Back for a second season:

"Of African and Princely descent"

Norfolk's Black History

The Black history of a town is often an unwritten one. In 1900, however, Theron Crissey devoted a chapter in his History of Norfolk to some of the town's Black citizens. Taking its title from the marble gravestone that townsfolk placed at Aunt Bilhah Freedom's grave in 1871, this exhibition chronicles African-American life in Norfolk.

Meet Jupiter and Fanny Mars whose flight to freedom was told by their son James Mars in his autobiography, dramatically narrated in a special audio presentation; Sam Smith, employed by Robbins Battell as his farmer and known throughout town as a musician; Wealthy Ann Prime whose great-grandmother Mum Bett's suit for freedom helped abolish slavery in Massachusetts; and Aunt Bilhah Freedom, celebrated for her cooking, especially her gingerbread.

The exhibition explores abolition activities in Norfolk and the operation of the Underground Railroad. Visitors are challenged to find the secret door to an Underground Railroad hiding space in a special installation. In recognition of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, a rare image dating from his 1860 presidential campaign is on display.

2010 Summer Programs

July 26 @ 5:00 P.M. at the Norfolk Library

"The Story of Pond Town"

by Betsy Stott

(Please call ahead for reservations 860-542-5075)

Hidden in the underbrush of the Doolittle Woods in northeastern Norfolk are the remains of a farming community called Pond Town. For many years, Betsy Stott has roamed through the woods around her camp on Doolittle Lake looking for old foundations and other signs of this once-thriving settlement.  In 1945, Mary Hawley Rhodes, a descendant of one of the first settlers of Pond Town, wrote about the life of her ancestors in this community. With this written reminiscence in hand, Betsy turned her research to cemetery and census records, old maps, and school registers to compile a picture of Pond Town in the nineteenth century. The Norfolk Historical Society is thrilled that Betsy has agreed to share her findings with us in an illustrated talk at the Norfolk Libary. .

Aug. 15 @ 1:00 P.M. at the Museum

Book Signing and Talk

with David  Levinson and Emilie Piper,

authors of One Minute a Free Woman: Elizabeth Freeman and the Struggle for Freedom.

Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mumbet, was born into slavery and enslaved for nearly 40 years in the Ashley household in Sheffield, Massachusetts, before successfully suing for her freedom in 1781. Her great-granddaughter Wealthy Ann Prime was a Norfolk resident. Find out what the authors have discovered about Wealthy Ann and the Prime family as they explore the lives of Elizabeth Freeman's descendants into the 1960s and how Black communities formed and changed over time in several Massachusetts and Connecticut towns. This program is being held in conjunction with the Norfolk Arts Festival. It is free and open to the public.

Sept. 4 @ 10:00 A.M.

A Walk through History:  

Visit an historic saw mill site in Norfolk.

Meet Richard Byrne at the Museum. Free for members; $10 for non-members.