Addison County Parents - Exploring History and Art

Build an Abenaki Wigwam at the Indian Museum Grand Opening Celebration
The new Indian Museum & Gift Shop is offering a free hands-on learning experience that will teach students how to build a wigwam. The event is part of the museum’s grand opening celebration on April 26-27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To participate in the wigwam building class, please arrive by 10 a.m. on April 26. The class is free and open to the public. Donations to the museum are welcome. The museum is located at 4423 US Route 2 in East Montpelier. For more information, visit www.ndakinna.org.

Civil War Workshop
Thursday, April 17, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the Sheldon Museum
Your help is needed to identify Civil War sources from all of the county’s towns. This is a chance for you to be a ‘history detective,’ working with actual Civil War letters, newspapers, diaries and photos. For more information, call Orson Kingsley, Research Center Librarian, at the Henry Sheldon Museum, 388-2117.

New Exhibit: Wafting on a Heavenly Breeze: Hand-Painted Kites from China
May 22-August 10 at the Middlebury College Museum of Art
Dragons, phoenixes, snakes, bats, and mythical figures fill the sky in this exhibition of hand-crafted kites using traditional materials—bamboo, paper, and silk. The majority of these kites come from Weifang, the birthplace of kite making.

Vermont History Expo!
June 21 & 22, 2008 at the Tunbridge Fair Grounds, Tunbridge, Vermont
The 9th Annual History Expo featuring exhibits by local historical societies from around the state, living history re-enancements, demonstrations, presentations, music and dancing, children's activities. New feature: Civil War Sunday – The Vermont Homefront. Sponsored by the Vermont Historical Society.

Bixby Memorial Library
258 Main Street, Vergennes, VT 05491
802-877-2211
The Greek Revival library building houses one of the finest collections of Vermontiana in the state, including a large collection of Native American artifacts, paintings by Vermont artists, maps, documents, manuscripts, Vermont stamps and covers, and items of local interest. You'll also find volumes about Vermont, fiction and nonfiction by Vermonters, and Vermont documents, such as the Vermont Statutes. All volumes of Vermont Life and Vermont History are available.

Chimney Point State Historic Site
Addison, VT at the base of the Crown Point Bridge
Chimney Point on Lake Champlain in Vermont is one of the earliest, most intensely settled, and most strategic sites in the Champlain Valley. Exhibits and special events present the story of the three early cultures in the Chimney Point area - Native American, French colonial, and early American.

Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History
1 Park Street, Middlebury, VT 05753
802-388-2117
The Museum was founded in 1882 by Henry Sheldon, who collected thousands of objects, and written and printed records, depicting everyday life in the region from its settlement in the 1760s to the early 1900s to create a Smithsonian Institution of Addison County. Housed in an 1829 building constructed by the founder of Vermont's marble industry, the Museum tells the stories of the region's industrial heyday, its prominence as the leading producer and exporter of Merino sheep. Changing history and art exhibits. Year-round calendar of programs and events.

John Strong DAR Mansion Museum
6656 Route 17W, West Addison, VT 05491
802-759-2309
The DAR John Strong Mansion Museum was built in the mid-1790's by General John Strong and his wife Agnes McClure Strong to replace the family's cabin that had been burned by the Indian and Tory forces under General John Burgoyne. Five generations of the Strong family occupied this lovely home until around the Civil War. The rooms display period furnishings and exhibits tell the story of a colonial family's life in the northern wilderness, with herb and perennial gardens outdoors.

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
4472 Basin Harbor Rd
Vergennes, VT 05491
802-475-2022
Historical exhibits, maritime collections, nautical archaeology, an 18th- century style blacksmith shop, and active boat building all take place at a lakeside location. A 54' square-rigged Revolutionary War gunboat replica can be boarded and explored. Activities include courses and workshops on traditional boat building and seamanship skills.

Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserves
www.historicvermont.org/sites/html/underwater.html
Various shipwreck sites in the lake available for viewing by divers including the Champlain II which ran aground on July 16, 1875 just after leaving Westport.

Middlebury College Museum of Art
Center for the Arts, Route 30, Middlebury, VT 05753
802-443-5007
www.middlebury.edu/~museum
The museum collection of several thousand objects ranges from antiquities through contemporary art and includes distinguished collections of Asian art, photography, nineteenth-century European and American sculpture, and contemporary prints. Works from the permanent collection and special loan exhibitions are on display throughout the year, and the Museum also sponsors lectures, gallery talks, films, school programs, and family workshops.

Mount Independence State Historic Site
497 Mount Independence Road, Orwell, VT
Exhibits in the Visitors Center Museum tell the story of military life on Mount Independence and feature many of the artifacts recovered during recent archaeological investigations.

Rokeby Museum
4334 Route 7, Ferrisburgh, VT 05456
802-877-3406
This 90-acre historic site and National Historic Landmark was home to four generations of a remarkable Quaker family of farmers, abolitionists, artists, and authors over nearly 200 years, from 1793 to 1961. It is one of the best-documented Underground Railroad sites in the country and provides a vivid glimpse of domestic and rural life in Vermont. School programs are offered on site in the early spring and late fall; classroom presentations on the Underground Railroad are available year round.

Vermont Folklife Center
2 Court Street, Middlebury, VT
802-388-4964
The center preserves and presents Vermont traditions though exhibits of folk art, videos, films, lectures, research, publications, and archives of the spoken word.

Addison Town Historical Society
        Old Town Hall, Addison, VT
        Mailing Address: 3968 VT Route 22A, Addison, VT 05491
        Phone: 802-759-2380
        There is no established museum; visitors by appointment

Bridport Historical Society
        VT Route 22A & Crown Point Road, Bridport, VT (Large white building)
        Mailing Address: 3177 Crown Point Road, Bridport, VT 05734
        Email: msunderland@gmavt.net
        Phone: 802-758-2654
       The Ephraim Gray house was built about 1812. The society's collection includes artifacts,
        photographs, and manuscripts reflecting life in Bridport from 1800 to the present.
        Visitors by appointment, handicap accessible.

Bristol Historical Society
        Howden Hall Community Center, 19 West Street, Bristol, VT
        Mailing Address: 19 West Street, Bristol, VT 05443
        Phone: 802-453-3439
        At various times a church, a store, and a school, Howden Hall has been restored for
        a variety of community uses. The historical society displays collections including photographs,
        maps, postcards, posters, and newspapers. Visitors by appointment. Free. Handicap accessible.

Cornwall Historical Society
       Cornwall Town Hall, 2629 VT Route 30, Cornwall, VT
        Mailing Address: c/o Town Hall, 2629 VT Route 30, Cornwall, VT 05753
        Email: ctall@cdmarketing.com
        Phone: 802-462-2775
        The society has a growing collection of artifacts and archives in its office in the Cornwall
        town hall. Historical property records and genealogical information are available at the town
        clerk's office (Sue Johnson, town clerk, 802-462-2775, cornwallvt@shoreham.net).
        Visitors by appointment.

East Middlebury Historical Society
        Sarah Partridge Community House, 431 East Main Street, East Middlebury, VT
        Mailing Address: PO Box 2, East Middlebury, VT 05740
        The society has a small collection, mostly ephemera, in the Sarah Partridge Community House.        ....
....... Meetings are held four times per year. Visitors by appointment.

Ferrisburgh Historical Society
....... Mailing Address: 1217 Sand Road, Ferrisburgh, VT 05456
        Phone: 802-877-3217
        The society does not have a building, but has collections of hardware, tools, paper,
        histories, and photographs located with its members Visitors by appointment.

Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History
        1 Park Street, Middlebury, VT
        Mailing Address: 1 Park Street, Middlebury, VT 05753
........Website: www.henrysheldonmuseum.org
        Phone: 802-388-2117
        The museum offers tours, exhibits, and programs aimed at facilitating an understanding of
        regional Vermont history through sharing with the community a wealth of objects and
        written materials that document the history of Middlebury, Addison County, and Vermont.
        It also has a gallery, a shop, and gardens.
        Hours and Admission:
        Museum: June - October 7: Tues–Sat., 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sunday, 1:00 pm - 5:00pm;
        fall/winter/spring: Tues–Sat., 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
        Research Center: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm; Thursday, 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm;
        1st Saturday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, or by appointment. Admission fee.

Lincoln Historical Society
        18th Century Farmhouse & 19th Century Barn Museum, 88 Quaker Street, Lincoln, VT
        Mailing Address: 88 Quaker Street, Lincoln, VT 05443
        Phone: 802-453-3371
        The society has a collection of local artifacts in a restored 18th-century farmhouse and a
        19th-century barn in a meticulously landscaped setting. Exhibits change annually.
        Hours and Admission:
        Memorial Day - October: 2nd and 4th Sunday, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm, or by appointment.

Monkton Museum & Historical Society
        Mailing Address: 280 Monkton Ridge, North Ferrisburgh, VT, 05473
        Phone: 802-482-2277
        The society does not own a building, but there is a small collection. Meetings are the third
        Monday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Monkton town hall. Current projects include gravestone
        transcription of all the stones in Monkton and preservation of the East Monkton Church.
        Visitors by appointment.

New Haven Historical Society
        Mailing Address: 89 North Street, New Haven, VT 05472
        Phone: 802-453-3947
        There is no established museum. Meetings are the second Wednesday of every month
        at 7:00 pm at the New Haven Congregational Church.
        Call for hours and admission.

Orwell Historical Society
        Orwell Free Library, Main Street, VT Route 73, Orwell, VT
        Mailing Address: PO Box 85, Orwell, VT 05760
        Website: www.historic-orwell-vermont.com
        Phone: 802-948-2049
        The society's collection of Orwell history from the Revolutionary War through World War II
        to the present day is housed at the library.
        Hours: Tuesday and Friday, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; Saturday, 10:00 am - noon.

Salisbury Historical Society
        Town Hall, Maple Street, Salisbury, VT 05769
        Mailing Address: 62 Misty Lane, Salisbury, VT 05769
        Phone: 802-352-4506
        There is no museum at this time. Plans are to rebuild an eighteenth-century settler's
        cabin near the site of Ann Story's cabin. Meetings take place at the Salisbury town hall.
        Visitors by appointment.

Shoreham Historical Society
        Stone Schoolhouse Museum, VT Route 22A, Shoreham, VT
        Mailing Address: 91 Doolittle Road, Shoreham, VT 05770
        Phone: 802-897-2572
        A former stone schoolhouse (1839) has photographs, documents, arrowheads, and extensive
        genealogical files pertaining to the Shoreham area. There are also locally made sleighs,
        a barn loom, and other large objects at Newton Academy on School Street.
        Visitors year-round by appointment.

Starksboro Historical Society
        Mailing Address: 2174 Big Hollow Road, Starksboro, VT 05487
        Website: www.starksborohistoricalsociety.org
        Phone: 802-453-3469
        This society, formed in 2005, does not have a museum.
        The society meets the 4th Thursday of every other month at 7:00 p.m. at the town hall.
        Call or email for hours and admission.

Vergennes Area History Club
        Mailing Address: 2970 Lime Kiln Road, New Haven, VT 05472
        Phone: 802-877-3070
        The society collects the history of the Vergennes area, and has recently joined with the
        Ferrisburgh Historical Society.

GENEALOGY

Addison County, Vermont History and Genealogy - VT GEN WEB

Museum of Modern Art
The MOMA in New York presents an online exloration of modern art in an interactive website for kids.

Getty Museum
The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles hosts a website of art-related games for kids and grown-ups will find dozens of art-based lesson plans to try at home.

Museum of Fine Art: Giza Archives Project
The MFA in Boston sponsors this serves as a centralized online repository for all archaeological activity at the Giza Necropolis pyramid site, beginning with the Harvard University/Museum of Fine Arts excavations.

Photos We Love
“Vector Portraits” are a series of pictures taken by Andrew Bush while driving alongside his subjects on the roads and freeways of California – was one of the signature photographic series of the 90s. Original, perceptive, and with a fresh conceptual twist, it explored the culture of Los Angeles as well as issues of privacy, danger, and the American dream.

A visit to a museum can be a rewarding experience for the entire family. The following suggestions may help you and your family get the most out of your next museum visit.

Before Your Visit

Talk with your children about what they will see during their museum visit. Take a look at the museum's website to preview the exhibitions to determine what might interest your child.

Find ways to make connections between the exhibits and your child's interests.
Download a family discovery guide from the museum's website, or find library books about exhibit themes.

Check the museum's schedule for the times and locations of children's gallery programs.

Discuss the no-touch rule. Museums feature original works of art and history that can be damaged by the dirt and natural oils from a person's hands. To prove this, ask your child to smear their fingers on a mirror. See the smudge? Even a clean hand will leave a mark! These oils are very damaging to the long-term survival of an object. Say, "Look with your eyes only." Encourage young visitors to keep their hands behind their back or in their pockets when walking around fragile things.

Bring a book, small (soft) toy, and/or drawing materials for your child to use when they need some quiet time. Bring snacks and/or lunch to eat outside the exhibits.

Encourage your children to enjoy the Museum at their own pace. By being flexible, you'll not only learn about the items on exhibit, but about your child as well. Keep your visit within a child-sized length of time; a meaningful experience with a few works of art or exhibits is more valuable than a tiring grand tour.

Take advantage of Museum Staff who often provide workshops and gallery talks for kids.

Play a game such as "I Spy," or match up postcards from the museum shop with the original paintings. Tell a story about what's going on in a painting or what might have happened 'next' or 'before'. Ask small children to find paintings with his or her favorite colors in them.

Many museum exhibits include hands-on items for children. Be sure to identify these for your children so they aren't confused about what is touchable, and what is not.

Find a bench or corner in a gallery where you can sit for a while and read a book, draw, or just look and talk about one item on exhibit for a while. Read the gallery guide out loud to explain the artist and themes in the exhibit.

Be mindful of your child's attention span while you read exhibit labels. Include them in your own discovery process by reading the label out loud and verbalizing what you see - the artist's technique or an artifact's role in an historic drama.

Shop for books, posters, toys, or postcards that will remind your child of the day's visit.

Continue to find opportunities to connect your child's museum visit with his or her daily life.

Encourage your child to start a 'museum' at home with their own works of art, items found in nature, or a science display laid out on a special table or shelf. Let them explain their exhibit to you.

Write down questions to research on a future visit.

Schedule a museum docent to visit your child's school, or find out how your child's class could take a museum field trip.