The Sharon Historical Society has an institutional history similar to many
small historical societies. Founded in 1911, the Society spent the first forty-odd
years of its life meeting, usually monthly, to listen to a semi-scholarly paper
on some aspect of Sharon history, presented by a member. An entirely volunteer-run
organization with no building of its own, it used the second floor local history
room at the town library as headquarters. Books, papers and some archival material
were stored at the library, while other collections objects resided in the homes
of members. In 1951, the SHS was bequeathed the home of past president, Miss
Anne Sherman Hoyt. Unable to assume financial responsibility for the entire
building, the SHS rented out the first floor of what became known as the "Gay-Hoyt
House" to the thrift shop associated with the Sharon Hospital. The SHS
used the second floor of the house for collections storage and meeting space.
In 1965, the Sharon Hospital thrift store moved into hospital owned quarters,
and the SHS began a renovation of the Gay-Hoyt house. The building reopened
to the public with its "facelift" in the summer of 1965. Rarely open
to visitors, current town residents who were youngsters at the time remember
the museum as being "off limits", "cold" and "uninviting".
No one was encouraged to visit - at least that was the community perception.
In the late 1980s, the SHS faced a crisis situation. The Board was divided
over the question of building maintenance. The heat was shut off in the winter
to save money, and the collections were suffering. The dedication of volunteer
Sarah Luker saved the infuse the organization with energy and prevent its demise.
Sarah worked tirelessly to involve a new group of community members, the "weekenders",
in the day-to-day affairs of the museum. This was a group who loved Sharon,
and had the disposable income to support museum efforts. In 1988, the newly
diversified Board hired Sarah as a 10 hour/week curator. Under Sarah's determined
leadership, the museum began to attract new volunteers and an increased degree
of community interest. Fund raising events such as a concert series were inaugurated.
Membership solicitation grew, exhibits were planned, and an annual photographic
calendar featuring historic photographs of the town was published. Museum hours
and exhibits remained limited, however, and the few programs presented by the
SHS were sparsely attended.
In 1993 Sarah began her campaign to the Board regarding the necessity of hiring
a professional staff person to run the museum. In 1994, Sarah met current museum
director, Liz Shapiro, a recent transplant to the area. Liz had a master's degree
in History Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program, and a small
amount of experience under her belt. Sarah convinced the Board to pay Liz to
write a grant to the CHC to plan a major exhibit for the museum. The grant was
approved, and planning began for the ultimately CHC-funded exhibit "From
Iron to Auto: The Hotchkiss Brothers of Sharon Valley." (An implementation
grant from CHC was received in 1995-1996.) As a result of the grant project's
success, the SHS hired Liz as half-time director in September of 1994. The bar
had been raised for the museum and the SHS rose to the challenge.
From 1996 to the present, the SHS has continued to grow, both physically and
in community importance. Small grants from the local Berkshire Taconic Foundation
enabled the museum to print highlights from a large local collection of glass
plate negatives, and in 2003, another grant from the BTF allowed the SHS to
respond to an immediate local concern and offer a half-day symposium on the
history of open space use in the Northwest Corner. Over 125 people, including
the local state representative and state senator, attended the symposium. Additional
grants from local foundations have provided for archival consultants, museum
education consultants, a part-time curator, archivist and program coordinator.
Between 1998 and 2003, the SHS supervised the stabilization and interpretation
of the Sharon Valley Lime Kiln, the only remaining industrial period (1880s)
structure in Sharon. In 2000, the SHS published the award-winning book Echoes
of Iron in Connecticut's Northwest Corner. The book, generously funded in part
by a grant from the Connecticut Humanities Council, sold out of its first printing
of 1500, and is currently available in its revised (and improved!) second printing.
Early in 1999, based on the museum's heightened public profile, the success
of several large fund raising events and a growth in membership, Board and staff
began to take a serious look at the museum's physical plant. Located in a brick
house, built in 1775, with a tiny, "piece meal" addition, no climate
control, no handicapped access, and little multi-purpose space, the feasibility
of renovation and expansion was addressed. The museum's public profile was examined.
The results were positive. A building campaign was begun, an architect selected,
and plans were drawn. The ceremonial groundbreaking was a gala fund raising
event itself, taking place in early July 2001. The $670,000 building project
was completed in December 2002. All debt associated with the project was paid
by December 2003.
In 2004, the SHS completed a strategic plan. Since that time, the museum has
been working to fulfill the goals articulated in the plan and tailored to the
new mission (adopted, February 2005.)
