Upcoming CHS Events
The Colebrook Historical Society Invites You!
Open House – Sunday, June 2, 3:00-5:00 PM
The 2024 exhibits will be unveiled at this social gathering, with refreshments, at the Seymour Inn.
“Rediscovering Colebrook River, the Town that Disappeared” tells the story of the village that vanished under the waters of Colebrook River Lake when the Goodwin Dam at Hogback was built. The One Room Schoolhouses of Colebrook lets us see what the eleven little schools of our community used to be.
2024 Friday Night Gatherings & Events
We begin the gatherings with refreshments at the Seymour Inn at 7:00 PM. Circa 7:30 we move to the Town Hall Meeting Room for a presentation by our special guest speakers.
Friday, July 26 – The Hidden History of Litchfield County Local historian/author Peter C. Vermilyea tells stories of some forgotten moments in Litchfield County, from Native American legends to Cold War relics.
Friday, August 16 – You Can Judge a Book by Its Cover Noted artist Debra Lill has illustrated the cover of many a best seller. She’ll speak to how she creates an image that evokes the mood and essence of the story.
Friday, October 18 – The Civilian Conservation Corps – Its History and Work in CT Author/historian Marty Podskoch will give a power point presentation about the CCC, which began in 1933 under President Roosevelt’s “New Deal”.
SPECIAL CONCERT!!! – November 17 at 3:00 PM
World renowned violinist Stephanie Chase will fill the Colebrook Congregational Church with beautiful music. Her interpretations are acclaimed for their elegance, stunning power and matchless technique.
Holiday Open House – Sunday, December 1, 3:00-5:00 PM
Come and celebrate the season with music and refreshments. Place a bid on a miniature tree, a wreath, or one of the many other holiday treasures in our Silent Auction. Join us on the Green for the holiday tree lighting.
This Summer’s Exhibit will Feature two Themes:
The Lost Village of Colebrook River, flooded by the building of the Colebrook River Dam creating Colebrook River Lake.
Colebrook’s Eleven
Historic One-Room Schoolhouses
Save the Date: Friday, July 26th, 2024 | 3:00 P.M.
Pete Vermilyea on the Hidden History of Litchfield County
Based on his first book, Mr. Vermilyea will focus on what we learn about our county’s history from the cultural landscape: things like road names, vestiges of old industry, what prior generations chose to remember about the past, etc. He will work something in about Colebrook and feels it is a great tie-in to our summer exhibit.
Save the Date: Sunday, November 17th, 2024 | 3:00 P.M.
The Colebrook Historical Society & the Colebrook Congregational Church are delighted to co-sponsor a very special event on Sunday, November 17th, at 3:00 P.M. Internationally renowned violinist, Stephanie Chase, will perform “Inspired by Bach”, a not-to-be-missed recital honoring the 300th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Six Sonatas and Partitas for violin solo. In addition to his Sonata in A Minor she will play Bela Bartok’s compelling Sonata for violin solo, which was premiered by its commissioner, Yehudi Menuhin, almost exactly 75 years ago on November 26, 1944. The concert, which will be played without intermission, concludes with Eugene Ysaye’s virtuoso Sonata in D Minor (“Ballade”), which was composed in 1924, again inspired by Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas.
Stephanie made her debut with the Chicago Symphony at the age of 8 as the youngest winner ever of the orchestra’s Youth Competition. She has enjoyed a storied musical career ever since. She is recognized as “one of the violin greats of our era” (Newhouse Newspapers) through solo appearances with over 170 orchestras that include the New York, London, and Hong Kong Philharmonics and the Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Baltimore and London Symphony Orchestras. Her interpretations are acclaimed for their “elegance, dexterity, rhythmic vitality and great imagination” (Boston Globe), “stunning power” (Louisville Courier-Journal) and “matchless technique” (BBC Music Magazine). A top medalist of the prestigious VII International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Stephanie has performed concerts in twenty-five countries throughout the world and is a recipient of the esteemed Avery Fisher career grant.
Mission
The mission of the Colebrook Historical Society shall be to promote and encourage historical, antiquarian and genealogical research; to preserve and publish same; to educate the community; to collect and display antiquarian and historical objects and records, and to preserve the Rock School building.
The Society shall reach out to the community at large to provide creative, educational, historical and entertaining experiences. The Society shall employ both traditional and contemporary communications platforms to promote and maintain the relevance of the organization.
