We are excited to announce our first two community exhibits of 2025. As part of EHS efforts to share our collections objects with the community, we will present two special, 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.

“History Unearthed” showcases items from our town’s past that have been brought up from the ground. Objects include pottery pieces that were uncovered during restoration work at Riverview Cemetery, a home renovation, and a metal detecting program at Pratt House.

“Witch Hazel Oddities” features a variety of objects, some of which EHS researchers have yet to identify, from the former witch hazel factory in Centerbrook. The E.E. Dickinson Company operated in Essex and Centerbrook from the late 19th century through the 1990s.  They harvested, distilled and bottled the bark of the witch hazel bush into a soothing salve and astringent as their primary product.  E.E. Dickinson served a national market, dominating their competition while creating employment and investment opportunities for Essex.  With the advent of synthetic compounds and increased pressure to diversify, the company wound down operations at their Centerbrook plant as they were purchased by a German company in the late 1990s.  Before decommissioning the plant in 1997, the company held a public auction of fixtures and industrial supplies. 

The Essex Library collections cases will rotate out again in April, so please visit the cases to see the current showcased items.