Cromwell commemorates the nation's 250th Anniversary
250 Voices
Join in as we gather 250 voices to create a recording capturing the voices of Cromwell reading the Declaration of Independence. While certainly not perfect by our 2026 standards, this document set in motion the idea that a free people could not only govern themselves, but that this country could eventually become a place where all people are valued equally. Intended to capture the present day voice of Cromwell, this project will be recorded at Cromwell High School and will include the choirs of Cromwell and those from the community that come forward to have their voices added to the reading. Anyone interested in taking part should contact the Historical Society via email at cromwellcthistory@gmail.com
Semiquincentennial Program Series
250 Voices The Declaration
The Revolution in the Middletown Upper Houses
Sponsored by the Cromwell Belden Public Library
Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Cromwell Belden Library
39 West Street in Cromwell
250 years ago, the families of the Middletown Upper Houses (now Cromwell) found themselves immersed in the American Revolution. They heeded the cry from Lexington & Concord and continued to serve the cause of freedom throughout the war in the Continental Army, in the Connecticut Navy, aboard Privateers, and while living the realities of revolutionary politics at home. In all, nearly ¼ of the population of the village stepped up to fight for American independence. Join Cromwell Town Historian, Richard Franklin Donohue, as he explores the people and events that gave Cromwell a unique connection to our nation’s founding and set the stage for their own independence from Middletown. Hear about a 20-year-old farmer who marched to Lexington as part of the militia and ended up a captain in the Continental Army, how an Upper Houses ship builder captured one of the most dreaded British cruisers in Long Island Sound, and why many of the Upper Houses men sought their fortunes as legalized pirates!
Fashion & Fabric The Web They Wove
Presented by the Dirty Blue Shirts
Monday, September 21, 2026
Following a Pot Luck Supper at 6:00
Stevens-Frisbie House Barn
395 Main Street in Cromwell
Underpinning the sensationalism of battle reports & broadsides is the often silent steadiness of women’s work with textiles. The choices they made every day about fashion and fabric consumption & creation drove the course of Revolution just as determinedly as any congress. As southern New England commemorates the 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial) of the War for Independence, it is these local lives dressed in fulled wool or spun silk that continue to inspire creativity, resilience, and empathy in us today. From the mythology of homespun to legends of midnight rides in red cloaks & calashes, the Dirty Blue Shirts share stories of women who waged war on multiple fronts as well as a look at what they wore as their worlds turn’d upside down. This program is presented by costumed historians and includes reproduction clothing pieces & fabric samples as well as a PowerPoint presentation with images of extant originals.
The Revolution in the Old Burying Ground
Ideally Sunday, October 18th but We are awaiting confirmation. Please check back!
From Liberty to Legacy Exploring American Ideals in the Musicals
From Liberty to Legacy Exploring American Ideals in the Musicals
Michael Langois
Sunday, January 17, 2027 at 2:00 PM
Location to be Determined
1776 and Hamilton are two landmark American musicals that dramatize the story of the nation’s founding, created nearly fifty years apart and reflecting very different cultural moments. This lecture examines how each work portrays the Revolutionary era, while simultaneously capturing a snapshot of the times in which these shows were written. By comparing their music, characters, and political perspectives, the program explores how changing historical contexts shape the way we tell our national story.
Note: This lecture includes curated video clips from both musicals.