NEWTOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE

NEWTOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Box 189
NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT 06470

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact John Renjilian, 203-426-0864

Are ya listenin’? While the Newtown Historical Society can’t promise silver bells for the holidays, there will be an Open House at the Matthew Curtiss House, 44 Main Street, on December 8, from 12.00-4.00 PM. The Curtiss House will be decorated in keeping with its long history, and entertainment will be provided by Tim McKee singing holiday and other songs. Refreshments will be served throughout the Open House, which is free and open to the public. This is the same day as the Family Life house tour, so plan on making a day of it. Following the Open House, the Society will hold their annual pot luck holiday party, beginning at 5.00, we hope to see all members, and encourage you to become a member in time for the party!

The Matthew Curtiss House, home of the Historical Society, is one of the oldest buildings on Main Street. It was constructed about 1750, and purchased by Matthew Curtiss in 1781; Curtiss continued to live there until his death in 1824. He is sometimes called Junior, in deference to his father, the first of the family to live in Newtown, though the elder apparently lived in the Berkshire section of town.

But the Curtiss House is not just an old building. Maintained by the Historical Society as a house museum, the Society’s collections on display are intended to represent the House throughout its life, not just the period of Curtiss ownership. Thus, the artifacts range from a tall case clock made in Newtown in the 1780s by Ebenezer Smith, to a nineteenth century weathervane that swung round the barn of Scrabble inventor James Brunot in the twentieth century, to twentieth century graphics and needlework. All the items in the House reflect either a direct Newtown connection or are examples of things that might well have been used in the town, whether for work, play, or to celebrate an occasion. These treasures will all be on view in their context within the Curtiss House, and they aren’t limited to sight: come hear the newly remastered recording of the 19th century Organette! Costumed docents will be available to lead tours, or you are free to walk through the house on your own.

The Newtown Historical Society is an entirely volunteer organization with no paid staff, and volunteer staffing limits the Society to one open house per month during the spring and fall. Please see the website for further information, www.newtownhistory.org, visit www.facebook.com/newtownhistoricalsociety, or call 203-426-5937.