This exhibition at the Fairfield Museum and History Center tells the story of Fairfield and its changing identity across 375 years, reflecting areas of American experience from the late period of Native American occupation through to the mid-20th century. Open through January, 2, 2011.
Featuring more than 100 of the Museum’s best and rarest artifacts, /Landscape of Change/ explores topics that highlight the development of Fairfield at different periods in its history. Visitors will learn about the 1779 burning of Fairfield by British invaders, colonial era witchcraft trials, early settlement patterns, the struggle between the Patriots and Loyalists, Native American life, and the maritime and agricultural history of our area, among other topics. Visitors will learn about Colonial-era witchcraft trials, the final battle between the English and Pequot warriors, patriots and Loyalists of the American Revolution, the burning of the town by British invaders in 1779, slavery and slave owners, local maritime and agricultural history, the arrival of the railroad, and a wealth of other topics. In addition, a 12-foot high digital reproduction of a town map, hand-drawn in 1937 as a W.P.A. project, is featured beside a vignette of Fairfield’s beach in the early 1900s.
For Fairfield residents, the exhibit will foster a sense of pride and respect for the place where they live, providing a deeper appreciation of what has historically defined the town. For every visitor, the exhibition facilitates awareness that local history is a valuable resource tool to understanding the larger picture of regional and national history. The exhibit will enrich conversations between parents and children, while giving teachers a greater resource for their classroom studies./ Landscape of Change/ is an exciting experience that should not be missed.
The exhibition has been made possible in part through the generous support of the Connecticut Humanities Council.
The mission of the Fairfield Museum and History Center is to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of Fairfield, Connecticut and surrounding regions for present and future generations. The museum fulfills its mission through the preservation and exhibition of regional material culture and by sharing its collections through innovative educational programs for children and families.
An initiative of the Fairfield Historical Society, the Fairfield Museum is a not-for-profit, privately supported, educational facility located at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield Connecticut. The Museum also owns and operates Ogden House and Gardens, an accurately restored and furnished 18th-century farmhouse located at 1520 Bronson Road in Fairfield.
fairfieldhistoricalsociety.org