'West Hartford A-Z' Celebrates 300 Years of Town History

On April 25, the opened its first semi-permanent exhibit on West Hartford history. Bold, colorful, and interactive, the whimsical exhibit showcases over three hundred years of life.

Visitors to the museum will explore the alphabet soup of West Hartford’s dynamic past, colorful personalities, and pivotal events. Stylized artwork by painter and West Hartford native Pamela R. Levy vibrantly brings each letter of the alphabet to life.

Guests can hear veterans tell their heroic stories, test their sense of smell by identifying the aroma that matches one of the town’s culinary establishments, tap their foot to the melody of local music, or explore the visual record of the Town’s triumphs and losses through the hundreds of images in the exhibit. 

Executive Director Christopher Dobbs stated, “Our goal is to have the exhibit at the museum several months each year and then display it at other locations around the community.  In this way we can go beyond the walls of the museum…engaging residents and inspiring them with the community’s heritage and culture.” 

According to the exhibit’s curator, Sheila Daley, “The exhibit is full of surprises and rich history. We hope that it will bring West Hartford residents to the museum and get them sharing some of their own stories.” 

Both Dobbs and Daley said that starting this fall they are looking for partnering organizations to display the exhibit. At each location the museum will do a program on West Hartford history and sponsor a history day (recording oral histories and scanning photographs).

In addition to the exhibit, a film has been created with the help of consultant Chris Vater that highlights the museum’s extensive photo collection. Put to music, the presentation is moving for anyone acquainted with West Hartford.

Special thanks to the exhibit sponsors:  Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Connecticut Humanities Council, graphic designer Arleen Anderson, exhibit fabricator Signs Direct, and the many individuals who supported this project.

In commemoration of Celebrate! West Hartford’s 25^th anniversary, get a peek of the exhibit by checking out the letter of the day on the museum’s website.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is located in the restored birthplace and childhood home of Noah Webster. Webster was a national figure known not only for the first American dictionary and the Blue-Backed Speller, but also for being a federalist, an abolitionist and a cofounder of Amherst College. The historic house and exhibit spaces are open 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., Thursday through Monday. For information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs, please visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call (860) 521-5362.