6/19/2015 - Historical Society Prison Exhibit Wins State and National Awards
WETHERSFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S PRISON EXHIBIT WINS BOTH STATE AND NATIONAL AWARDS- JUNE 19, 2015:
Wethersfield, CT…Wethersfield Historical Society is privileged to announce their exhibit Castle on the Cove: Connecticut State Prison and Wethersfield has won two prestigious awards. The exhibit, on display through 2017 at the Wethersfield Museum at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, was the winner of both the American Association for State and Local History’s Leadership in History Award of Merit and Connecticut League of Historical Organizations’ Award of Merit. Executive Director Amy Northrop Wittorff stated, “We are very honored to receive these prestigious state and national awards for our exhibit. We are grateful to all of the community members who participated in the development of the exhibit and the funders who made it possible. These awards are for them as well.” Curator Rachel Zilinski noted, “With additional exposure we hope that the awards will encourage even more visitors to come to the Wethersfield Museum to learn about the history of incarceration and how it tells the story of our town, state and nation.”
The exhibit was a direct result of feedback from the community expressing their interest in the Connecticut State Prison, which operated in Wethersfield from 1827 to 1963. “It was clear that visitors wanted to learn about the history,” reveals Zilinski, “so in response to the community interest I spent the last two years with local prison expert Frank Winiarski researching the building itself and the people who interacted with the prison to create an exhibition from records, objects and stories. Our goal was to create an exhibit where the community could explore this massive institution that shaped significant parts of Connecticut’s history.”
Wethersfield Historical Society could not have achieved the awards without the support of many individuals and organizations. Zilinski says, “We are thankful for all the support and collaboration that has made this exhibition possible from the Department of Correction’s loan of the electric chair to the monetary support from our generous funders: the William and Alice Mortensen Foundation, the Robert Allan Keeney Memorial Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the Farmington Bank Community Foundation and Wethersfield Historical Society members.”
Wethersfield Historical Society’s award from The American Association for State and Local History’s (AASLH) Award of Merit is a national award that recognizes excellence in history programs, projects, and people when compared with similar activities nationwide. The award was established to encourage the highest standards in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all Americans. By publicly recognizing superior and innovative achievements, the Leadership in History Awards serve as an inspiration to others in the field.
The exhibit’s award from The Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO) presents a statewide Award of Merit to institutions and individuals who demonstrate the highest of professional standards, and who enhance and further the understanding of Connecticut history. The purpose of the Award of Merit is to recognize the care, thought and effort invested in these contributions and to inspire and encourage others by acknowledging exceptional contributions to state and local history.
Visitors can experience the exhibit at the Wethersfield Museum at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, 200 Main Street, Wethersfield, Connecticut Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 1-4pm. They can also visit Wethersfield Historical Society’s website at www.wethersfieldhistory.org or call 860.529.7656 for more information about tours.
Wethersfield Historical Society (WHS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, membership supported organization. Since its founding in 1932, the mission has been to “preserve and promote Wethersfield’s history and culture to inspire people today and tomorrow.” The society welcomes over 23,000 visitors to our physical sites and another 46,000 people use our online resources each year. The society also offers more than seventy public programs and community events annually. The society owns two historic houses: the Hurlbut-Dunham and the James Francis House; and manages four properties owned by the town of Wethersfield: the historic Cove Warehouse Maritime Museum, the Old Academy, the Standish House and the Wethersfield Museum and Visitor Center at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center. The Old Academy is used for the society’s offices, library and archives, while museum collections are stored at the Keeney Memorial, which also has public exhibits and meeting rooms. The society’s museum collection approximates 8,000 objects, primarily from the 19th century, with representative pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries as well as contemporary objects. The manuscript collection contains over 100 linear feet of correspondence, account books, ship logs, letters, deeds and records. The society also holds more than 1,000 photographs of Wethersfield houses, people and events and maintains a public research library of approximately 1,000 books on history and genealogy which are used by visiting researchers and the staff throughout the year.