Open House at the Old Manchester Museum at 126 Cedar Street, Manchester, Saturday, December 3 -- the first Saturday of the month -- from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., staffed by volunteer hosts Dave Smith and Bob Kanehl. Drop by for a short chat or stay for a few hours. Some research resources available, including Town directories and vintage maps. More: Old Manchester Museum.

Open Houses at the Cheney Homestead

Experience Early American lifestyle -- the 1785 homestead are alive in period furnishings as the people experienced life at the time. The house is staged, on the first floor, in 1818. The second floor reflects 1840, with two new exhibit rooms: • "Women of the Cheney Family," and • "Ingenuity and Industry" of the Cheney family, including a re-creation of Timothy Cheney’s 17th-century wooden clock-making workbench. A $5 donation is appreciated for upkeep of the 1785 Homestead and 1751 Keeney Schoolhouse museums. The Homestead is located at 106 Hartford Road. Come for 10 minutes or stay for hours.

Manchester quiz.

Hints: This hand-drawn map dates back to the 1950s. It's part of the school booklet "This is Manchester."

Extra credit: Who drew the map?

Open Wednesday through Friday 10:00 to 2:00, and Saturdays 12:00 noon to 4:00. The exhibit tells the story of Manchester's past as it relates to the future. Photos, artifacts, stories! While you're here, peruse other displays, including vintage signs from former businesses in town.

Please note: The Historical Society will be closed December 24, 2022 and will reopen on January 4, 2023.

Song -- history & sports

View the video and hear the song on YouTube, honoring the Road Race and champion runner Joe McCluskey.

Many activities and events are planned for 2023, including many history events both at the History Center and around the Town. Stay tuned for more information.

The Town Historian is organizing 23 hikes for 2023, commemorating our 1823 incorporation. The Historical Society is organizing year-long lectures and activities. Read about the incorporation in this 1823 Courant; see left-most column on page one.

John Knoll took this picture about 100 years ago; this is the bridge/dam near the intersection of Spring Street and Glen Road. That's the A. Wells Case mansion in the background. Case Pond is off to the right (not seen in the picture). There are several more John Knoll pictures in this portfolio created by Dick Jenkins.

Upcoming events of interest to history buffs and area residents

The Historical Society television show airs at noon and 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays throughout this month. Watch "Murder in Manchester, the Great Silk Heist” an original one-act play by Walt Scadden (pictured on right), telling the story of the murder of Bill Madden, Cheney security chief in January 1919 during an attempted silk robbery. This 57-minute television show was recorded live on Sunday, September 23, 2018, at the History Center. Local actors played Police Chief Sam Gordon, who investigated the murder; Maurice Madden, brother of the murder victim, and other Manchester residents of nearly 100 years ago. Walt Scadden, author and playwright, thanks the sponsors and donors who made the play possible. A playbill with lists of actors, donors, sponsors, and a bit about the play is available on this website at playbill. The name of the talented bagpiper, Benjamin Elzerman, did not make it into the program due to printing deadlines. The show airs at 12:00 noon and at 8:00 p.m. on Cox cable channel 15 on Saturdays, and runs on all the Saturdays of the month. The show changes each month. This Channel 15 broadcasts in Manchester, Glastonbury, South Windsor, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, and Newington. The television show is produced by Susan Barlow, directed by Kathryn Wilson, research by Jill Gelinas, volunteers of the Manchester Historical Society. You can watch this month's show right now by clicking here Current TV Program on Manchester Public Access website.

70 years ago in The Manchester Herald

The December 2, 1952 Herald includes these snippets. See the whole edition: December 2, 1952 Herald, or to peruse all our Heralds, see: Index of Heralds.

Find us on Facebook!

Enjoy the large collection of Somanhis (South Manchester High School) and junior high yearbooks on our website. In addition to photos of the graduating seniors, these books have ads for local businesses, photos of school activities, and sometimes poetry and prose by the students. Thanking our volunteers, especially Bob Gauthier, Noreen Cullen, Jim Hall, Joshua Pruden, Dick Jenkins, Susan Barlow.

The Homestead at 106 Hartford Road, Manchester, was donated to the Manchester Historical Society by the Cheney family in 1968 for use as a house museum. It's usually open to the public on the second Sunday of the month and for special programs at other times throughout the year. For old photos and history of the Homestead, built in 1785, visit Cheney Homestead history. The replica Keeney Schoolhouse is on the grounds of the Homestead. Originally built in 1751, the schoolhouse had deteriorated so much that new materials had to be incorporated in the 1976 reconstruction.

The History Center at 175 Pine Street, Manchester, was purchased in 1999. Our offices and many collections are in this building, which is the former Cheney Brothers Machine Shop, a 40,000-square-foot building constructed in several phases beginning in 1895. For the current exhibit, it's open Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 to 2:00, and Saturday noon to 4:00. Visit: photo tour of lower level of History Center.

The Old Manchester Museum at 126 Cedar Street, Manchester, is owned by the Town of Manchester, and the Society has rented it since the 1980s. We store collections there, and open it to the public on the first Saturday of the month, May through December from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., staffed by hosts Art Pongratz and Bob Kanehl. The building was formerly a school, built in 1859, and moved to this location in 1914. More: Old Manchester Museum.

Woodbridge Farmstead at 495 East Middle Turnpike, at Manchester Green, is a charming combination of vintage buildings and a bucolic landscape. The farmhouse dates from 1830. The Woodbridge Farm and Meadowbrook Dairy once encompassed many acres at Manchester Green. Today, the house and grounds are owned by the Manchester Historical Society – a gift from the late Raymond and Thelma Carr Woodbridge, who gave the property in 1998, reserving a life use. Weather permitting, the farmstead is open for free tours and programs generally on the second and fourth Sundays of the warmer months, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. Closed for the season.

Silk Vault Building at 110 Elm Street, Manchester, was purchased by the Society in 2017. A unique building, constructed in 1920. More: Silk Vault. The vault is rented out, and isn't open to the public.

Consider a gift membership for a friend or loved one. Why join a local historical society, even if you don't live in that town? Some reasons: • support education about the history of the town • support preservation of artifacts and vintage photos • join in advocating for preservation of historic buildings and parks that make Manchester charming.

Print this online donation form and mail to 175 Pine Street. Or drop by the History Center, Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:00 to 2:00. Direct questions to 860-647-9983.

Additional ways to donate: Employer matching gifts! Direct United Way donations to the Society. Sign in to Amazon via Amazon Smile and have a percentage of your purchases go to the Society. .