Essex Historical Society

Phone 860-767-0681
Website http://essexhistory.org

Events from this organizer

Today

  • Pratt House Volunteer Kick-Off and Training

    Essex Historical Society 22 Prospect Street, Essex, CT, United States

    EHS is looking for friendly, responsible Guides and Hosts for the summer tour season at Pratt House: the only historic house museum in Essex.  The well-preserved, uniquely-asymmetrical Pratt House served the same family for more than 200 years, many of them sharing in the family blacksmith business.   The house is open Saturdays and Sundays, June through September from 1:00-4:00 pm, with occasional additional programs throughout the summer. Volunteers will have the opportunity to guide tours and/or act as hosts. Guides lead small groups of visitors on tours through the colonial home. Hosts greet guests, share information about rotating exhibits, and operate Pratt’s Provisions Gift Shop. Training will be provided for both positions.  This is an exciting opportunity to work with like-minded people, make new friends, and discover new things about our town. Join EHS in our mission to engage and inspire the community in the three villages! Ideal Pratt House Volunteers are: ·         Interested in local history ·         Communicative with visitors, volunteers and staff ·         Not required to have previous experience ·         Responsible for arriving on time for shifts We ask that ALL volunteers, new and returning, join us for a Training Session and Kick-off on Saturday, May 3rd from 10:00am-Noon.  […]

    Free

  • Pratt House Open for FREE Tours

    Recurring
    The Pratt House 19 West Avenue, Essex, CT, United States

    Pratt House, a 300 year old home, Essex's only historic house museum is open for FREE guided tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, through September from 1:00-4:00 pm. NEW this year are two special exhibit spaces! The first is set with the history of Blacksmithing in Essex complete with objects made by local smiths including the Pratt family. The second exhibit features individual themes researched by sixth graders from Essex Elementary School. Pratt House will also play host to many special programs throughout the summer so please keep an eye on the calendar for all of the happenings!

    Free

  • Pratt House Open for FREE Tours

    Recurring
    The Pratt House 19 West Avenue, Essex, CT, United States

    Pratt House, a 300 year old home, Essex's only historic house museum is open for FREE guided tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, through September from 1:00-4:00 pm. NEW this year are two special exhibit spaces! The first is set with the history of Blacksmithing in Essex complete with objects made by local smiths including the Pratt family. The second exhibit features individual themes researched by sixth graders from Essex Elementary School. Pratt House will also play host to many special programs throughout the summer so please keep an eye on the calendar for all of the happenings!

    Free

  • Pratt House Open for FREE Tours

    Recurring
    The Pratt House 19 West Avenue, Essex, CT, United States

    Pratt House, a 300 year old home, Essex's only historic house museum is open for FREE guided tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, through September from 1:00-4:00 pm. NEW this year are two special exhibit spaces! The first is set with the history of Blacksmithing in Essex complete with objects made by local smiths including the Pratt family. The second exhibit features individual themes researched by sixth graders from Essex Elementary School. Pratt House will also play host to many special programs throughout the summer so please keep an eye on the calendar for all of the happenings!

    Free

  • CT History Book Club

    Essex Historical Society 22 Prospect Street, Essex, CT, United States

    All are invited to join us for EHS’s Connecticut History Book Club. Offered in collaboration with Essex Library and Ivoryton Library, EHS hosts this quarterly book club to explore the state's past through both fiction and non-fiction works, highlighting key events, figures, and themes that shaped the state or played a larger role in America’s history. We will focus on works that illuminate the bring marginalized stories to the forefront, offering a deeper understanding of Connecticut's diverse history. Join us for insightful discussions that connect the past to the present, revealing the histories that shaped our state.  For our September book we have chosen the novel: Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris. This historical fiction thriller is a page-turner! Books can be checked out from Ivoryton Library or Essex Library Association, or purchased wherever you get your books. PLEASE NOTE: it is a BIG book, so we encourage you to start it now. On Wednesday, September 17, we will meet at Pratt House (19 West Avenue) for a book discussion lead by EHS Director, Melissa Josefiak. This event is FREE and lite refreshments will be provided.

    Free

  • Pratt House Open for FREE Tours

    Recurring
    The Pratt House 19 West Avenue, Essex, CT, United States

    Pratt House, a 300 year old home, Essex's only historic house museum is open for FREE guided tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, through September from 1:00-4:00 pm. NEW this year are two special exhibit spaces! The first is set with the history of Blacksmithing in Essex complete with objects made by local smiths including the Pratt family. The second exhibit features individual themes researched by sixth graders from Essex Elementary School. Pratt House will also play host to many special programs throughout the summer so please keep an eye on the calendar for all of the happenings!

    Free

  • Pratt House Open for FREE Tours

    Recurring
    The Pratt House 19 West Avenue, Essex, CT, United States

    Pratt House, a 300 year old home, Essex's only historic house museum is open for FREE guided tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, through September from 1:00-4:00 pm. NEW this year are two special exhibit spaces! The first is set with the history of Blacksmithing in Essex complete with objects made by local smiths including the Pratt family. The second exhibit features individual themes researched by sixth graders from Essex Elementary School. Pratt House will also play host to many special programs throughout the summer so please keep an eye on the calendar for all of the happenings!

    Free

  • Pratt House Open for FREE Tours

    Recurring
    The Pratt House 19 West Avenue, Essex, CT, United States

    Pratt House, a 300 year old home, Essex's only historic house museum is open for FREE guided tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, through September from 1:00-4:00 pm. NEW this year are two special exhibit spaces! The first is set with the history of Blacksmithing in Essex complete with objects made by local smiths including the Pratt family. The second exhibit features individual themes researched by sixth graders from Essex Elementary School. Pratt House will also play host to many special programs throughout the summer so please keep an eye on the calendar for all of the happenings!

    Free

  • Veterans of the Revolution Walking Tour

    37 North Main Street 37 North Main Street, Essex, CT, United States

    Join us for a NEW walk that EHS is debuting as part of our America 250 celebrations! Join EHS Director, Melissa Josefiak and EHS’s Sharon D. Clark 2025 Intern Griffin Smith, on Saturday, September 27th at 6:00pm, as they present a tour of the cemetery that will visit the stone sites of Essex veterans of the Revolutionary War and talk about their histories before, during, and after the Revolution. Located on the shores of the Connecticut River, River View Cemetery testifies to the early history of “Potapaug,” as Essex was once known, with the oldest gravestones dating from the early 1700s.  Enjoy the cemetery’s beautiful grounds as we trace its history from a simple burial yard to the park-like setting of today, especially during this twilight tour starting at 6pm.   The tour lasts about an hour over uneven, sloped, grassy terrain for about half a mile.  Walkers should wear proper footwear and outerwear, and possibly bring a flashlight if they would like.  While this tour is based on historical facts and is not intended to be ‘haunted’, historical details about death and disease may disturb young walkers. Each tour is $10 per person; free to EHS members.   Please meet at the base […]

    $10

  • Pratt House Open for FREE Tours

    Recurring
    The Pratt House 19 West Avenue, Essex, CT, United States

    Pratt House, a 300 year old home, Essex's only historic house museum is open for FREE guided tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, through September from 1:00-4:00 pm. NEW this year are two special exhibit spaces! The first is set with the history of Blacksmithing in Essex complete with objects made by local smiths including the Pratt family. The second exhibit features individual themes researched by sixth graders from Essex Elementary School. Pratt House will also play host to many special programs throughout the summer so please keep an eye on the calendar for all of the happenings!

    Free

  • EHS Collections at the Library: Game Night

    Recurring
    Essex Historical Society 22 Prospect Street, Essex, CT, United States

    Please stop by and see EHS's new exhibit at Essex Library. "Game Night!" has been curated by EHS Director, Melissa Josefiak, and the Collections team. Items and photos in the exhibit are all part of EHS collections, and will be on display through March. As part of EHS’s continuing efforts to share our collections objects with the community, we are presenting quarterly exhibits in cases at the Essex Library (33 West Ave.). These objects will be available to view during the Library’s regular hours operation. Essex Historical Society (EHS) stewards over 7,000 objects spanning 10,000 years of history, representing the villages of Centerbrook, Essex and Ivoryton.  While the majority of EHS’s collections arrive through private donations, some objects arrive as discoveries, unearthed from surprising places.  In a few cases, their journey is more interesting than the stories they tell. The Essex Library collections cases will rotate out again in April, so please visit the cases to see the current showcased items.

    Free

  • History Hour at Essex Meadows

    Essex Meadows 30 Bokum Road, Essex, CT, United States

    Essex Historical Society and Essex Meadows present History Hour. This new program will feature a speaker, author, presenter, or musician once a month through 2026. Stay tuned as we announce the topic and presentation of each month’s program. The Battle of Ridgefield February’s speaker is Keith Jones III will be speaking about the Battle of Ridgefield and his book by the same name. Learn more about Mr. Jones here. History hour is FREE and open to the public. We recommend arriving to Hamilton Hall by 9:50 am. as seating is available first-come, first-served. No need to register for this event. In the unlikely event that the program changes or needs to be canceled, please check EHS social media and website.

    Free

  • History and Uses of Witch Hazel: The Plant that Shaped Essex

    House of the Triple Moon 1 North Main Street, Unit 4, Essex, CT, United States

    Join EHS and House of the Triple Moon for a special America 250 program exploring witch hazel, a native plant that helped shape Essex. Indigenous to Connecticut, witch hazel was long used by Native communities, who developed the practice of steeping its twigs and leaves to create a mild astringent. Colonial settlers in Potapaug (now Essex) quickly adopted this remedy, and it became a household staple. Readily available and often found growing close to home, witch hazel was blended into oils, poultices, and salves and served as a trusted treatment for many everyday ailments.   Although widely used, witch hazel was difficult to sell commercially due to its short shelf life—until the 1860s, when a doctor in Essex discovered that adding alcohol preserved the witch hazel extract. By 1875 innovations in the production of witch hazel distilling, made Essex the capital of the industry. For the next 100 years, E.E. Dickinson & Co  transformed a local product into an international commodity—firmly securing Essex’s place in this remarkable story. Join us as we explore the history, uses, and lasting legacy of this remarkable local herb and work hands-on with a plant that continues to connect us to Essex’s past. Registration Required! Please […]

    Free

  • EHS Collections at the Library: Game Night

    Recurring
    Essex Historical Society 22 Prospect Street, Essex, CT, United States

    Please stop by and see EHS's new exhibit at Essex Library. "Game Night!" has been curated by EHS Director, Melissa Josefiak, and the Collections team. Items and photos in the exhibit are all part of EHS collections, and will be on display through March. As part of EHS’s continuing efforts to share our collections objects with the community, we are presenting quarterly exhibits in cases at the Essex Library (33 West Ave.). These objects will be available to view during the Library’s regular hours operation. Essex Historical Society (EHS) stewards over 7,000 objects spanning 10,000 years of history, representing the villages of Centerbrook, Essex and Ivoryton.  While the majority of EHS’s collections arrive through private donations, some objects arrive as discoveries, unearthed from surprising places.  In a few cases, their journey is more interesting than the stories they tell. The Essex Library collections cases will rotate out again in April, so please visit the cases to see the current showcased items.

    Free

  • New Volunteer Open House

    Recurring
    Hills Academy 22 Prospect Street, Essex, CT, United States

    Interested in leaving your mark on Essex History? Then, please join us our Monthly Volunteer Open House! If you want to learn how to support EHS as a volunteer, please join us for this meet and greet. This is a no-commitment, hour long introduction to volunteerism with Essex Historical Society. One of our staff will give you a tour of Hills Academy and outline our volunteer positions including: Collections and research Education and Programming Event planning and fundraising Tour Guide for Pratt House and Walking Tours Maintenance of Gardens at Pratt House Preservation and up-keep of EHS’s two historic sites No need to RSVP, simply arrive at Hills Academy (22 Prospect Street, parking and entrance in rear) between 10:30-11:30 am, and we will give you the information. If you can’t join us this month, we hope to see you at the next Open House. Open Houses will be held in the same place, at the same time on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted.

    Free

  • History Hour at Essex Meadows: Herbs for Health and Happiness

    Essex Meadows 30 Bokum Road, Essex, CT, United States

    March’s Topic: Herbs for Health and Happiness Leslie Evans, Director of the Avery-Copp House Museum in Groton and a Connecticut Master Gardener, will present an illustrated lecture focusing on the historic use of herbs in New England at a time when the garden served as a medicine chest for most families. Along with facts and folklore from centuries past, some modern uses for these valuable plants will be discussed.  Samples of fresh and dried plants will be on display so that everyone can enjoy their delightful textures and aromas.   Essex Historical Society and Essex Meadows present History Hour. This FREE public program features a speaker, author, presenter, or musician each month presenting a topic of regional history. History hour is FREE and open to the public. We recommend arriving to Hamilton Hall by 9:50 am as seating is available first-come, first-served. No need to register for this event. In the unlikely event that the program changes or needs to be canceled, please check EHS social media and website.

    Free

  • Tapping into the Past: Tavern Life in Early Connecticut

    The Griswold Inn 36 Main Street, Essex, United States

    During America’s 250th year, Essex Historical Society is excited to bring the community a number of special programs to mark this historic occasion. We are especially thrilled to partner with the Griswold Inn for a featured event, as 2026 also marks the Gris’s 250th year in business — a remarkable milestone for one of the nation’s oldest continuously operating inns. Taverns in early Connecticut were far more than just places to drink. For travelers and locals alike, they served as hubs of entertainment, news, gossip, good food, and overnight lodging. Taverns were an essential part of every Connecticut town and played a vital role in social and civic life. Join the Essex Historical Society (EHS) and the Griswold Inn (the Gris) for this special program from the Connecticut Museum of History and Culture exploring the rich history of tavern life in early Connecticut. Begin your evening by grabbing a pint or a hot buttered rum in the Gris Tap Room before settling into the Covered Bridge Dining Room for this engaging presentation. We recommend arriving by 4:30 PM to allow time for parking and a visit to the bar before the program begins. Registration required NOTE: If you would like to stay for dinner […]

    Free

  • Nostalgic Toys and Tech Expo

    Essex Historical Society 22 Prospect Street, Essex, CT, United States

    The Nostalgic Toys and Tech Expo will take place at Essex Library on Saturday, March 28, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. As part of EHS’s America 250 celebrations, and in partnership with Essex Library, this free, family-friendly community event celebrates the toys, games, and everyday technologies of the past fifty years, with a special focus on the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to explore and interact with familiar favorites—from classic board games and beloved dolls to early video game systems, music players, and novelty gadgets—many of which today’s children will be experiencing for the very first time. The Expo is just one of many of EHS programs this year marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. By highlighting objects from the decades since the Bicentennial, this fun event explores how everyday toys and technologies reflect changing American life, culture, and innovation. Together, these items help tell the story of the most recent chapters of our nation’s history—reminding us that the road to 250 years of independence is shaped as much by shared childhood experiences as by historic milestones. Those interested in getting involved with the event, either through participation or support, are encouraged to contact the […]

    Free

  • New Volunteer Open House

    Recurring
    Hills Academy 22 Prospect Street, Essex, CT, United States

    Interested in leaving your mark on Essex History? Then, please join us our Monthly Volunteer Open House! If you want to learn how to support EHS as a volunteer, please join us for this meet and greet. This is a no-commitment, hour long introduction to volunteerism with Essex Historical Society. One of our staff will give you a tour of Hills Academy and outline our volunteer positions including: Collections and research Education and Programming Event planning and fundraising Tour Guide for Pratt House and Walking Tours Maintenance of Gardens at Pratt House Preservation and up-keep of EHS’s two historic sites No need to RSVP, simply arrive at Hills Academy (22 Prospect Street, parking and entrance in rear) between 10:30-11:30 am, and we will give you the information. If you can’t join us this month, we hope to see you at the next Open House. Open Houses will be held in the same place, at the same time on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted.

    Free

  • EHS History Hour at Essex Meadows: Revolution Close to Home

    Essex Meadows 30 Bokum Road, Essex, CT, United States

    Essex Historical Society and Essex Meadows present History Hour. This program features a speaker, author, presenter, or musician once a month through 2026. This month’s presentation is called Revolution Close to Home: Five Lives in Early Potapaug during America's Turning Point  Patriots and Loyalists, enslaved and free, women and warriors.  Essex Historical Society (EHS) Director Melissa Josefiak details the complex relationships and shifting allegiances during the American Revolution in the Potapaug village of Saybrook, now known as Essex.  Learn about five unforgettable individuals whose experience reflected these tumultuous times.   Uriah Hayden Formerly located at the foot of Main Street in Essex, the Hayden Shipyard is known for building the American Revolutionary War ship The Oliver Cromwell. History hour is FREE and open to the public. We recommend arriving to Hamilton Hall by 9:50 am. as seating is available first-come, first-served. No need to register for this event. In the unlikely event that the program changes or needs to be canceled, please check EHS social media and website.

    Free

  • CT History Book Club

    Hills Academy 22 Prospect Street, Essex, CT, United States

    All are invited to join us for EHS’s Connecticut History Book Club. Offered in collaboration with Essex Library and Ivoryton Library, EHS hosts this quarterly book club to explore the state's past through both fiction and non-fiction works, highlighting key events, figures, and themes that shaped the state or played a larger role in America’s history. We will focus on works that illuminate the bring marginalized stories to the forefront, offering a deeper understanding of Connecticut's diverse history. Join us for insightful discussions that connect the past to the present, revealing the histories that shaped our state. Please join us at Hills Academy (22 Prospect Street-parking and entrance in rear) for a book discussion lead by EHS Director, Melissa Josefiak. This event is FREE and lite refreshments will be provided. Register below!   For April’s meeting we are reading the novel Freegift by James R. Benn. James Benn is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and has an MLS degree from Southern Connecticut State University. Mr. Benn is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, and the Author's Guild. Book description: “Freegift Cooper is born enslaved. On his mother's death bed, she reveals his father is the disgraced general, Benedict Arnold. Freegift vows to find his […]

    Free