Featured Event- Opens on Friday March 1 at 5 PM
Featured Event
We’ve Come a Long Way… Maybe The Changing Role of Women in Meriden Since 1900n
Join us for our Spring Exhibit in partnership with Girls, Inc. The opening reception is Friday March 1st at 6:00 PM to coincide with the beginning of Women’s History month. You must make a reservation to attend the opening reception. Click here to reserve.
This exhibit chronicles the lives of women since 1900 through the three areas, women at work, women at play and women at home. It features local women who made a difference in Meriden during this period. After seeing the exhibit, you are invited to share your story of what it means to be a woman in Meriden today with the Leadership Teens from Girls, Inc. in the East Gallery. The Exhibit will be on display through May during our regular hours and on the first Sunday of each month.
At The Andrews Homestead
Saturday May 4th 1-3
Grow Your Own Herb Garden
Join us at the Homestead as we create an herb garden
reminiscent of colonial times for you to bring home with
10 herbs. Cost $30.00 Sign up here.
Saturday June 1st 1-4
Open House at the Andrews Be the first to see our new exhibits and stories Tours at 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00. Sign up here.
Spring Lecture Series
4th Thursday of the month starting at 6:30 at 41 W Main Street
Thursday March 28th Are you interested in an upcoming Meriden history lesson? How about this – Hubbard Park Part II, with more Secrets Revealed? Due to space requirements, there was so much information that had to be excluded with the first book, Images of America: Hubbard Park, that Justin Piccirillo would like to entertain you with several new and untold tales of the park. In addition, it provides a teaser to his upcoming book, Hidden History of Meriden. Trust me! You are not going to want to miss this!
Click here to reserve your seat
Thursday April 25th “Connecticut in Motion: How Four Centuries of Transportation Have Shaped Our State.” Richard DeLuca will talk about the importance of transportation as a force of history, and highlight the various stages of transportation development in Connecticut, from stagecoaches on the original Post Road, to steamboats, railroads, electric trolleys and of course the automobile in the twentieth century. He will end with a short discussion of the impact of climate change on transportation and Connecticut’s future. Attached are cover images of my two books, and one of myself. The second volume “Paved Roads & Public Money” will be for sale at the meeting, received the Connecticut Book Award from the Humanities Council.
Click here to reserve your seat.
Thursday May 23rd Girls, Inc will present the oral histories they took throughout the Spring Exhibit from current Meriden women who came to the exhibit. Members of the Meriden chapter of Girls, Inc., spent time during the current exhibit, “We’ve Come a Long Way…Maybe: The Changing Role of Women in Meriden Since 1900” collecting the stories of women who visited the exhibit. They will share the perspectives of female visitors to the exhibition on what it is like to be a woman today here in Meriden. Their narrative will share the stories as we take a glimpse at their lives and experiences.
Click here to reserve your seat.
Winter Events
We had a full house at the Andrews Homestead for our first Gingerbread House Workshop on December 9th. Here are some samples of their work. Carol Murdock, a master baker and creator of Gingerbread houses for the Wadsworth Atheneum and the State House was our guide.
Meriden K12 Public School Outreach
The Society currently visits fourth and fifth grade classrooms on a monthly basis to present lessons which incorporate objects from our collection and helps us develop our next generation of history lovers. In this lesson students look at the map of the Oregon Trail before going to the gym where they have a list of items to pick and actual items from the collection. They must fill their wagon; the outline on the library floor, and not go over their weight limit of 2000 pounds.
Holiday Get Together for Volunteers and Board
A new holiday tradition was started with a holiday get together
to thank our awesome volunteers and dedicated Board members for all
their hard work during the year.
Meriden Fast Forward
Our contest closed On December 1st and the winning photographs and essays were featured at our February 22nd presentation. The First Prize (photo to the left) went to Madison Lionello. Read her essay on the next page.
Fast Forward First Prize – Madison Lionello
One of the most impactful events in history during the 21st century was the Coronavirus outbreak. The state Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 3,000 positive tests, with 100 deaths in Meriden, 12 months after the virus was introduced to the United States. Many more of our friends and family got the virus, and some, unfortunately passed away because of it. Before COVID, we haven’t experienced a global pandemic since the flu in 1968. This virus shutdown our social lives and changed everything.
For a long time, the truth was unknown. We were quarantined for months on end and our “freedom” was far from us. During this period, everyone was required to wear a mask when leaving the house. Any signs of sickness were taken with serious precautions. Many become unemployed with the pandemic destroying businesses. The virus altered our economy, and as if we weren’t already buying enough products online, Americans became increasingly reliant on online shopping.
Once the vaccination was released, pure chaos started up again. Debates on whether or not to receive it, or which companies vaccine to get, filled the news reports. Some were required to get it, others refused. The COVID-19 vaccine is a major component to the future. Will everyone take it as babies like they do the smallpox vaccine? Is it actually helpful, or just there to ease our minds? Will there be any side effects in the future? This question especially worries me, because we won’t know until later on. A hundred years from now, scientists will probably have the answers, but for now, all we can do is hope for the best.
Whenever I see a mask now, all I can think about are the difficult times that we endured. Despite all that was happening around us, school still continued. We tried to proceed as normal to show that we were still strong. This just goes to show how important education is.
Even though we were at risk of getting sick or contaminating others, we continued our learning. We found ways to make it work; whether that be through online video chats or by wearing a mask and maintaining our distance. This truly represents Meriden. We will go the miles to build a foundation for a successful future. Together, we were able to move forward. Together, we stayed strong. And together, we survived the pandemic.
The Coronavirus pandemic will be talked about for generations. We’ll never forget being shut away from the outside world. Things will never go back to what they were in the years leading up to the pandemic. We are much more cautious and aware of our health and have developed natural reactions to situations, such as maintaining our distance from someone who sneezes or wearing a mask as flu season comes along. COVID isn’t gone, but it’s a lot less of a threat than it was a couple years ago. It’s not just a story, but an experience that we had to live through. Meriden went through a lot of changes because of the pandemic, and those changes will be heavily observed in the future.
| New Members We welcome the following new members! Leona Janz, Donald Shubert, Thomas Welsh We Note with Sorrow It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Norman Ness and are grateful to him for remembering us in his will. Spring Hours through May 31, 2024 Wednesday 9:00- 3:00 Open Thursday 1:00-8:00 Closed 1st Thursday (4/4, 5/2, 6/1) Friday 9:00-3:00 By Appointment Saturday 41 W Main Second and Fourth Saturdays 9-2 Andrews Reopens on May 4th for community events’ Closed for Easter Weekend 3/29-4/1 Reopens Tuesday 4/2 | Corporate Sponsors *APEC Electric 45 Shuler Ln Durham CT 06422 203-238-0427 https://www.apecelectricct.com/ *Jonal Laboratories 456 Center St. Meriden CT 06451 203-634-4444 https://www.jonal.com/ LaRosa Construction, * L. Suzio Insurance Center, 538 Preston Ave #303 54 Chamberlain Hwy. Meriden, CT 06451 Meriden CT 0645 (203) 237-5409 203-237-7403 http://www.larosaconstructionco.com/ www.Suzioinsurance.com *Mahon, Quinn & Mahon, P.C. 636 Broad St. * Tunxis Ohr’s Fuel Meriden CT 06450 80 Britannia St. 203-238-1010 Meriden CT 06451 WWW.mqmlawyer.com www.tuxisfuel.com3-639-3513 *Meriden Memorial Funeral Home 450 Broad St. *Plimpton & Hills Meriden CT 06450 300 Research Parkway 203-235-9181 Meriden, CT 06450 www.meridenmemorialfh.com www.plimptonhills.com860-522-4233 *Mule Security & Electric Inc. 113 Broad St. Meriden CT 06450 203-238-7561 www.mulesecurity.com *New England Capital Financial Advisors, LLC 79 Main St. Meriden CT 06451 203-935-0265 www.newenglandcapital.com |