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Contact Avon Historical Society - ahs.mail.1830@sbcglobal.net; 860-678-7621 |
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Living Museum
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The Living Museum
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The building that houses the Living Museum was originally Schoolhouse No. 3 in West Avon, built and opened in 1823 and in use as a one room schoolhouse until 1938. When threatened with demolition in 1981 to make room for the town's new library, The Avon Historical Society, along with concerned citizens and businesses helped to dismantle and restore the structure on its present site on East Main Street. In 1830, Connecticut was still mainly agricultural. Artisans and craftsmen were fairly self-sufficient, but natural resources and capital was scarce. Completion of the Farmington Canal in 1828 and its operation from New Haven, Connecticut, to Northampton, Massachusetts, influenced the commercial development of Avon. The canal's north-south route intersected the overland east-west Albany Turnpike (now Route 44), and established Avon as a commercial crossroads.
Image courtesy of Peter Wright The Living Museum houses drawings from the 1840's, and photos of the 1930's and 1990's, showing the various stops along the way. Also included in the Museum is a topographical diorama of the canal through Avon and engineer's maps showing the exact specifications of how it was built in town. Through a series of artifacts, memorabilia, historic photographs and maps, we invite you to step back in time and return to Avon, Connecticut, as it was in 1830, the year of its incorporation. We will recreate and examine Avon's history as part of our local heritage, bridging yesterday to today. __________________________ 8 East Main Street Please Call to Schedule an Appointment Avon Historical Society - 860-678-7621 __________________________
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© Avon Historical Society P.O. Box 448, Avon, CT. All Rights Reserved |
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