Explore Our New Digital Features
Have you been spending a lot of time at home lately? So have we. We've been working hard from home to bring you some new and interesting historical content that you can enjoy on your [...]
Changing Streetscapes: The Plaza Building
The Broad Street Green area is the commercial center of Windsor, but it has been so for less time than you might think. In 1929, the green got a brand new building that would fundamentally change the character of the neighborhood.
Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic in Windsor
We are all living through history right now, and WHS wants to capture this event and its repercussions on Windsor as it is happening, and we need your help to do this. Your stories will help future generations understand what it was like to live through this historic time.
The Howard Family in Quarantine
Both families who lived in the Society’s two historic houses were involved in a quarantine situation in the late 1700s. Dr. Chaffee ordered the Howard family to be quarantined after Capt. Howard contracted smallpox and spread it to his three sons. The care for all of them fell on the shoulders of Mrs. Ann Howard.
A Message from our Executive Director
We will temporarily close to the public until April 4, at which time we will re-assess the situation. We will also postpone all public programs planned through the end of April, and announce new dates for most events as soon as we are able.
COVID-19 Response
March 25, 2020 update: Windsor Historical Society will be closed through April 22, in compliance with Governor Malloy’s executive order. We will continue to assess the situation and will communicate our status accordingly. Our public [...]
Windsor Historical Society Names New Executive Director
Doug Shipman takes the helm at the onset of the Society’s next 100 years.
Volunteer Profile: Betsy and Gordon Kenneson
In this column, we are featuring not one but TWO of the invaluable volunteers who supplement and complement the work of our paid staff in so many ways. Gordon is a docent and regular lecturer [...]
Colonial Boozing
For the colonists of the 1600s and 1700s much of daily life was filled by tiring drudgery, but throughout the long hours of the work day, intoxicating beverages provided a dependable source of comfort. Drinking accompanied a diverse range of occasions that often took place in taverns, or during meals, work breaks, business meetings, weddings, funerals, trials, and legislative sessions.
Founders’ Series: John Hoskins, Paper Trail vs. DNA
When John Hoskins sailed to the New World, he was a middle-aged family man. The paper trail that establishes his English background is shaky, but has recently been fleshed out using advancements in DNA technology. Hoskins’s story is of interest not only to descendants, but also to anyone whose family research might benefit from similar genetic study.