Recurring Programs
In the interest of protecting our patrons, staff, and volunteers in the midst of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak, we have been advised to cancel/postpone all in-person programs until further notice.
In-person programs will resume as soon as possible.
The museum’s recurring programs include the Washington History Club, Readings from the Archives, the Washington Cemetery Tour, New Years Tea, and History Bites.
Virtual History Programs
The Museum hosted several virtual Readings from the Archives on Zoom, whose recordings can be found below. Staff read a research paper about a Washington topic from the Museum’s archive and shared related photos, followed by a brief discussion with the audience.
Apr 20, 2020 – “A History of Calhoun Street” by Mrs. Helen Fenn Whitehead in 1938. Access the Zoom recording here
May 4, 2020 – “The Sister Susie Society” by Dorothy Abbot Loomis in 1930. Access the Zoom recording here
May 18, 2020 – “Reminiscences of Dr. Remus Fowler, his Family, and House” by Edith Heath Rossiter in 1912. Access the Zoom recording here
June 1, 2020 – “The Story of the Wesley House” by Fanny Palmer in 1911. Access the Zoom recording here
June 15, 2020 – “A Sketch of the Judea Female Seminary” by Amy Kenyon in 1911. Access the Zoom recording here
Washington History Club
In the morning: Meets the third Monday of the months of March, June, September, and December at 10:00 a.m. at the Washington Senior Center to discuss the history of Washington, Washington Depot, Marbledale, New Preston and Woodville. Share your stories with the group or just listen to the fascinating conversation about our town’s past. Bring your photos and objects for show and tell!
Next meeting: All in-person meetings have been postponed for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus.
Topic: TBA
At Night: The Washington History Club at Night is a program of the Gunn Historical Museum and Meets the third Tuesday of the months of November, February, and May at 6:30 pm in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Library to discuss the history of Washington, Washington Depot, Marbledale, New Preston and Woodville. Share your stories with the group or just come and listen to the fascinating conversation about our town’s past. Bring your memories, photos and objects for show and tell!
Next Meeting: All in-person meetings have been postponed for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus.
Topic: TBA
Readings from the Archives
Meets the first Monday of the months of January, April, and October at 10:00 a.m. at the Washington Senior Center. Staff present a paper about the history of Washington from the museum’s archive, related photos and artifacts from the museum are displayed and a discussion follows.
Next Meeting: All in-person meetings have been postponed for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus. See the Virtual History Program paragraph at the top of this page for info on our online programs.
Topic: TBA
History Bites
Each spring ten heritage sites throughout Northwestern Connecticut present History Bites, a series of weekly lunchtime programs designed to bring topics of local history to the attention of the regional community. The lunchtime series is hosted on Thursdays between April and June from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. Attendees are encouraged to bring lunch. Beverage and dessert will be provided by the hosting organization. Lectures are free and open to the public. History Bites is sponsored in part by the Connecticut Community Foundation.
Next Meeting: Canceled due to coronavirus.
Topic: The History of Theater in Washington
Alex Zhang, a Gunn Scholar, became intrigued by the evolution of the Gunnery Drama Society and explored the other major transitions in the Gunnery theater as well as the Washington Community Theater. Her research focused on the transition of a single-sex theater community to one that has grown to be more inclusive and diverse. Through her Gunn Scholar project, she also reflected on what the Gunnery can learn from its history of theater as well as performing arts, and imagines how the program may flourish in the new Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center.
Cemetery Tour
Friday, October 30, 2020, 6:30-8:30 pm (Rain Date: Sunday, November 1, 2020, 6:30-8:30)
Tours start at Gunn Historical Museum, 5 Wykeham Road, Washington, CT. Parking is extremely limited and carpooling encouraged.
Take a candlelit tour through the Washington Green Cemetery and meet some of Washington’s unforgettable residents from the past! A community favorite – hundreds attend each year.
Groups of visitors will be led by tour guides dressed in vintage attire along a path of 1,000 luminaries through the Washington Cemetery. Citizens from centuries long ago will be brought to life by costumed actors who will tell their true stories; some amusing, some sad and some tragic.
Members of Friends of the Gunn Historical Museum will be given preference for the first tour at 6:30pm and should pre-register by emailing info@gunnhistoricalmuseum.org or calling 860-868-7756. Not a member? Click here to join now!
Tickets will be distributed under a tent in the Museum’s parking lot, on a first-come-first-serve basis, starting at 6:00 pm on Friday, October 25, 2019, and continue through the evening until tickets run out. Tickets can’t be reserved in advance.
Tours depart every ten minutes between 6:30-8:30 pm and last approximately one hour. A Halloween themed movie will be shown in the Wykeham Room of Gunn Memorial Library where attendees can wait inside for their tour group to depart.
Tour guests are encouraged to bring a flashlight, dress warmly and wear comfortable walking shoes as they will be walking on uneven terrain. While there is no fee for this event, donations are greatly appreciated.
New Year’s Tea
Ring in the New Year with an old-fashioned tea hosted by the Gunn Historical Museum. Visitors will have the opportunity to socialize with friends in the museum and view the exhibit Washington, Connecticut – An American Story. Guests are asked to bring their favorite tea cup and we’ll provide the rest.