Upcoming Events
Volunteer Open House
Interested in volunteering with EHS? Then please join us for our monthly Volunteer Open House on the 2nd Wednesday of each month!
Treasure in Your Backyard
EHS is bringing you a conversation with Rob Harlow from Digging for Good about the treasures one can find in their own backyards. Rob Harlow began Digging for Good as a way to get together with friends to enjoy the outdoors with their children. The group is happy to metal detect on your historic property and dig up items and sometimes stories. Any findings are the homeowner’s to keep. Items unearthed can help tell a larger history of your property, the people who lived there, and historic land use.
In this presentation, Rob will bring items that he has unearthed and speak to the excitement of finding treasures in your own backyard. He will also be able to schedule if you would like Digging for Good to detect on your land. Join us at Hills Academy History Center at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, March 25th. Space is limited so please let us know if you can attend by emailing: membership@essexhistory.org.
EHS hosted Digging for Good at Pratt House in summer 2024 and some of the items uncovered are on display through March at Essex Library Association in our “History Unearthed” exhibit.
Information from their website: Digging for Good is a group of young (and young at heart) people based out of Haddam, who love to dig in the dirt and uncover the past. Inspired by tales of treasure and by finding things long forgotten, they arise early and head out into the fields in search of the past. When you invite Digging for Good to metal detect on your property, they will make a donation in your name to a charity of your choice from our list of suggested organizations. Learn more at diggingforgood.com
Volunteer Open House
Interested in volunteering with EHS? Then please join us for our monthly Volunteer Open House!
Essex Village Walk
Take a trip down Main Street in Essex Village to capture the rich maritime history of 18th century “Potapaug,” its working waterfront and ship-building prominence in the early 19th century as well as its development as a beautiful visitor destination of today.
Our tours meet at the "Foot of Main Street" in front of the CT River Museum and start at 5:00pm. Walking tours are open to the public but we do appreciate an RSVP that you plan to attend by emailing our Director at mjosefiak@essexhistory.org. We ask for a $5 donation per person but tours are free to active 2025 members.
Our walks last about an hour and are on mostly flat ground covering a little less than a mile. We try to adapt our tours a bit based on our audience of the day, but if you would like a fully customized tour, please contact our staff 860-767-0681 to arrange, giving us at least 3 weeks to arrange our guide scheduling.
Summer 2025 walks will be on Sundays: June 29, July 27, August 31 and September 28.
Essex Village Walk
Take a trip down Main Street in Essex Village to capture the rich maritime history of 18th century “Potapaug,” its working waterfront and ship-building prominence in the early 19th century as well as its development as a beautiful visitor destination of today.
Our tours meet at the "Foot of Main Street" in front of the CT River Museum and start at 5:00pm. Walking tours are open to the public but we do appreciate an RSVP that you plan to attend by emailing our Director at mjosefiak@essexhistory.org. We ask for a $5 donation per person but tours are free to active 2025 members.
Our walks last about an hour and are on mostly flat ground covering a little less than a mile. We try to adapt our tours a bit based on our audience of the day, but if you would like a fully customized tour, please contact our staff 860-767-0681 to arrange, giving us at least 3 weeks to arrange our guide scheduling.
Summer 2025 walks will be on Sundays: July 27, August 31 and September 28.
Essex Village Walk
Take a trip down Main Street in Essex Village to capture the rich maritime history of 18th century “Potapaug,” its working waterfront and ship-building prominence in the early 19th century as well as its development as a beautiful visitor destination of today.
Our tours meet at the "Foot of Main Street" in front of the CT River Museum and start at 5:00pm. Walking tours are open to the public but we do appreciate an RSVP that you plan to attend by emailing our Director at mjosefiak@essexhistory.org. We ask for a $5 donation per person but tours are free to active 2025 members.
Our walks last about an hour and are on mostly flat ground covering a little less than a mile. We try to adapt our tours a bit based on our audience of the day, but if you would like a fully customized tour, please contact our staff 860-767-0681 to arrange, giving us at least 3 weeks to arrange our guide scheduling.
Summer 2025 walks will be on Sundays: August 31 and September 28.
Essex Village Walk
Take a trip down Main Street in Essex Village to capture the rich maritime history of 18th century “Potapaug,” its working waterfront and ship-building prominence in the early 19th century as well as its development as a beautiful visitor destination of today.
Our tours meet at the "Foot of Main Street" in front of the CT River Museum and start at 5:00pm. Walking tours are open to the public but we do appreciate an RSVP that you plan to attend by emailing our Director at mjosefiak@essexhistory.org. We ask for a $5 donation per person but tours are free to active 2025 members.
Our walks last about an hour and are on mostly flat ground covering a little less than a mile. We try to adapt our tours a bit based on our audience of the day, but if you would like a fully customized tour, please contact our staff 860-767-0681 to arrange, giving us at least 3 weeks to arrange our guide scheduling.
Exhibits at Essex Library (through March)
“History Unearthed” and “Witch Hazel Oddities” are the two featured exhibits on display now until April.
Volunteer Open House
Interested in volunteering with EHS? Then please join us for our monthly Volunteer Open House!
Exhibits at Essex Library (through March)
“History Unearthed” and “Witch Hazel Oddities” are the two featured exhibits on display now until April.
Winter Lecture Series
Mr. Cregeau provides a fascinating slideshow presentation with many beautiful slides on the lives of Jed and his talented but troubled wife, Faith, who was a talented artist and the daughter of patriot Governor Jonathan Trumbull, Senior. But she also suffered from depression which led to her untimely death in late 1775. Jed was a patriot leader who would become a noteworthy brigadier general in the Continental Army.
New Exhibits at Essex Library (through March)
“History Unearthed” and “Witch Hazel Oddities” are the two featured exhibits on display now until April.
Winter Lecture Series
Join your friends and neighbors with the return of Essex Historical Society’s (EHS) popular Winter Lecture Series, hosted by our partners at Essex Meadows. This year’s theme highlights the American Revolution. The Series continues on Sunday, January 12, at 3pm with the illustrated talk, “By Land and Sea: The Connecticut River During the American Revolution.” Renowned maritime historian Jerry Roberts recounts several tales of heroism and local ingenuity in the Valley/Shore region during the American Revolution. Learn about development of the nation’s first submarine, the construction and victories of warships in Essex and the heroic tales of local men who fought in battles from Bunker Hill to Saratoga, and more.
The illustrated talk is free and open to the public, held in beautiful Hamilton Hall at Essex Meadows, 30 Bokum Road, Essex. For more information, please contact EHS at 860-767-0681 or mjosefiak@essexhistory.org
With a career in maritime history from the “Intrepid” Museum to the Connecticut River Museum, Mr. Roberts is the author of several books, articles and works of genealogy.
EHS’s Winter Lecture Series highlights local history during the American Revolution, paving the way for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of the United States in 2026. This 250th anniversary is also known as the Semiquincentennial (a.k.a. Semi-Q) celebrates all of our country’s history from Indigenous peoples to the present. Please stay tuned for more collaborative 250th programming at the town and state partners!
Winter Lecture Series
Join your friends and neighbors with the return of Essex Historical Society’s (EHS) popular Winter Lecture Series, hosted by our partners at Essex Meadows. This year’s theme highlights the American Revolution. The Series begins on Sunday, January 5, at 3pm with the illustrated talk, “Tories, Spies and Traitors: Divided Loyalty in Revolutionary Connecticut” presented by Annie O’Brien, from the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.
Ms. O’Brien’s talk asks, “Which side are you on?” That’s the question that every single person in Connecticut had to answer in 1775, as the thirteen colonies began a rebellion against British rule. Loyalty was not only a matter of words or opinion. For soldiers and civilians alike, loyalty could mean loss of fortune, of friends, and even of life. This presentation reveals stories— some well- known, some obscure— of Nutmeggers who risked and sacrificed to support their chosen side.
The illustrated talk is free and open to the public, held in beautiful Hamilton Hall at Essex Meadows, 30 Bokum Road, Essex. For more information, please contact EHS at 860-767-0681 or mjosefiak@essexhistory.org
With an education and interpretation background at Avon Public Schools and the Mark Twain House, Annie O’Brien presently serves as a Museum Educator at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, developing and teaching educational programs for school and adult audiences.
EHS’s Winter Lecture Series highlights local history during the American Revolution, paving the way for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of the United States in 2026. This 250th anniversary is also known as the Semiquincentennial (a.k.a. Semi-Q) celebrates all of our country’s history from Indigenous peoples to the present. Please stay tuned for more collaborative 250th programming at the town and state partners!
Holiday House Tour
The Essex Holiday House Tour returns on December 7 after a 5-year hiatus! This incredibly popular and beloved holiday event will feature 6-7 private historic homes beautifully decorated for the holidays and all within walking distance of downtown Essex. Visit our Holiday House Tour page for all the details!
Essex Walking Tour
Take a trip down Main Street in Essex Village as we delve into the town’s rich maritime history. From the 18th century development of “Potopaug’s” working waterfront to the town’s shipbuilding prominence in the early 19th Century, we will learn that there is much more than meets the eye in what is today a beautiful tourist destination.
Annual Meeting
All are welcome to attend the EHS Annual Meeting on Sunday, September 15 at Essex Yacht Club (3:00 - 5:00 pm). We will celebrate the year’s success and discuss plans for continuing to strengthen our community’s bond with the rich historic past of the three villages of Centerbrook, Essex and Ivoryton.
Essex Village Walking tour
Take a trip down Main Street in Essex Village as we delve into the town’s rich maritime history. From the 18th century development of “Potopaug’s” working waterfront to the town’s shipbuilding prominence in the early 19th Century, we will learn that there is much more than meets the eye in what is today a beautiful tourist destination.
Digging for Good
Young explorers ages 10-18 are invited, with their parents, to join Digging for Good , a merry band of “detectorists” from Haddam, CT, as they use metal detectors to find and dig for archalogical treasure on the grounds of The Pratt House Museum in Essex.
“Time is my greatest enemy”