Current Events
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Oystering Life
Wednesday, March 15th at 7:00PM at the Stony Creek Congregational Church
BACA and The Branford Historical Society are sponsoring a screening of “The Oystering Life”, a feature-length documentary about the history of oystering along the Connecticut shoreline.
Keep on Digging:
Using Land Records for Genealogy Research
Wednesday, April 26th at 6:00PM at the Blackstone Memorial Library
Join us as Town Historian, Jane Bouley shares how to use land records to uncover a wealth of historical genealogical information.
ON-GOING EVENTS
TOUR THE HARRISON HOUSE MUSEUM
The Historic Harrison House Museum at 124 Main Street, Branford is open to the public for free guided tours every Saturday, from 1-4 pm, June through the end of September or by appointment. (Donations are appreciated)
For more information email us at: tours@branfordhistoricalsociety.org
The circa 1724 saltbox house and property is recorded on the National Register of Historic Places, and is maintained by the Branford Historical Society. It features period furnishings and Branford artifacts.
Also on the two-acre site, is the Harrison House Barn with a display of local period tools, a colonial flower garden, and a lovely herb garden. The gardens were established and are beautifully maintained by the
Branford Garden Club.
TOUR SEASON IS
JUNE – SEPTEMBER
SATURDAYS, 1-4 PM
BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT US TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A PRIVATE TOUR AS LONG AS WE’RE ABLE TO ACCOMODATE.
TOURS@BRANFORDHISTORICALSOCIETY.ORG
Historic House Plaques & Research Service
The Branford Historical Society offers house plaques to identify historic structures and landmarks in Branford. Properties are acknowledged by date of construction and by original or historically recognized owner.
Non-Members:
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And if you’re interested in becoming a member and supporting the Historical Society, click the button below to learn more.
Coronavirus Announcements
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, our 2020 & 2021 Annual Meeting & Dinner in May, as well as our 2020 & 2021 Annual Strawberry Festival in June, and our 2020 & 2021 Annual Holiday Open House in December, unfortunately had to be cancelled.
All 2020 Harrison House Tours were cancelled, and we did not hold our regular visiting hours from June through September. Tours were resumed for the 2021 season.
Our 2020 Annual Meeting was held virtually on December 2nd and our 2021 Annual Meeting was held virtually on November 16th
From early 2020 through late 2021, we held our planned Programs virtually through the Blackstone Memorial Library’s online portals.
In November 2021, we were able to hold our Witness Stones Project Program in person again, with safety precautions in place, and plan to continue this for most of our programs going forward.
After two years off, we held our 2022 Annual Strawberry Festival again in June, as well as our 2022 Annual Meeting which was postponed from May to September. We were also able to hold our 2022 Annual Holiday Open House again in December.
We continue to send out information to our members and update our website as things progress, but as of mid-2022, we have been able to return to all of our normal operations.
RECENT EVENTS
The Quinnipiac: The First People of the Shoreline
Wednesday, January 18th, 2023
6:00pm-8:00pm at the
Blackstone Memorial Library
Join us as local historian and author Jim Powers returns to share the story of the
Quinnipiac People.
The Quinnipiac were the descendants of Indigenous people who first arrived in our region following the end of the Ice Age. By the start of the 17th century, they lived along the Shoreline from West Haven to Clinton and north to Cheshire and Meriden. Totoket (Branford) was one of their villages. How did the arrival of Europeans, first the Dutch then the English, impact the Quinnipiac, and what factors led to their eventual dispersal? Where are the Quinnipiac today? This talk will tell their story.
Weren’t able to make it? No problem. Click below to view the recording.
2022 Annual Holiday
Open House
Sunday, December 4th, 2022
1:00pm to 3:00pm
at the Harrison House Museum
It’s back! Join us for an afternoon to get in the holiday spirit, meet other members, and enjoy holiday decorations, the tasty refreshments, including warm mulled apple cider, and holiday music. Guides will welcome you as you tour the House, the Barn, and our current Exhibits. There will be raffles, including our decorated Christmas tree, center pieces, and wreaths.
The Discovery of the Dutch Fort of Indian Neck
Wednesday, October 26th, 2022
6:30pm at the Blackstone Memorial Library
In Branford, local legends have always claimed that the Dutch were present well before English colonists arrived in 1638. It’s a story that has been passed down from generation to generation for 350 years but dismissed as simply a local myth by historians. Where is the proof they have always asked? Where are the Dutch and English records that wrote about it? Where is the physical evidence that could prove they were really here?
In 1998 and 1999, when the remnants of a Dutch Fort were unearthed on Indian Neck, everything changed. Proof was found and the history of Branford and Connecticut changed forever.
Please join us as local historian and author, Jim Powers, tells the story of how the location of a Dutch trading post and fort was discovered right here in Branford.
Weren’t able to make it? No problem. Click below to view the recording.