Programs & Events

Here are a few of our past events; become a member and be the first to know about our upcoming events.

 March 22 at 7:00 Film and Discussion: The Whole Truth: Confronting the History of Slavery in Northern Churches and Beyond.  Register here.

The Society hosted a Zoom presentation on the topic of “World War II Stories from Middletown on the 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor”, December 7, 2021 – Click here to see the recording of this event.

Holiday Reception and Exhibit Opening

Our current exhibit is “A Century of Devotion: The St. Sebastian Feast in Middletown, 1921-2021,”  in partnership with St. Sebastian Church, Middletown.

Monday, December 14, 6:30 p.m. “We Were There” Stories of the Russell Library Veterans’ Writing Group A Middlesex County Historical Society Webinar “We Were There,” a Middletown veterans’ writing workshop sponsored by the Friends of the Russell Library, has met at the Russell Library every week since 2012. The group, which has included veterans of World War II through Operation Iraqi Freedom will publish a collection of their writing soon. During the meetings, veterans are invited to share their stories of service, in and out of combat. The group is at work on a book, We Were There: Essays and Poems by American Veterans, which will be published by En Route Books and Media. Middletown author Elisabeth Petry serves as director for the workshop, with the assistance of Christy Billings, program coordinator for information services and adult learning at the Russell Library. Please join this online event to hear these remarkable local veterans share their stories of service and read selections from their forthcoming book. They will speak of their experiences during the Korean and Vietnam wars and read selections of their writing from the group’s forthcoming book. A question and answer discussion will follow. Author Elisabeth Petry, director of the writing workshop, will also speak. Follow the link below for full details and to get online tickets. To get an online ticket, please make a pay-what-you can donation ($10 suggested). All proceeds benefit the Middlesex County Historical Society, a nonprofit organization. Questions? Please contact the Middlesex County Historical Society at mchs@wesleyan.edu, or (860) 346-0746. Register now: https://bit.ly/WeWereThere_MCHS

Monday, October 19, 2020 at 7:30 PM Eastern:

“MELILLI TO MIDDLETOWN”

A Middlesex County Historical Society Webinar

SCULPTOR SEBASTIAN G. MARCHESE WITH MIDDLETOWN’S FIRST ST. SEBASTIAN STATUE, WHICH HE CREATED. MIDDLETOWN, 1921

On Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, the historical society hosted a webinar presentation by Paul Pirrotta, author of three books on the history of Italian Americans in Connecticut. After retiring from a successful banking career, Pirrotta also founded Casa Emigranti Italiani, a virtual museum on the history of Italian immigrants in the Hartford area and their many contributions to this state. Pirrotta was born and raised near Melilli, Sicily, and his October 19 webinar focused on his first-hand memories of Melilli and the history of immigrants from Melilli to Middletown. 

The Society’s 35th Annual Antique Car and Truck Show and First Harvest Market

Sunday, October 3, 2021 at Palmer Field in Middletown.

If any members would like to buy an ad or help out on the planning committee for next year, please contact Debby Shapiro by emailing Deborah.Shapiro at aol.com. 

Past events and programs