Wethersfield is a small Connecticut town filled with a rich American experience. If you have an object, artifact or story that should be told, please contact the society. The society’s collections include more than 8,000 objects, primarily from the 19th century, on exhibition in the historic houses, museums, or in secured climate-controlled storage areas. The library includes 100 linear feet of manuscripts, over 1,000 photographs and 1,000 books on history and genealogy. Wethersfield Historical Society collects objects that promote our mission statement to “Preserve Wethersfield’s history and culture to inspire people today and tomorrow.”
How to Donate
Every year generous individuals make object donations to the Society. We are happy to consider objects that will strengthen our collection and advance our educational mission. Wethersfield Historical Society collects a variety of material related to the history of Wethersfield and its daughter towns. WHS staff members are happy to work with you to identify which materials are appropriate to donate. We currently have some gaps in our collection, and would like to hear from you if you think you can help us fill them. Refer to our Collections Scope and Wish List to review some of our interests.
Please contact Curator Kristina Oschmann at Kristina.oschmann@wethersfieldhistory.org and/or Director Amy Wittorff at amy.wittorff@wethersfieldhistory.org to discuss the items you are interested in donating. If accepted, you will be given a Deed of Gift form to fill out and return, along with the item you are donating.
Wethersfield Historical Society cannot accept donated materials unless you submit a completed donation form, which can be done in person, by email or by mail. If you drop items off unsolicited, they will be treated as abandoned property. For a PDF version of this form you can download and print, click here.
Abandoned property: Property that is left at any of the Society’s buildings without a signed ownership release will be considered abandoned property. Abandoned property will be assessed as whether it has value to the collection. If the objects are not being considered for the collection, they will be disposed of at the discretion of the Society. If the objects are considered for the collection, then they will be accessioned according to the accession procedure with an “unknown” donor and appropriate donation date.
Please try to include photographs and measurements of the object or document with your form. Once the form and item are received, your proposed donation will be evaluated as a new addition to the collection and you will be contacted within four weeks. If the Curator chooses to accept your donation, the donated material will be recommended to the Collection Committee for consideration. The Committee meets several times a year to review potential acquisitions. Following the meeting, you will be contacted regarding next steps. If you have questions, concerns, or issues or you wish to check on the status of your proposed donation, please contact us. A lot of thought goes into accepting potential donations, so please be patient with us.
Because of the time and resources required to care for objects, museums must be selective about what they take into the collection. We ask that you review and follow the procedures outlined in the form to donate an object to the Society.
What to Donate
WHS archival collecting includes both personal papers created by individuals and families, and records created by organizations and businesses. WHS object collecting includes items made in Wethersfield and the local area, and artifacts with strong ties to the community.
Materials we collect include:
letters, diaries, account books, deeds, scrapbooks, photographs, tables, dressers, artwork, seating furniture, and clocks.
For more information, see our Collections Scope guidelines and wish list below.
Collections Scope
Mission: Preserving Wethersfield’s history and culture to inspire people today and tomorrow.
The Wethersfield Historical Society collects objects, books and archival materials relevant to:
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- Wethersfield history and to the history of daughter towns: Glastonbury (through 1693), Rocky Hill (through 1843), and Newington (through 1871).
- Connecticut or American history, but distinctly representative of life and culture in Wethersfield.
The Historical Society maintains three collections:
- Permanent museum collection: Objects that meet the requirements of the Society’s collection mission statement as described above.
- Library collection: Manuscripts and genealogical resources related to Wethersfield and Connecticut. Secondary source materials relevant to local and state history, as considered needed by library visitors and staff members.
- Education collection: Objects that are not appropriate for the permanent or library collection, but useful in educational programming or display. These objects are expendable and would be useful and educational for hands-on demonstrations or workshops. Education objects are subject to damage and wear, and are not part of the permanent collection; therefore, they may be disposed of at the discretion of the Curator.
Collecting Wish List
Wethersfield Historical Society actively collects objects, photographs, archival materials, maps, ephemera, and books which document the diversity of Wethersfield’s community.
WHS is especially interested to add to its manuscript collections’ strengths in the 20th and 21st centuries, to extend more recent documentation of Wethersfield’s changing diversity as reflected in:
Cultural and religious life and activity
Industrial change
Immigration
Civic, political, legal reform and activism.
Due to limited storage space are currently focusing our collecting efforts on objects with a strong Wethersfield provenance.
Objects with connections to our historic sites—The Hurlbut-Dunham House and the Cove Warehouse.
Photographs and materials which document Wethersfield’s evolution through the years are appreciated.