Volunteers Sought For Enfield Project

ENFIELD, CT — The Rotary Club of Enfield and Enfield Historical Society are seeking volunteers for a new community preservation campaign centered on the historic Martha Parsons House.

Called The Parsons Project, the effort is looking for craftspeople, contractors, handymen and handywomen, landscapers, local organizations, nonprofits and other residents willing to contribute time and skills.

The announcement did not include a list of specific repairs, a work schedule or a fundraising goal. Residents and organizations interested in helping can contact Mike Cotnoir of the Rotary Club of Enfield at michaelcotnoir@cox.net or Shannon Esslinger of the Enfield Historical Society at questions@enfieldhistoricalsociety.org.

The volunteer push comes after years of uncertainty over the future of the museum at 1387 Enfield St. The Historical Society’s board voted in 2023 to sell the seasonal museum, then voted in April 2024 to postpone a sale until after Jan. 1, 2026. At the time, the society said it projected that $500,000 would be needed to address financial, structural and staffing challenges at the home. The new Rotary announcement does not say how The Parsons Project relates to that earlier timeline.

According to the Enfield Historical Society, the house was built in 1782 by John Meacham on land originally intended for a minister’s home. It later became the family home of Martha A. Parsons, who went on to become executive secretary of the Landers, Frary and Clark Company.

Parsons, who died in 1965 and left the house and its contents to the Historical Society, was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame in 2010. The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame describes her as the state’s first female business executive to earn her position on merit.

For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.