The Meriden Historical Society has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Commercial Cleaning Services. Proposals are due on or before Friday, April 21, 2023 at 2:00PM, Eastern Time. Contact meridenhistoricalsociety@gmail.com to obtain the RFP documents. Contact meridenhistoricalsociety@gmail.com if you have any questions regarding this RFP. The Meriden Historical Society reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive proposal informalities, and to accept the lowest responsible proposal that serves the best interest of the college. We encourage women and minority business firms to submit bids and Bidders to utilize women and minority businesses for supplies, equipment and services.
Category: News & Events
Events
OCTAGONAL HOUSES – Thursday, February 23rd, 2023 6:30 pm, 41 W. Main St. downtown Meriden

Sherwin Borsuk, past president of the Meriden Historical Society, will present a PowerPoint illustrated program on the mid-19th century craze for octagonal houses.
Admission is free. Seating is limited.Please send us an email (MeridenHistoricalSociety@gmail.com) or call the office (203-639-1913) to reserve your seat.
PAST EVENTS

THE HISTORY OF MARKHAM AIRPORT – Thursday, 1/26/2023, 6:30 pm 41 W. Main St. downtown Meriden
The Meriden Historical Society will be hosting a lecture on Meriden Markham Airport presented by Constance Castillo, Markham Airport Manager. Ms. Castillo is a certified flight instructor and has been an active member of the local Ninety-Nines, an international organization for women pilots. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information or to reserve a seat at our lecture room, please contact Michael J. Zaffino, Administrator at 203.639.1913.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
The Meriden Historical Society’s Annual Membership Meeting will take place on Thursday, September 8, 2022
6:00 pm
at our downtown Museum & History Center 41 W. Main Street, Meriden.
Agenda: Committee reports; President’s report; Meet Michael J. Zaffino – our administrator; Eat and schmooze on the patio
***
JULY PROGRAM: An Aerial View – Meriden Present and Past
Thursday, July 28, 2022 6:30 pm at our Museum and History Center 41 W. Main St. Meriden, and streaming on Zoom.
Free admission. Donations gratefully accepted and help keep our doors open.

Sam Carr – Will present photographs of Meriden from the view of drones providing mostly current images of both iconic and typical views of the City from unique perspectives. There will also be some older views of Meriden, taken from an airplane from the 1930’s thru 1980’s, that will be compared to recent images to show how the city has changed over the years. A short discussion of drone rules and regulations will be included. Sam holds a private pilot license from the FAA as well as a commercial UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle – drone) license.
***
JULY PROGRAM Co-sponsored with the Meriden Public Library:
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at 6:30 pm at the Meriden Mall, 470 Lewis Ave, Meriden – next to Champs. Presented by Christina Rewinski

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 during this “tumultuous jarring time of civil war”
Link to register: https://meriden.librarycalendar.com/event/tories-spies-traitors-divided-loyalty-revolutionary-connecticut
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/35205933023569
***
JUNE PROGRAM

SYLVESTER POLI – THEATER MAGNATE, his life and involvement in Meriden.
Presented by Michael J. Zaffino.
Thursday, June 30th at 6:30 pm at the Meriden Historical Society’s Museum and History Center, 41 W. Main St. Meriden CT
41 w. Main St., downtown Meriden
***

***
SHADOWS OVER DAWNLAND
Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 6:00 PM in the Lecture Hall of the Meriden Historical Society’s new History Center 39-41 West Main Street, downtown Meriden and on zoom. Registration is required for a zoom attendance and can be done by clicking HERE
James T. Powers, author of Shadows Over Dawnland will discuss the historical experience of the Quinnipiac people during the first fifty years of the English colonization 350 years ago, of their ancestral home.
“How do people confront a series of catastrophic and transformative events that threaten the very existence of their way of life? How does a culture survive a catastrophic epidemic that kills 80% of the population in two years followed by war, ecological collapse, and economic ruin? Then the survivors face a relentless and devastating cultural disintegration resulting in marginalization and even genocide. It is a perfect formula for a dystopian future only it actually happened 350 years ago. This is what the Quinnipiac people of Southern New England faced once the English colonization of their homeland, the Dawnland, began.”
The Meriden Historical Society wishes to thank the Meriden Public Library for hosting the registration process on their scheduling site.
CHRISTMAS AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD

Join us at our 424 West Main Street showcase museum, the Andrews Homestead, for a Historical Christmas. We’ll be opening our, circa 1760, building to the public to show the Homestead all decorated for the Holiday. Santa will be there to greet all. 4:00 – 8:00 pm on Saturday & Sunday, December 11 & 12 Children are welcome. Beverages will be served. Admission is free – donations greatly appreciated.
we need your Help
The Meriden Historical Society has kicked off a $500,000 fundraising campaign to cover the costs of the purchase of the new building. Our current facility in South Meriden will be sold and those proceeds will go toward costs related to getting us set up in the new building and to create a dedicated endowment to cover the increased operating costs for the larger facility. Our goal is to be able to better present and preserve Meriden’s rich cultural heritage today, and for generations to come.
Initial commitments toward the campaign have already exceeded $125,000.
Your tax deductible gift is greatly appreciated.
contributions
*Donations over $100 will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the society and acknowledgement in our Newsletter.
** Additional recognition will be made for major gifts.
Donor Levels are:
** Angel
$100,000 and Above
** Champion
$50,000 – $99,999
** Patron
$25,000 – $49,999
**Benefactor
$10,000 – $24,999
Advocate
$5,000 – $9,999
Supporter
$2,500 – $4,999
Contributor
$500 – $2,499
*Friend
$1 – $499

Please mail contributions to:
The Meriden Historical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 3005 Meriden, CT 06450
Online Contributions can also be made via PayPal through our website, www.meridenhistoricalsociety.org
 PayPal charges us a fee to process each donation.
 If you are making a larger donation, please consider mailing it to us to maximize how far your donation can go toward our goal.
The Meriden Historical Society is a Federally recognized 501 (c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible
to the extent allowed by law.
MISSION & VISION
OUR MISSION
To steward the rich and diverse history of Meriden, Connecticut and its people. We collect, preserve, research, and exhibit artifacts; create educational programming; and support research that accurately interprets Meriden’s past. We inspire and engage others to learn about and take pride in the history of our community.
OUR VISION
To be a vibrant center, providing multi-media access and resources for all members of our community, scholars, students, and others, to understand, appreciate, and experience the history of Meriden.
OUR FUTURE HOME

With a refreshed Mission and Vision, The Meriden Historical Society will be relocating from our research center in South Meriden to 39-41 West Main Street, in the heart of Downtown Meriden. This historic building’s size and central location will allow us to expand our public programs, exhibit more of our collection, welcome more researchers and visitors, and better tell the story of our community! We will continue to operate our other location, the Andrews Homestead on West Main Street.
Our new 14,000 square foot home features a large lecture and programming space on the main floor coupled with exhibit, research and conservation spaces on the other floors. It is located across from the police station, convenient parking, and is ADA accessible.
We look forward to increasing collaboration with our schools, arts organizations, library and others to recognize the contributions of the people of Meriden.

39-41 West Main Street was originally built in 1921
for the National Gas & Electric Light Company
To find out how to make a contribution click HERE.
For more information, please contact us at: MeridenHistoricalSociety@gmail.com
LIVE THE STORY OF WALTER HUBBARD’S GIFT – A Walk through Hubbard Park with Justin Piccirillo
Saturday, 6/12/2021 (Rain date: Sunday, 6/13/2021) – Meet inside Hubbard Park’s Bandshell at 10 AM for a walk through the lower park. During this slightly over 1 hour walking tour, you will learn about Walter Hubbard, the park’s prehistory, little known park details like the “Man in the Stone”, structures like the Cahill House and pool, now gone features like the zoo and the legacy of the park. Due to layout of the park, this walking tour is not wheelchair friendly.
Following the tour, Justin’s newly-published book Hubbard Park will be available for purchase and book-signing at the Society’s museum, The Moses Andrews Homestead. The Museum is located down the road from Hubbard Park, at 424 W. Main St., Meriden. The Museum closes at 3:00 PM.
HUBBARD PARK – Virtual Program with Justin Piccirillo 5/20/2021
Join us on Thursday, May 20 at 6:30pm as Justin Piccirillo, author of the newly-released book “Hubbard Park,†tells the stories of the people who made this celebrated Meriden masterpiece a local landmark.
Hubbard Park has been Meriden’s “crown jewel” for over a century. Throughout its long and exciting history, there have been many men and women associated with the park. Whether playing a role in its development and beautification, or committing to its recreational appeal and preservation, these Hubbard Park faces deserve attention.
This program will be presented on Zoom and also streamed to the Meriden Historical Society’s Facebook page, facebook.com/meridenhistoricalsociety. Please RSVP your attendance at http://tiny.cc/mhs-hubbardpark to join us on Zoom. Registered attendees will receive a link to the program via email the day of the program.
VICE IN MERIDEN – Meriden Items for Bad Habits
Meriden’s many manufacturers and businesses produced numerous items over the years that enabled Meriden’s citizens and people all over the world to engage in activities which, done in excess, turn into bad habits.
Be it tobacco (smoked or chewed), alcohol, or gambling (with cards or other means), Meriden companies had a wealth of products that could be used in these pursuits.
Join us at our Museum, the Moses Andrews Homestead between the hours of 11 AM and 3 PM Sunday, May 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd 30th 2021 & Saturday, June 12th (in conjunction with CT Open House) to view many of those items.
The museum is located at 424 W. Main St. Meriden CT.
Admission is free – donations are very much appreciated.
Because of COVID, appropriate safety precautions will be in force, including mask wearing and social distancing.
A video capturing this exhibit is available by clicking HERE
You must be logged in to post a comment.