual meeting of the New London County Historical Society which will be held at the Shaw Mansion, Sunday 18 September, beginning with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception at 4 pm followed by the business meeting at 5:15.

Lynne Bassett, an internationally known expert on 19th century textiles, will be the featured speaker sharing her research on the work of Ladies Aid Societies in Connecticut towns during the Civil War.

During the business meeting of the society board members and officers will be elected. In addition to the usual reports, the board has recommended amendments to the bylaws which will be voted on by the membership. Please go to NLCHS Proposed Bylaws Revisions 2011, a pdf document, to review and print out a copy of the “marked-up” revisions. These changes substantially update the current bylaws to contemporary legal standards.

The presentation will begin at 6 pm. Bassett, a textile and costume historian, is author of: Massachusetts Quilts — Our Commonwealth, and, Textiles for Clothing of the Early Republic, 1800-1850, and has worked as a curator of textiles for Old Sturbridge Village and the Connecticut Historical Society.

Regarding her current research Lynne writes that she is deep in her study of “Civil War textiles, and how textiles were integral to the struggle—from the social and economic tensions between southern cotton plantation owners and northern cotton mill owners, to textiles that kept the soldiers clothed, warm, and dry. The symbolism of flags, and the role of women on the homefront, who spent every possible moment sewing and knitting garments, rolling bandages, and scraping lint for men on the frontlines and in the hospitals, is an important part of the story. Through textiles we can understand how the war affected civilians and soldiers, as well as the military and political leaders who generally get all the attention.”

Tickets $20 for members. Call today to make reservations: 860.443.1209.

Recent Acquisition

Posted on July 2, 2011April 25, 2019 by stevemanuel

A recent gift to the New London County Historical Society is this 1940s counter display for the Radway Dairy, a business that was located in New London. It’s a motorized advertising piece — the head of the cow goes up and down, as does the chicken, and the scroll in the middle rotates as well. It stands about 2.5 feet tall and is constructed of painted wood and sheet metal with paper images glued to the surface.

Rick Spencer Sings the Hits of the ’60s (that is, the 1860s)

Posted on June 16, 2011April 25, 2019 by stevemanuel

I’ m certain that you have sung a song by Connecticut-born composer Henry Clay Work, as it was he who wrote the song, “My Grandfather’s Clock,” in 1876. Work is just one of several professional composers who got their “big start” during the years of the Civil War.

On Wednesday evening 20 July, bring your lawn chairs and join us in the garden of the Shaw Mansion as Rick Spencer presents a program on the “Greatest Hits of the Civil War: America’s Earliest Professional Songwriters.” The garden gates will open at 6:30 pm and the show will start at 7:00, (we’re expecting a lovely evening). Members will be asked to make a donation, for others, the concert will cost $5. (We are also calling it the “Eve of Destruction” concert, as 21 July marks the 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Bull Run.)

Rick was a long-time member of the staff of Mystic Seaport working as a chanteyman and as a member of the quartet, Mystic Seaport’s Forebitter. More recently he was site administrator at the Hempsted Houses and now serves as the executive director of the Dr. Ashbell Woodward House museum of the Franklin Historical Society. In addition to being a recognized expert on the songs of the sailor, Rick has now done extensive research on popular music of 19th century America, creating programs such as, “Freemen for Fremont,” and this presentation on composers Stephen Foster, Daniel Decatur Emmett, and George F. Root in addition to Henry Clay Work.

The performance will include many of their songs, and Rick will share insights on how this music reflected the American character of the day.

The Work of Women on the Home Front: Handwork and Organizing During the Civil War

Please join us for the 141st annual meeting of the New London County Historical Society which will be held at the Shaw Mansion, Sunday 18 September, beginning with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception at 4 pm followed by the business meeting at 5:15.

Tickets $20 for members. Call today to make reservations: 860.443.1209.

Bus Trip! with NLCHS Staff and Fellow Members