Fall Happenings at the History Center

Stamford History Center Fall News

Stamford History Center, 1508 High Ridge Road, Stamford, CT 06905

Written by Triveni Joshi, SHC Volunteer Writer

Edited by Emily Derr, SHC Communications Director

Photos by Jennifer Hawthorne of SHC, and Joris Bastien of J3Media

Volunteers, board members, and Stamford History Center Executive Director Tom Zoubek have been working diligently to plan, promote, and executive exciting programming this Fall during the months of October and November.

In October, SHC hosted Hauntings and History at Hoyt-Barnum tours which gave visitors a glimpse of colonial life. On November 9th, on a Sunday afternoon, the Annual Victorian Tea commenced with costume historian and speaker Katy Bishop returning for her third presentation at SHC, "The Art of Haute Couture: Masters of Design", giving guests an elegant tea time experience, complete with a sterling silver tea service and savory desserts. Attendees learned about the "founding father of Haute Couture," and fashion influencer Charles Worth who dressed 19th and early 20th century royalty and celebrities including Empress Eugenie and Lillie Langtry. Following the presentation, guests enjoyed refreshments and a Q and A with Katy along with touring the latest exhibit Holy Roots: The History of Houses of Worship in Stamford from 1641-2000.

Just in case you missed out attending these events, read on and contact us to be the in-the-know about future happenings at the Stamford History Center!

SHC celebrated Halloween with the chillingly spooktacular event “Hauntings & History at Hoyt-Barnum; A night tour of the Hoyt-Barnum house” on October 24 and 25, 2019

What is better than an experience of Halloween chills and thrills than a nighttime tour of the 400-year-old Hoyt-Barnum house at the Stamford History Center? History comes alive by recreating stories of the lives of Stamford founders in the 17th and 18th centuries, describing their hardships, tragic accidents, ghost stories, and the trial of Stamford’s own ‘witch’, Elizabeth Clawson.

With dimly lit lanterns around the historic house and the chill of the autumn night air - the stage was set for a bone-chilling event. The guides of the tour Executive Director Thomas Zoubek, in colonial costume and volunteer Christine Varner, also in historic costume complete with a cap, lace trimmed petticoat gown and apron. The back-drop of the pioneer house enhanced the vintage ambience!

Built in 1699 by Samuel Hoyt, a descendent of one of the original founders of Stamford, the Hoyt-Barnum House is the oldest existing house in the city of Stamford. The house contains artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries. It is architecturally representative of the Second American Building Period, post 1675. After it was relocated in November of 2016, and painstakingly reassembled, it made history as the only structure to be uprooted, and yet retaining its place on the National Register.

“It’s a first” said Mr. Zoubek “No other house which has been moved this far has stayed on the national register”. As the tour group were led inside and guided through the house, the Hoyt-Barnum house came alive with tales of witchcraft, spirits and mysterious lights, narrated vividly by tour guide Thomas Zoubek. As they were guided through the various spaces and rooms of the house, both private and public, like the bedroom, buttery, keeping room, birthing room, parlor, attic and basement, the visitors learned the significance of the individual rooms and their purpose in Colonial life.

Each room had its own story to tell of the life and times of the early settlers. The first room was the bedroom. The beams were adorned witch signs or symbols to protect the people residing in it from witchcraft. On the subject of witchcraft, the true story was told of Stamford’s very own ‘witch’ Elizabeth Clawson. She was accused of practicing witchcraft, and drowned in a pond. If the accused individual floated, he or she was deemed a witch and innocence was only proven if he or she sank. As she floated, she was arrested and tried as a witch. She was wrongly accused, and then eventually acquitted. Others were not as fortunate. Another elderly woman accused of witchcraft, was burnt alive. It is said that her spirit continues to wander and haunt!

Next was the Buttery which is the Colonial day equivalent of a refrigeration room. The Keeping room which served as both a kitchen and a dining room, containing cast iron cooking tools from the 18th and 19th centuries, including an antique cast iron waffle maker and bread oven. “The kitchen was the most dangerous place in the house in those times” Zoubek stated. Citing many incidents of fire, he explained, “Due to their elaborate clothing and open-hearth cooking (the way the fireplace was built) it was pretty common for many a woman of the house to char to death while working in the kitchen” - evoking gasps of horror from the visitors. The Parlor room which was also known as the ‘best room’ showcased the finest curated items of the house.

Ascending the creaky stairs that led to the attic, the tour group was shown the corner in the attic where a mysterious amber glow was spotted by a visitor and which incidentally happened to be right above the birthing room. Revealing that Samuel Hoyt’s first wife died a tragic death during childbirth in the birthing room, Mr. Zoubek surmised eerily “It could be his wife’s wandering spirit” The hauntingly memorable tour concluded with the basement that housed Mr. Hoyt’s blacksmith tools after which the visitors enjoyed some delicious refreshments and desserts.

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About Stamford History Center - www.stamfordhistory.org

The Stamford History Center, is a not for profit organization dedicated to preserving regional history and our varied cultural heritage. We provide opportunities for our community to understand and experience the past through our library, the presentation of exhibits and displays, lectures, demonstrations, special events, participatory programs, and tours of the unique Hoyt-Barnum House, built in 1699.

We are looking for business and corporate sponsors for our events and programming including our Gala, exhibits, Hoyt-Barnum House Tours, Cozy Sundays and our Victorian Tea. There are several sponsorship and marketing opportunities available. Please contact us 203-329-1183

or e-mail us info@stamfordhistory.org