Stamford History Real Time

From Plates, Puddings and Pies to Plants (Gardening in North Stamford 1916)

Here is more:

From Plates, Puddings and Pies to Plants (Gardening in North Stamford 1916)

Fred McDermant

Brownstones on Bell Street – a Photo Selection of the Month Reprise

Still tied down working on the new website, I came across this Photo Selection of the Month of June 2007:

Brownstones on Bell Street

Enjoy!

Whitman Bailey Selection for June: Artist's View of Suburban Avenue and Main Street

All gone now …(current Google satellite view)

Artist's View of Suburban Avenue and Main Street

Download newspaper clipping of June 13, 1925

Downtown Stamford Urban Renewal
related map

This is how Main Street looked around 1967: The Holly House is gone.

Map and photo courtesy
The City of Stamford, Connecticut, Urban Redevelopment Commission.

We do add the usual warning:

"At times, the accompanying vignettes are mostly folklore passed on to Mr. Bailey by residents of the areas where he was sketching.  In those instances he had no way of determining the truth of the story.  Nor have we.  It is presented as a sidelight to the sketch.  Therefore, researchers are cautioned to regard these tales as local color, interesting, thought provoking, but sometimes not entirely factual."

(Bailey Sketch Reference file: Bailey267.jpg)

Whitman Bailey Collection

2009 Exhibit "Best Face Forward" is Now Online

Best Face Forward: Portraits from the Society's Collection

The portraits in this exhibit span a time period from the 1830s to the 1970s and present a panoramic view of changing costumes, hairstyles, facial hair and degrees of formality. With few exceptions the subjects were Stamford residents. With the coming of the railroad to Stamford in 1849 and the resulting influx of immigrants, the town became the site of flourishing new industries and of more people who could afford to commission a portrait. Some of these portraits were painted by local artists. Of key importance was the ability to capture the likeness of the sitter, although a slight enhancement was not looked upon unfavorably.

Enjoy!

Reduced Public Hours at the Society: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only

June 21, 2010 Press Release

… Changes in the public hours at the Society’s headquarters at 1508 High Ridge Road [will] begin July 1. The Society’s research library and exhibit galleries will now be open Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM throughout the year.

“Like many non-profit organizations, the Society has been hard hit by reduced financial support in these difficult economic times,“ continued Coleman. “Unfortunately, the City of Stamford, our primary backer since we are the municipal historian for the City, has had to make significant cuts to outside agencies including ours. We are looking at every way to conserve our resources without jeopardizing our services to the Stamford community.  So we have expanded our hours on our usually busiest days, and cut hours on those days when we have fewer visitors.”

To recap, hours are:

• Thursdays 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
• Fridays 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
• Saturdays 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

(closed on Saturday, July 3 for the holiday weekend)

The Hoyt Barnum House:

Open to the public every Friday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM beginning Friday July 2 and continuing through Friday September 3. Tours will be conducted on the hour. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for members, seniors and children.

More information and directions

Searching the Marcus Research Library online

The Historical Society's Marcus Research Library book holdings are cataloged in the Ferguson Library's online catalog.  Adding data is still a work in progress, but users may go to the catalog for their research before visiting the society's research library.

The Ferguson Library recently changed its online catalog to a new system.  How to proceed with your search:   Go to the Online Catalog, and click on advanced search. Type in your search item and then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you find this box:

(this is a screen print only)

Click on "All libraries" and scroll to "Stamford Historical Society," then hit the search button.

The Hoyt Barnum House will be open Fridays from 11 to 4 in July and August!

Update 1:

The Hoyt Barnum House will be open Fridays 11 to 4 PM in July and August, and September 3

Tours are given on the hour.

The house is located on 713 Bedford Street next to Police Headquarters.

View Larger Map

Admission:

$7/Adults
$5/Members, Seniors & Children
(Children age 5 and under are gratis)

Holiday Closing: July 4th Weekend

The Society will be closed Saturday, July 3 for the holiday weekend. Enjoy the weekend!