Derby Historical Society hiring Docents for David Humphreys House in Ansonia

The Docent position is a seasonal job from October through December; March through June - up to three days per week. Applicants must be available during the scheduled semesters and classes.
** Send Resume to misiewicz@sbcglobal.net or info@derbyhistorical.org **

Applicants should have the ability to work with children, be able to stand for four hours, walk one mile for the historic district tour along Elm Street in Ansonia, be able to lift 20 pounds, and have a love of history. If you are interested in becoming a Docent, please send a cover letter/resume for more information. The salary for the docent position is the current CT minimum wage. This is a seasonal job from October through December; March through May - up to three days per week.
 
Docent Requirements:
• Availability to attend training and work for the full Fall or Spring season
• Commit to a full school year (Fall and Spring Sessions) with the A Day in 1762 Program
• Be available to work a minimum of 4 Programs per month when class is in session

As a member of the Docent Program, Docents may expect:
• Clear explanation of responsibilities
• Opportunity to expand knowledge and understanding of colonial life and workshop skills
• In-depth education on Derby Colonial History from 1642 and on
• Evaluation of performance and pay raises
 
All staff docents are part-time, seasonal, hourly employees at will. As such, docents are not eligible for benefits; including, but not limited to, unemployment benefits. Employment is at the will of the employee and the Derby Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
This is a press release from the Derby Historical Society.  

Derby Historical Society to dedicate tree, plant herbs at David Humphreys House

ANSONIA - Come and join the Derby Historical Society Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. as we dedicate a new tree, commemorate the Housatonic Council Boy Scouts' 100th-anniversary, and plant colonial herbs into our new raised garden beds. The event will be held at the Gen. David Humphreys House, 37 Elm St.

Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center’s Ali Rubelmann will be here with nature crafts, and the 6th Connecticut Regiment will be here in a small Revolutionary War encampment.

Mistress Gunn will be leading the herb planting  immediately following the tree dedication.

This is a press release from Dan Bosques, executive director, Derby Historical Society.

Volunteers needed to spread topsoil for gardens at Humphreys House in Ansonia

Topsoil is piled behind the Gen. David Humphreys House in Ansonia./ Contributed photo 

ANSONIA - Volunteers needed! The Derby Historical Society needs your help in filling our beautiful new garden beds with topsoil (photo above). 

Do you have a couple of youngsters, a wheelbarrow, and some shovels?

We’re located at 37 Elm St.

Garden beds are courtesy of Derby High School's Tech Ed. and soil is courtesy of Jones Family Farms in Shelton. Soil moving courtesy of some kind-hearted volunteers (you)!

Contact dan@derbyhistorical.org if you can help.

Derby Historical Society seeks cleanup volunteers for Humphreys House

Pastor's study at the Gen. David Humphreys House./ File photo   

Company's coming!

Humphreys House Tidy 
June 11, 10:30 a.m.

ANSONIA - The Derby Historical Society's goal is to have between 6-8 volunteers vacuum and dust the Gen. David Humphreys House for one hour Friday.  

The Humphreys House is located at 37 Elm St.

Exclusive to cleanup volunteers, we will have a smorgasbord style make-your-own sandwich (including healthy options) lunch immediately following.

RSVP is a must, this opportunity is for a maximum of eight volunteers.

Contact mariazquill@gmail.com to sign up.

This is a press release from the Derby Historical Society.

Derby Historical Society hiring Docents for 'Day in 1762' program in Ansonia

Photo taken in 2010 of our daughter Allegra working as a Docent at the Gen. David Humphreys House in Ansonia.

ANSONIA - The Derby Historical Society is currently hiring Docents for its “A Day in 1762 Program” at the Gen. David Humphreys House, 37 Elm St.

Applicants should have the ability to work with children and have the willingness to learn local history. 

If you are interested in becoming a Docent, please send a resume and letter of interest to info@derbyhistorical.org for more information.

This is a seasonal job from October through December; March through June - up to three days per week. Applicants must be available during the scheduled semesters and classes.

All Docents are part-time, seasonal, hourly employees. 

The Derby Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

This is a press release from the Derby Historical Society.

Derby Historical Society seeks volunteers to help with projects, events

Gen. David Humphreys House/ File photo 

ANSONIA - Are you interested in volunteering for a good cause? 

Email info@derbyhistorical.org to find out how you can help the Derby Historical Society, headquartered at the Gen. David Humphreys House, 37 Elm St. 

Our volunteer group is a fun social circle where we learn from one another, and work collectively on fun projects such as basket making, calligraphy/quill writing, organization of our museum store at the Humphreys House, event help, and more!

This is a press release from Daniel Bosques, executive director, Derby Historical Society.

Derby Historical Society to host Patriots Day event at Humphreys House in Ansonia

 

Derby Historical Society meeting to feature 'Resurrecting Local History' presentation

The Naugatuck River at Seymour, once known as Humphreysville, Connecticut.

Dear Members & Friends,

The Board of Directors of the Derby Historical Society would like to invite you to our Annual Meeting online at 1 p.m. April 11.

The meeting will begin with a brief business portion to elect our Officers and Board of Directors followed by an update on our Restoration Project of the Gen. David Humphreys House, 37 Elm St., Ansonia. 

The  Humphreys House is our link to the American Revolution and serves as our home base for many public events and our award-winning “A Day in 1762”, a hands-on colonial history educational program for students in the Valley towns and beyond.

Our presenter this year is Derby native Dr. Joe DiRienzo, a retired professor at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in the history of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. 

Join us for a special presentation of “Resurrecting Local History” with DiRienzo.

Membership renewals will be accepted by mail or via PayPal by visiting derbyhistorical.org. 

Your financial support is greatly appreciated and is very much needed to ensure that we are able to continue in our mission of preserving the Valley’s history and culture.

We look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting. Please feel free to extend this invitation to anyone who might be interested in becoming a member of the Derby Historical Society. 

Thank you for your continued support and for helping us to “Preserve Our Place in History.”

Register here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/resurrecting-local-history-annual-meeting-derby-historical-society-tickets-139697205101?keep_tld=1&fbclid=IwAR10ewI8yg0qMycTugTSER5VS5j5wfMlC0Zv5h_corTXiHvLKKJ2fm7XAY0

This is a press release from Daniel Bosques, executive director, Derby Historical Society.

Derby Historical Society to host maritime festival at Humphreys House in Ansonia

   SAVE THE DATE

for our

Maritime Festival

and

Open House

Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

at the Gen. David Humphreys 

House, 37 Elm St., Ansonia

"Modesty" - a 200-ton ship - was the last large vessel built and launched at Derby Landing in 1868.

The year was 1657 - the first ship built on the banks of the Housatonic River was headway for the next 211 years of shipbuilding in Olde Derby. 

From this port of entry, goods from the Nutmeg State would make their way to the far reaches of the world.
The Derby Historical Society will have a day of celebrating the history of the seafaring enterprise that inspired master mariners, such as the great Commodore Isaac Hull, Captains Claudius and Jerod Barteleme, Capt. Mordecai Prindle, and Capt. Thomas Vose; the latter a long-time owner of the David Humphreys House who navigated the first steamship, the Lafayette, up the Housatonic River in 1824.

The countless vessels that sailed the high seas from our treasured area, and many-a-sailor employed at the docks may be a thing of the past, but we hope you will save the date to come out and celebrate our Maritime history with us. 

There will be storytelling and music from "Thyme Awaye," pirate and historical items (jewelry, eating utensils, silk bandannas, coins, etc.) for you to purchase from "Big Bear Trading Company", and a food truck parked out front.

There will be a $5 suggested donation per visitor.

(50 person max outdoors attendees allowed at a time - event planning and information will be both forthcoming and posted upon accessing the back yard of the David Humphreys House.)

This is an early portrait of Commodore Isaac Hull in the Derby Historical Society Collection at the Humphreys House.

Stop in and see his chair, pants, and our two U.S.S. Constitution ship models.

Please click here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=QD3ZM2KG43MTA&source=url

go to derbyhistorical.org and make a tax-deductible donation today by clicking on the PayPal Button.

This is a press release from the Derby Historical Society. 

Derby Historical Society seeks donations to fund Humphreys House preservation

 Humphreys House, 37 Elm St., Ansonia

ANSONIA - The Old Derby Historical Society has been in existence since 1899 and was reorganized in 1946. 

For almost 75 years the Derby Historical Society has been celebrating cultural diversity and promoting equality for all with exhibits that highlight the challenges and successes of the very populations that call the lower Naugatuck Valley home. 

From the Kosciuszko Polish-American Historical Society, Inc. of the Valley: Ansonia - Derby - Shelton - Seymour (Room dedicated to this at the Humphreys House), to celebrating Ebenezer Bassett who was our Nation's first African American and Native American ambassador, we strive to educate you about our local and national past.

Though we are preparing to resume activities at the David Humphreys House, harsh reality has set in: much of our funding from event campaigning and donations has been drastically reduced. 

Without being officially funded by any local municipality or a fiscal sponsor, our fundraising efforts fall directly on the Society.

Here is where we remain transparent and tell more of the story: The restoration of the Gen. David Humphreys House continues. We recently discovered that the attic floor joists had slipped from their pockets. The problem was fixed. Then, we learned that the middle section of the attic girt on the southern gable overhang was rotted. The rot was cut out, and the beam was spliced with an 8’ section donated to us by John Dickey, the Timberguy. 
Work on the rear and south sides of the Gen. David Humphreys House needs to be completed and funds need to be raised for a much-needed roof.

During this difficult spring, we continued to serve our Valley community. While closed, programming and membership continued to function, we created virtual tours, and we offered FREE digital classes to students, teachers, and parents.

Please consider making a monetary donation to help us continue with the very necessary work of preserving this museum house and staying in existence as the Valley's only regional historical society. 
We are facing the despairing reality that many small nonprofits are experiencing, and we need YOUR help to “Preserve Our Place in History.”

Please click here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=QD3ZM2KG43MTA&source=url
go to derbyhistorical.org and make a tax-deductible donation today by clicking on the PayPal Button.

Newsletter features Derby Historical Society plans for CT Open House Day

Today's Valley Voice newsletter features plans for the state's Open House Day June 13 at the David Humphreys House, 37 Elm St., Ansonia.

Read all about it on these links:

https://3d62a228-eb5f-443c-a1ec-b9ff5c58ad34.filesusr.com/ugd/329bf6_76ab7c0d25684027b249f05581b690f6.pdf

https://thevalley-voicenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-valley-voice-ct-newsletter-for-may_27.html

Reminder: Derby Historical Society to host 'Tuesday Tours at Ten' today

From the Society's Facebook event page:

"Our virtual guests can tune in for a brief presentation on a wide variety of local history topics, from sneak-peeks of rooms inside the David Humphreys House to artifacts in the extensive collection of the DHS, we will keep YOU connected to the history of the Lower Naugatuck Valley!"

Tune in to the Society's Facebook page to view the event.

Derby Historical Society to hold CT Open House Day event

The Derby Historical Society has certified its ability to re-open under the State's guidelines for museums and zoos!
On June 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the society welcomes the 6th Connecticut Regiment for a unique day of drilling and period camp-life demonstrations.

Portions of this event will be virtual and Live on Facebook, but our yard will be open for this outdoor exhibit.

While the presenters remain a musket length apart from each other and wear face coverings, we ask that our visiting guests follow the guidelines for distancing and our posted rules.

The General David Humphreys House museum and all indoor exhibits will be closed to the public, however, guests attending our outdoor event will have restroom access at the back door of the House.

Our Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/davidhumphreyshouse/

*Guided historic district tours are prohibited, but self-guided historic district tour booklets will be available with a cash donation. Museums and zoos inherently present lower risks of contagion. There is little touching, and the density of visitors in any particular space is usually low and can be further limited. The set of rules we are following allows you to enjoy the state's cultural treasures.
We require that guests practice six-foot distancing measures, as well as utilize the proper face-covering while on the property of the Derby Historical Society and General David Humphreys House Museum.

The Derby Historical Society will be taking the proper measures that ensure our guests are visiting a clean and disinfected space. All programming/exhibits will be outdoor only. Hand sanitizer will be available for our guests.
While protocols provide a way for us to reopen as safely as possible, risks to visitors and employees cannot be fully mitigated. Visitors who choose to come to the David Humphreys House museum during this time should be aware of potential risks.

Individuals over the age of [65] or with other health conditions should not visit, but instead, continue to shelter in place.

The Derby Historical Society and General David Humphreys House Museum take these rules as the minimum baseline of precautions needed to protect public health in Connecticut.

This event is shared from the Derby Historical Society Facebook page.

'Tuesday Tours at Ten' to feature Burning of Danbury, Pork Hollow in Ansonia

From Derby Historical Society Facebook page:

"We hope you could join us for today's 'Tuesday Tours at Ten.' Reflections of the past, the Burning of Danbury, and a linking artifact. Pork Hollow - hearsay, history, or both?"

Tune in on the Society's Facebook page at 10 a.m. today.

Local history post offers break from COVID-19 news

Sharing a post today from the Derby Historical Society Facebook page:

"The year was 1981. The 5th CR [Connecticut Regiment] is seen here during a commemorative ceremony in front of the General David Humphreys House. This was the 200-year anniversary of the victory at Yorktown."

The Humphreys House is at 37 Elm St., Ansonia. 

*I shared this history post to give us all a break from the horrible news about COVID-19. Stay safe!

Derby Historical Society in Ansonia hosts 6th CT Regiment annual meeting

Derby Historical Society executive director Daniel Bosques, left, and Lt. Ross look at an 1847 edition of Lt. Colonel David Humphreys' biography he wrote about the life of Connecticut's famous Gen. Israel Putnam - who is descended from the Putnams of Danvers/Salem, Mass. / Photo by Tim Chaucer

Space available for spinning workshop at Humphreys House in Ansonia

Colonial Skills Series
Workshop II 
Beginners Spinning

Saturday, March 21
11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Have you ever wanted to know just how your sweater was made? Do you want to learn how to spin the wool from yesteryear? Here is a chance for you to step back in time and learn all about the art of spinning.

Our Lead Docent, Dawn Sotir, will get you started on your journey as you begin spinning wool on one of our spinning wheels! 
NOW $15 per person.

Refreshments provided.
Space is very limited for this specialty skill workshop, so you must pre-register by calling 203-735-1908 or emailing info@derbyhistorical.org

Sharing this message from Daniel Bosques, executive director, Derby Historical Society.

New England folklore expert to speak at Derby Historical Society meeting

DERBY - The Derby Historical Society Board of Directors invites the public to its annual meeting at 1 p.m. March 29 at First Congregational Church, 137 Derby Ave.
A brief business portion will be held to elect  officers and Board of Directors followed by an update on restoration of the Gen. David Humphreys House & Museum at 37 Elm St., Ansonia. 
The Humphreys House is the community's link to the American Revolution. Humphreys was aide-de-camp to Gen. George Washington. 
The House serves as home base for many public events and the award-winning A Day in 1762, a hands-on colonial history educational program for students in the Valley and surrounding towns. 

Guest speaker will be Dr. Stephen Gencarella, author of “Wicked Weird and Wily Yankees: A Celebration of New England's Eccentrics and Misfits,”as well as “Spooky Trails and Tall Tales Connecticut: Hiking the State's Legends, Hauntings, and History.” 

Gencarella is a professor at UMass Amherst and specializes in New England folklore. 

A reception with light refreshments will follow. 

Membership renewals will be accepted by mail, at the door, or via PayPal donation by visiting derbyhistorical.org. 

An application is attached for those who are unable to attend. We encourage you to renew your membership. 

Your financial support is greatly appreciated and very much needed to ensure we are able to continue in our mission of preserving the Valley’s history and culture.

Click here for a printable membership form: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/3a79ac2188170e3441f4525f1/files/9ecb28e7-1ec1-402b-ac12-2d7dbcb1e540/DHS_Member_App.pdf

Here's a link to Dr. Gencarella's site: https://thetalestheytell.com/

This is a press release from Daniel Bosques, executive director, Derby Historical Society.

Derby Historical Society to host Sketch 'n Sip at David Humphreys House

Cultural Lecture Series

Sketch 'n  Sip
“Mother’s Flowers” - a Colonial Still Life

Saturday, May 9, 2020, 3-5 p.m.

The best way to say I love you is with flowers. What better way to get them than by creating your own still life at the David Humphreys House?

Artist Amie Ziner will teach you the history of the 18th-century Conté crayon and guide you in the creation of your own masterpiece.

Still-life setting and all materials provided. BYOB and a snack. $25 per person. 

Space for this special Mother's Day weekend event is limited, so you must pre-register by calling 203-735-1908 or emailing info@derbyhistorical.org

The Humphreys House is at 37 Elm St., Ansonia.

This is a press release from Daniel Bosques, executive director, Derby Historical Society.

Colonial spinning skills session slated at Humphreys House in Ansonia

The Derby Historical Society is a regional historical society dedicated to preserving, maintaining, and celebrating the rich and varied history of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. 

The Derby Historical Society welcomes all visitors and is also available to support researchers, school or other program needs. Staff offices are located at the Sarah Riggs Humphreys House, 37 Elm St., Ansonia.  
For more information, visit www.derbyhistorical.org 

This is a press release from Daniel L. Bosques, Executive Director, Derby Historical Society.