West Hartford Town Historian

09/06/2026

Join me at the book launch for the new reprint of William Hall’s History of West Hartford on Sept 23 in the historic Fairview Cemetery Chapel! Published by the WH Chanber of Commerce in 1930, this essential town history has been out of print for almost 100 years. Get your new reprinted copy at this event hosted by West Hartford Chamber and enjoy a “sneak peek” into the beautful chapel.
A book comes with your event registration - go to the WHChamber of Commerce website for tickets!

09/04/2026

Great idea for tomorrow

🌿 Join David Wilson for a guided tour through the gardens and grounds of Elizabeth Park on Saturday, September 5 at 10 AM. Learn more about the Park and its rich history while enjoying its scenic beauty.

🌳 Tour is FREE and do not require registration. The tour begins at the flagpole in front of the Cottage (the small green building).

✨ For more information about this and other upcoming events in Elizabeth Park, tap the link in bio or visit elizabethparkct.org/all-park-events.

09/02/2026

This is such a fascinating and fun episode! There’s so many interesting things to learn about Greater Hartford’s West Indian community. Listen free!

Eastern Europeans, Black Southerners, West Indians, Puerto Ricans, and others who have made Hartford their home, whether briefly or for generations, add nuance and depth to the city’s history. In this encore episode, remastered from a recording in 2018 by Dr. Walter W Woodward, Connecticut State Historian Emeritus with Dr. Fiona Vernal and former Hartford History Center Program Manager Jasmin Agosto, we’re going to take a deep dive into the 70+ year history of West Indians who made Hartford home.

New ! Listen: ctexplored.org/ghwidpod/

09/01/2026

West Hartford has been a town for 172 years so we have another 28 years before we plan a bicentennial birthday party. But I was reminded of our 100th birthday when I found this small booklet from 1954. It packs a lot of info into a very small space! Town Historian Tracey Wilson wrote that in 1953, in advance of the celebration, the West Hartford Historical Society was chartered now the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society. The centerpiece of the celebration was a historical pageant by schoolchildren featuring 1,200 students, 500 parent-sewn costumes, and $2,000 worth of fabric. 13,000 people came to see it in a two-day run-its going to be hard to beat that but let's celebrate and enjoy our town everyday.

08/30/2026

A new self-guided North Cemetery tour highlights West Hartford veterans, Black residents, and a pioneering woman publisher. | Link in comments ⬇️

08/24/2026

Carl Conrads was a well-known sculptor and Civil War veteran. Moved to Hartford in 1866 to work for James G. Batterson at the New England Granite Works. Designed dozens of Civil War memorial sculptures, including The American Volunteer (1880), a colossal soldier statue at the Antietam National Battlefield, and the Bust of Laurent Clerc, American School for the Deaf West Hartford (1874).
Fairview Cemetery, Sec. 1, Lot 94
Hear more about his life and West Hartford in the Civil War here on our outstanding local history podcast with Chuck Coursey:
https://www.troutbrooktales.org/west-hartford-the-civil-war

08/22/2026

Thanks Brett for contributing the section on James Pine!

08/18/2026

The weather is beautiful this week-take a walk through North Cemetery using our new self-guided tour brochure!

West Hartford Town Historian Mary Donohue has just completed the third of three brochures highlighting West Hartford’s historic cemeteries as part of West Hartford’s America 250 celebration. She spent over 300 hours on the project, which also includes Fairview and Center Cemeteries.

North Cemetery was established in the Early American Republic and used through the Victorian period. It is listed on the State Register of Historic Places and located at 80 North Main Street. The cemetery includes two dozen known Revolutionary War veterans and at least two dozen Civil War veterans.

The brochure reveals the stories of James Pine and Mary Louise Lisbon, members of the Black community whose lives were lived with agency, expertise, and community, and Kate E. Griswold, pioneering woman publisher of Profitable Advertiser, a trade journal from 1895-1909.

The self-guided tour brochure is available on the Town’s and the Noah Webster House’s websites. Printed copies are available at the Noah Webster House and the West Hartford Cemetery Office at Fairview Cemetery.

https://www.westhartfordct.gov/town-departments/fairview-cemetery/historical-guides

https://noahwebsterhouse.org/final-destination-west-hartford-cemetery-tours/