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Contact Avon Historical Society - ahs.mail.1830@sbcglobal.net; 860-678-7621 |
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Home Pine Grove SchoolhouseHunter History Room
Avon Free Public Library's Civil War Programs
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Welcome to The Avon Historical Society, Inc.
Avon Historical Society's mission is to identify, collect, preserve, utilize,
publish, display, and promote the history and heritage of
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Welcome to Spring/Summer 2013
(website is currently being updated- please be patient) ____ AVON
HISTORIC SITES OPENING JUNE 2, 2013 The Avon Historical Society announces
that the Pine Grove School House, 3 Harris Street (West Avon Road/Route 167) and
the Derrin House, 249 West Avon Road, will open for the summer tourist season
on Sunday, June 2nd and will be open every Sunday through September from 2:00 –
4:00pm. The Pine Grove Schoolhouse was built in 1865
as Schoolhouse No.7 and still remains in its original location. It was in use until 1949 when it became a
branch of the town library, nursery school and meeting place for the Boy
Scouts. The Avon Historical Society
restored the building in 1976 and is interpreted as a schoolhouse of 1900 with
bolted desks, hand slates, textbooks, scrolling blackboard and other educational
memorabilia of the time. During the
summer of 2012, the almost 100-year old outhouse was restored and placed back
near its original location. The
Derrin House (c. 1810) on West Avon Road has the first floor open to the public
while restoration continues in other parts of the building. The Society is interpreting it as a farmhouse
of the 19th century and it contains artifacts of that time. An herb and medicinal garden was planted on
the grounds in 2011 by a local Girl Scout Troop. A brick walkway, new side
porch and kiosk with information about the grounds was installed with all
donated materials and labor as two Eagle Scout projects. The
Avon Historical Society Board of Directors decided to open the Schoolhouse No.
3 (formerly the Living Museum) located at 8 E. Main Street only by appointment
in 2013. It was built in 1825 as
Schoolhouse No.3 on Country Club Road (on the land of the current Avon Free Public
Library) but moved in 1982 to its present location. The only displays available are about the
Farmington Canal. Visitors are welcome to visit the Pine Grove
School House and Derrin House on any Sunday in the summer from 2-4pm. Admission is by donation only. To visit other times, the Society asks that
you leave a message at 860-678-7621 and they will make alternate arrangements. For those interested in local
history and genealogy, they are encouraged to visit the Marion Hunter History
Room at the Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Road . ___________________________ About Us Founded in 1974, the Avon Historical Society is an all volunteer, nonprofit organization devoted to the conservation of Avon's historical and cultural past and its educational relevance to our life. Membership in The Avon Historical Society is open to the public. Currently the Society's projects include full restoration of the Derrin House on West Avon Road, proper storage of many artifacts in the Schoolhouse No. 3 (formerly The Living Museum) and Pine Grove Schoolhouse, answering local history questions, giving referrals to those who seek "experts" to help with their historic home or genealogy questions, publishing a newsletter and planning fundraising events. The Society belongs to the Farmington Valley Visitors Association, Connecticut League of History Organizations, and the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. In 1972, the National Register of Historic Places designated a section of West Avon as the Pine Grove Historic District. The District includes the Pine Grove Schoolhouse and five homes built prior to 1865. An historic building survey was completed in June 1997 of the town of Avon by the State Historic Preservation Commissiom. Many sites have been identified as potential historic districts. The complete survey can be viewed at Town Hall, and the Avon Library. ______________________________ For information on joining or volunteering, please feel free to call Avon Historical Society directly at 860-678-7621. ______________________________ |
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© Avon Historical Society P.O. Box 448, Avon, CT. All Rights Reserved |
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