Museum Schedule
Our hours are Thursdays 10am to noon and 2pm to 4pm and on the second and fourth Sundays from 2pm to 4pm. We are also open by appointment. You can contact us for research assistance by phone, 860-875-4326 or by email, vernonhs@sbcglobal.net.
*In case of inclement weather, closing information will be shared here and on our Facebook page.
VHS Museum will be closed on Sunday May 11th for Mother 's Day
VHS Grants & Fund Raisers
VHS Book Sale
Thanks for the volunteers who carried books into the building, sorted and arranged the books by category and subjects, worked the 6 busy sale days and sent the remaining books off the the huge book sale occurring at St. Philip-Apostle Church in Ashford, CT.
VHS has been selected by store leadership to benefit from Big Y’s Community Bag Program, which makes it easy for shoppers to contribute to their local communities.
Whenever a $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at the Big Y located at 234 Tolland Turnpike in Manchester, $1 will be donated to VHS. This is a great way to broaden awareness and help our cause.
Share the news with friends and family. Thanks for your support!
Historic House Sign Program Returns!
cultivated the fields that are now suburbs?
VHS Reaches our Goal for Digitizing Microfilm of Historic Papers!
To read more about this project, click here
To view the Thank You to our Donors, click here
VHS Receives a Grant from the Rockville Community Bank Foundation for Digitization Project
The Rockville Community Bank Foundation recently awarded a grant of $10,000 to the newspaper digitization project. With this grant we have reached our fund raising goal to have the microfilm of our local newspapers sent to New England Micrographics for digitization. We appreciate the support for our project. Rockville Bank was long known as a community minded institution and the Foundation continues to honor this mission.
VHS Receives Grant to Explore Collection for Black, Indigenous People and People of Color
In 2024 VHS was one of 10 organizations in the state selected for a grant from the Connecticut State Historical Records Advisory Board and Conservation ConneCTtion to cover the cost of 1-2 visits by a Traveling Archivist to help us locate materials in our collection relating to African American, Native American and People of Color residents. Archivist Nicole Besseghir advised volunteers Jon Roe, Teri-Lynn Rogers, Don Rogers and Jean Luddy as they reviewed photographs, documents, books, census records and other materials in our collection to gather information about people of color. Our findings were arranged and annotated by collection type . Ms Besseghir has reviewed and organized them into the appropriate bibliographic format. Once the finished document has been uploaded into Connecticut's Online Archive, a link to the site will be created. This link will be made available for online access so stories of these residents can be shared.
VHS Receives Grant from the Connecticut Professional Genealogists Council
The CPGC established the Donna Fund in honor of Donna Siemiakoski, their first president. The award is given to local libraries and historical societies that preserve genealogical records and make them available to the public.
CPGC chose our digitization project because it aligns with their interest in records preservation and access. They were impressed that much of the work is being accomplished by a team of dedicated volunteers.
The Donna Fund Award of $2000 was presented to the Vernon Historical Society on October 17th by Treasurer Kathyrn Black and member Christopher Klemmer.
Window Restoration Grant. The windows in the Museum building are nearly 100 years old and need restoring. We applied for a matching grant from the State Historic Preservation Office to complete this project. We were delighted to receive $40,825. Architect Robert Hurd prepared bid documents outlining the requirements for restoring the original windows. Once this document was reviewed and accepted by the SHPO, the VHS Window Committee solicited bids from several qualified preservation contractors. The committee met with representatives from each firm. After reviewing the final bids, the Committee chose Proulx Building & Remodeling of Stafford Springs to perform the restoration. Proulx has completed several successful historic restoration and/or rehabilitation projects in Eastern Connecticut. At present work on the project should start in August and is expected to be done by October. The Society thanks the State Historic Preservation Office for the grant to complete this long awaited project.
Mission Statement
The Vernon Historical Society is a volunteer operated, non-profit organization. The purpose of the Society is to create interest and activity in the field of local history.
The Museum building serves as a repository for a variety of collected materials that are available to the general public for research.
These collections aid historians, genealogists, and interested citizens in research, and provide source materials for exhibits, publications and programs.
During Museum hours, volunteers are present to answer questions and provide access to collected materials.
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Upcoming Events
2025 Programs & Activities
Saturday, June 14th 10am. Parking lot- Talcottville Congregational Church, Main Street
A Visit to one of Vernon's Historic "Villes"
In a walking tour led by architect Bob Hurd, visitors will learn about the history of the village of the Talcotts and their predecessors, including the Kellogg brothers, Peter Dobson and John Warburton. Vernon had many "villes" or villages that grew up around the mills and railroads during the 18th and 19th centuries. Talcottville is a well-preserved example of an 19th century New England mill village.
Saturday, July 26th at 10am. Old Burial Ground on Bamforth Road
"Stories from the Old Burial Ground"
This walking tour of one of oldest cemeteries in town will be led by Museum Director Jean Luddy. You will learn about early settlers and recognize the names of farming families in North Bolton- Vernon's name when the congregation was established on the hills overlook Hartford in the 1760s. Several men buried here answered the Lexington Alarm in the early days of the American Revolution. See examples of gravestone art and imagery. Tour should last about an hour. Wear comfortable shows. Park in the field in front of the cemetery.
New Publication on Local Trolley Line
A Glimpse of the Stafford Springs Street Railway Company by local historian Richard Symonds, Jr.
Symonds' book covers the history of the trolley line from construction in 1907 to discontinuation in 1928. Using topographical maps and vintage postcards, he reveals the locations of the stops along the line. Assisted by researcher Greg Gunn, Symonds consulted a variety of sources and people to answer questions about the Stafford to Rockville line. Trolleys are a vanished mode of transportation that is fondly remembered.
The book is available at the Vernon Historical Society for $10.
Digitizing Our Local Newspapers
Click here to learn more about this project and how to donate.
Tolland County Journal: 1867-1884
Rockville Journal: 1885-1899 and 1911-1968
Rockville Leader: 1902, 1908, 1910, 1919-1964
Tri-Town Reporter: 1973-1984
Newspaper project video- Our friends at the Community Voice Channel came to VHS for a "Behind the Scenes" look at the digitization project. Click here to view the video. Many thanks to Sara and Melanie from CVC for producing this film!
VHS Video Productions
“Rockville High School:150 Years of Excellence and Community"
The RHS lecture was filmed by our friends at the Community Voice Channel. It can be viewed by clicking here.
"Remembering World War II” - Video
In October 2021 the successful premier of the video production of “Boosting Our Morale:
Soldiers’ Letters to the Rockville Journal During World War II” occurred. The video consisted of readings from letters written to the editor of the Rockville Journal during the War by local men and women in service. Members of the Rockville High School Drama Club read the letters accompanying the film.
For those who could not attend, the film is available on the Society’s YouTube page.
Click here to follow the link
VHS Virtual Fall Program “Goes Live”
“History in Plain Sight: Monuments & Memorials in Vernon Connecticut” a special video presentation will serve as our Fall Program for 2020.
The video is available at the Society’s You Tube page. Go to youtube.com. Then search for Vernon Historical Society or use this link. https://youtu.be/3gKPPRwof4g
Click here for a map of the locations featured. in the video.
The video was created with the assistance of VHS volunteers and members of the community. M5Digital Technologies donated their time to assemble the images and voiceover recordings into a finished film.
“History in Plain Sight: Monuments & Memorials in Vernon Connecticut” was designed to highlight places in town with historic significance. Another purpose for the film was to encourage viewers to visit these places, in effect combining education with exercise.
You have your assignment. Watch the film. Then go find the places.
The Art of Gustave Hoffman (1869-1945)
An exhibit of the etchings by local artist Gustave Hoffman is on display at the Museum. The pieces were collected by Michael Sharon and donated in honor of this parents, Dr. Michael and Jean Sharon.
Click here for a short video about this special exhibit.
Finding Aids for selected VHS collections included
in Connecticut's Archives Online Database.
Support Our Sponsors!
These organizations help the Society by placing business card ads in our newsletter. The VHS thanks these businesses and organizations for their support.
