Avon Historical Society Presents Civil War Exhibits

The Avon Historical Society’s Sesquicentennial Committee of the Civil War will present two events in May as part of the Legacies of the Civil War in the library.

More from the society:

On Saturday, May 2 at 1:00 p.m. “The History of our Nation Set in Stone: Arlington National Cemetery” will be presented by Carolyn Ivanoff, housemaster at Shelton Intermediate School who was named Civil War Trust Preservationist Teacher of the year in 2003. As an educator and independent historian Carolyn writes and speaks frequently on American History. In 2010, 2011, and 2013 her educational programs received awards of Merit from the Connecticut League of History Organizations. Her presentation will follow the history of Arlington from its humble origins during the Civil War as a burial place of necessity, to its current celebrity as the most prestigious cemetery in the United States. On the stones of Arlington our nation’s history can be read. Arlington’s green slopes, once the great antebellum plantation of the Custis & Lee families, shelter over 275,000 United States veterans from every war. This presentation will explore this hallowed place and remember the stories of sacrifice and honor that Arlington can tell. The event is co-sponsored with the Gildo T. Consolini Avon VFW Post 3272, which begins a summer-long commemoration on May 1st of the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII with exhibits, talks and events in the Library.

On Saturday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m. “Memorializing a Generations Service: Connecticut Civil War Monuments” will be presented by Matthew Warshauer, PhD, Professor of History at Central Connecticut State University and Co-Chairman of the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration. As the 150th anniversary of the Civil War draws to a close, it offers an opportunity for reflection on how those who fought the war wanted to remember it. Certainly the most tangible and public forms of that remembrance are the many Civil War monuments that exist throughout the State of Connecticut. Join Dr. Warshauer as he discusses how the many monuments in the state reflect the sense of shared sacrifice, the lessons for future generations, and way in which those who fought the war wanted to be remembered. Dr. Warshauer will also discuss what the 150th Commemoration Commission has attempted to do over the last four years to make their own mark on this important history.