Orange Historical Society
Last updated: 01/03/19
The Academy Antiques Shop
The Orange Historical Society is unique in that it has an antique shop within one of its historic buildings, The Academy. Open on Saturdays from 10-3, this endeavor is one of the society's fundraisers, open year round. Located at 605 Orange Center Road in Orange, CT, the shop will delight new and old collectors of the past. Click the images above to view them in full. For further information call 203-795-3106.
Orange Historical Society Hosts Milford Historical Society For CT Archeologist
The Orange Historical Society recently hosted the Milford Historical Society with a presentation by former State of CT archeologist Nick Bellantoni. Nick's newest book speaks of two Native Americans who were recently repatriated to their native homes with Nick heavily involved with the disinterment and return of Albert Afraid of Hawk to South Dakota and Henry Opukaha'ia to Hawaii.
Incredible Juniorettes take Bryan-Andrew House by storm
The Juniorettes, a group of young women associated with the Orange Community Women were recently working to clean the 1740 Bryan-Andrew House. The oldest house in the Town of Orange occasionally needs a dusting and a good vacuum. One additional job was to arrange the furnishings in the garret which is the 2nd floor just under the roof. Two beds, one standard size for the time and a trundle bed that
goes underneath the larger bed when not in use, were put in place. Each bed has been roped according to tradition and an appropriate feather bed and sheets have been added as well as an 18th century linsey-woolsey blanket. Several of the young women placed the beds and furniture to replicate a typical sleeping area. One interesting note about the sheets is that each one is numbered with hand-stitched lettering as the beds of the early days differed in size so sheets were made for each bed and marked accordingly. While the inside was being completed, another group of young women carried firewood from a wooded area and piled it neatly into the newly built shed. It’s a sight to behold, so well done. With that chore done, they cleaned an area of weeds near the stairs and made a nice little garden area, complete with a stone edge. The staff of the Orange Historical Society was thrilled with the enthusiasm of our newfound friends.
goes underneath the larger bed when not in use, were put in place. Each bed has been roped according to tradition and an appropriate feather bed and sheets have been added as well as an 18th century linsey-woolsey blanket. Several of the young women placed the beds and furniture to replicate a typical sleeping area. One interesting note about the sheets is that each one is numbered with hand-stitched lettering as the beds of the early days differed in size so sheets were made for each bed and marked accordingly. While the inside was being completed, another group of young women carried firewood from a wooded area and piled it neatly into the newly built shed. It’s a sight to behold, so well done. With that chore done, they cleaned an area of weeds near the stairs and made a nice little garden area, complete with a stone edge. The staff of the Orange Historical Society was thrilled with the enthusiasm of our newfound friends.
Lebanon Towne Militia Visits The Bryan-Andrew House
The Orange Historical Society recently hosted the Lebanon Towne Militia in an encampment at the Bryan-Andrew House. A spinner, a weaver and a basket weaver were set up to demonstrate the crafts of the colonial times, while the men folk showed the visitors how to use flint to start a fire, make ladles, cups and other items using large gourds. And to top it off, a husband and wife team cooked over a fire pit; making fresh apple fritters. No encampment would be complete without the necessary firing of muskets and the soldiers obliged.
The Bryan-Andrew House was open for tours with docents in colonial dresses in keeping with the time of the 1740 homestead. A highlight of the tour is the newly completed garret with period furniture including a trundle bed, roped and ready for one or two of the eight children of Mr. & Mrs. Bryan. The staff of the homestead was overjoyed to welcome two young girls to lead the tours after spending several days learning about the various rooms and conducting tours throughout the day.
Anyone wising a tour of the Bryan-Andrew House may call 203 795-3106 and leave a message.
The Bryan-Andrew House was open for tours with docents in colonial dresses in keeping with the time of the 1740 homestead. A highlight of the tour is the newly completed garret with period furniture including a trundle bed, roped and ready for one or two of the eight children of Mr. & Mrs. Bryan. The staff of the homestead was overjoyed to welcome two young girls to lead the tours after spending several days learning about the various rooms and conducting tours throughout the day.
Anyone wising a tour of the Bryan-Andrew House may call 203 795-3106 and leave a message.
From a Wood Pile to a Shed
Boy Scout Sean from Milford Troop 12 with fellow scouts, Ben & Tim transformed the wood pile behind the Bryan-Andrew House into a permanent shed, a similar design to what would have been in place in 1740. Sean will earn his Life Rank award which is the last one before he enters into the Eagle Scout project. The building of the shed, with the help of leaders Anthony Priess, Albert Ayoub, Dave Durkota and Jeff Cap, will allow the B-A staff to have dry wood for the hearth and fireplaces when hosting tours and open house events. Most of the wood that was used is old and part of the original house material.
Bryan-Andrew House Hosts Visitors for Lunch
Four of OHS President, Ginny Reinhard's friends joined her for a tour recently at the 1740 homestead that the Orange Historical Society has
restored. The house , that is almost completed, was the center of the tour for out-of -town guests from California, Milford and Stratford. A lunch
from Quinzo's gave the guests an opportunity to chat and feel the ambiance of living in an old house, surrounded by artifacts dating from the early 18th century while sitting at a 1790's table. The house is open by appointment by calling 203-795-3106. Be sure to leave a message!
restored. The house , that is almost completed, was the center of the tour for out-of -town guests from California, Milford and Stratford. A lunch
from Quinzo's gave the guests an opportunity to chat and feel the ambiance of living in an old house, surrounded by artifacts dating from the early 18th century while sitting at a 1790's table. The house is open by appointment by calling 203-795-3106. Be sure to leave a message!
It Was the Summer for Dolls
The staff of the Academy Antique Museum held a doll sale of over 200 dolls, collected throughout the years. The more dolls that were donated the more came to add to the already fantastic collection. Seen here are shoppers looking for that special one, while president, Ginny Reinhard helped with their purchases. The collection boasts over 50 Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, but domestic and International dolls held their own. Shown with two Raggedy friends is Board Member Nina Ruckes. She¹s the one in the middle. The dolls continue to be available for sale at the Academy on Saturdays from 10-3.
2017 American Girl Doll Camp
Summer is a good time to get together with friends and Lea & Fred Turner organized the 3rd annual Doll Camp for twelve girls and their dolls. One doll, from the American Girl Doll Collection , was presented by an adult , on each day of the three-day event to teach the girls about the times they represented. On day one, each girl was given material to make a wall hanging, similar what would have been done Kaya's time, a Native American. A pottery project and woodworking was included with the girls learning how to construct a toy which coincided with the other two dolls. Each girl shared their dolls as well.
*****SPECIAL THANKS TO Home Depot of Orange, CT FOR DONATING WOODWORKING PROJECTS AND TOOLS FOR THIS EVENT!*****
There's no place like the Nathan Bryan-William Andrew Home
The Orange Historical Society has recently hosted a birthday party for a resident whose wife planned the celebration from soup to nuts. The Nathan Bryan-William Andrew house is open to the public by appointment, but the special part of this 1740 house is its availability for parties, meetings and just spur of the moment visits. For details on this most unique venue, call us at 203-795-3106 and leave a message. ALL calls will be returned.
Incredible High Quality Photo Gallery in the New Haven Register
A new and incredible photo gallery of the Bryan-Andrew House has been displayed in the New Haven Register Media Center! On December 31, 2105, Catherine Avalone of the New Haven Register joined Frances, Jan, and Ginny for an amazing day of fun at the house! Click here to see our photo gallery!
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Calendar of Events
****** THE ACADEMY ANTIQUES SHOP ******
SATURDAYS, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
The Academy Antique Shop is open Saturdays year-round with exciting antiques and collectibles in all price ranges. Come see our collection of political pins, and a newly acquired collection of a collection of Victorian perfume bottles. A recent donation of Connecticut postcards will also fill your collection, so if postcards are your hobby, we have a wonderful collection of Connecticut towns and New England cards dating from the early 1900's.
Come browse our family photos dating from the late 1800's for instant relatives and a wonderful collection of tintypes. Who knows, you may find a long, lost relative. We are located at 605 Orange Center Road across from the Green.
For information, call: 203 795-3106.
Email: orangehistorical@yahoo.com
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News from the Bryan-Andrew House!
The bee hive oven gets tested after the flue was exposed.
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Buttery shelves from a MA home ca. 1760. Original lath on the wall and ceiling has been plastered over.
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Joe Carney inspects his work.
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We're in the newspaper again. Click here! The 9-ft Keeping Room fireplace was restored several years ago and on the several visits has warmed the guests as they roamed through the house, feeling how it was to live in 1740 so many years ago. One thing became apparent to restoration contractor Edd Oberg and mason Joe Carney, that the beehive oven didn't draw correctly. The smoke from some small pieces of kindling reached into the room. Upon inspection, the team found that the flue was hidden with a half dozen bricks and 2 inches of concrete. They went to work removing the material and without a hitch, a fire, built in the oven took off and burned with great ease. The two of them waited until Ginny could arrive and they inaugurated the oven for future use. Now the entire Keeping Room fireplace is ready for some hearth-cooked dinners.
Open House
The 19th of October has come and gone but not without excited visitors as they walked through the oldest house in the Town of Orange. Fires were lit in the parlor, hall and keeping room with visitors admiring the effort put forth by the OHS to bring the house back to its beginnings. The CT Trust for Historic Preservation matching grant, which the society received, has been spent plastering the walls, resurfacing feathered edge walls, laying down original flooring and restoring the parlor fireplace which had been dismantled sometime in the 1930's and replaced with modern firebrick. Although the original side walls had been removed, the inner hearth was covered with the yellow brick and when removed revealed the original hand made bricks as originally laid in 1740.
One aspect of the home which is unique is the porch. Known to us as a foyer, one would step into this area from the front door and be met with a painted feathered edge wood wall in the best color available. For the Bryan family, Prussian blue was the color of choice and since the original walls had been removed, OHS bought old ones from a home in Massachusetts. Karan Oberg, historian and artist, replicated the original color using a section of doorway that had once been covered with wallpaper.
The house is available for families and groups for a tour, a meeting or a meal. Until the society has facilities to offer food to the public, people are invited to bring their own meal, celebrate a birthday, a new member in the family or a reunion of friends and family. The atmosphere is so inviting and brings one back to quiet times where hustle and bustle were not part of the daily 18th century lifestyle.
The society is fortunate to have found two restoration contractors for the interior with Joe Carney, a master mason and refinishing the wood walls and placement of the floors by Edd Oberg. The original restoration, over the past 14 years, was ably handled by Wess Corjuc of Historic Preservation and his brother Joseph.
For information call 203 795-3106 and leave a message. All calls will be returned.
Open House
The 19th of October has come and gone but not without excited visitors as they walked through the oldest house in the Town of Orange. Fires were lit in the parlor, hall and keeping room with visitors admiring the effort put forth by the OHS to bring the house back to its beginnings. The CT Trust for Historic Preservation matching grant, which the society received, has been spent plastering the walls, resurfacing feathered edge walls, laying down original flooring and restoring the parlor fireplace which had been dismantled sometime in the 1930's and replaced with modern firebrick. Although the original side walls had been removed, the inner hearth was covered with the yellow brick and when removed revealed the original hand made bricks as originally laid in 1740.
One aspect of the home which is unique is the porch. Known to us as a foyer, one would step into this area from the front door and be met with a painted feathered edge wood wall in the best color available. For the Bryan family, Prussian blue was the color of choice and since the original walls had been removed, OHS bought old ones from a home in Massachusetts. Karan Oberg, historian and artist, replicated the original color using a section of doorway that had once been covered with wallpaper.
The house is available for families and groups for a tour, a meeting or a meal. Until the society has facilities to offer food to the public, people are invited to bring their own meal, celebrate a birthday, a new member in the family or a reunion of friends and family. The atmosphere is so inviting and brings one back to quiet times where hustle and bustle were not part of the daily 18th century lifestyle.
The society is fortunate to have found two restoration contractors for the interior with Joe Carney, a master mason and refinishing the wood walls and placement of the floors by Edd Oberg. The original restoration, over the past 14 years, was ably handled by Wess Corjuc of Historic Preservation and his brother Joseph.
For information call 203 795-3106 and leave a message. All calls will be returned.
President's Corner
The Nathan Bryan-William Andrew house was buzzing on November 4th with visitors from the Red Hat Society. Meeting once a month, the women were invited to bring their lunch to the 1740 home to enjoy the 18th century atmosphere. While the weather is turning cold, the large keeping room fireplace welcomed the group, giving a true feeling of living in the past.
Surrounded by the recent restorations of plaster walls and original floors, the smell of corn chowder and a fall salad with its colonial touch of cranberries and leafy lettuce rounded out the wonderful experience that members Kathy Steinberg, Jan Clarke and Ginny Reinhard presented to the ladies.
Just a few days later, 21 members of area historical societies met at the home to discuss common concerns and how to present history to the public and ways to encourage school systems to arrange for tours of the various buildings each of the societies own or manage.
Here in Orange, we have 3 such buildings and need to secure the cooperation of our school administration. A recent trip by Cub Scout Troop 922 was such a pleasure with 8 young boys eager to see how different the 1740 Bryan-Andrew house was from the visit they had to 1830 Stone-Otis House last year. They were surprised with what they saw and didn't see at the homestead. Their questions were thoughtful and their answers creative as I took them through each room, telling about the families that lived there. The evening was too short but homework awaited.
Surrounded by the recent restorations of plaster walls and original floors, the smell of corn chowder and a fall salad with its colonial touch of cranberries and leafy lettuce rounded out the wonderful experience that members Kathy Steinberg, Jan Clarke and Ginny Reinhard presented to the ladies.
Just a few days later, 21 members of area historical societies met at the home to discuss common concerns and how to present history to the public and ways to encourage school systems to arrange for tours of the various buildings each of the societies own or manage.
Here in Orange, we have 3 such buildings and need to secure the cooperation of our school administration. A recent trip by Cub Scout Troop 922 was such a pleasure with 8 young boys eager to see how different the 1740 Bryan-Andrew house was from the visit they had to 1830 Stone-Otis House last year. They were surprised with what they saw and didn't see at the homestead. Their questions were thoughtful and their answers creative as I took them through each room, telling about the families that lived there. The evening was too short but homework awaited.
Night time at the Bryan-Andrew House is indeed an enchanted place with candle-style lighting, fires in the fireplaces and the smell of various herbs hanging in the buttery. It was a common practice in the 18th century to hang them in various parts of the house as fireplace smoke and cooking smells lingered. Come visit us, bring your family and even bring your dinner. Sitting at the 1760 keeping room table can bring you back to quieter times. Like me, you won't want to leave.
More From the Bryan-Andrew House!
Edd & Karan Oberg in the porch.
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Joseph Carney finishing up the Keeping Room ceiling.
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Edd Oberg hand finishing a feathered edge wall.
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The Prussian blue porch walls were recreated by Karan using color remaining on a door frame.
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This fireplace was rebuilt with old bricks replacing a modern one built in the early 1930's.
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Keeping Room fireplace with useable iron cookware.
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Laying original flooring becomes an interesting puzzle.
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The buttery or pantry with a work table.
The bowl and ladle are from the Andrew family.
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The hall where the family would spend time spinning, weaving and cooking simple meals.
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The hall fireplace. Portraits are of the period but the couple is unknown at this time.
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OHS T-shirts
are selling like hotcakes. Limited stock! |
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See the
Join, Visit, Shop page. Get yours today! |
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New OHS logo!
In May of 1822, a petition was presented to the General Assembly by members of both North Milford and West Haven communities to be incorporated as a separate town. Upon the resolve, a new town was established with boundaries set out to encompass the two communities.
A committee was chosen to select a name for the town and with some differences of opinion, the group chose Orange. Although no longer tied to British rule, with the support given to the Connecticut colony in 1687 by the English monarch, William of Orange, it was agreed to name the new town in his honor. His coat of arms became official in 1972, when the First Federal Savings Bank of New Haven presented First Selectman Ralph Capecelatro with the official Town flag, designed by Orange residents Robert Hiza and Curt Thompson.
The Orange Historical Society has used the center portion of the coat of arms as their logo that was depicted on the original official Town flag but has since changed to the original English version which includes the lion and the unicorn with other symbols of English royalty as seen in the coat of arms throughout history. The logo graces the bottom of each page of this website, as well as being used in our newsletter and on the new T-shirts.
A committee was chosen to select a name for the town and with some differences of opinion, the group chose Orange. Although no longer tied to British rule, with the support given to the Connecticut colony in 1687 by the English monarch, William of Orange, it was agreed to name the new town in his honor. His coat of arms became official in 1972, when the First Federal Savings Bank of New Haven presented First Selectman Ralph Capecelatro with the official Town flag, designed by Orange residents Robert Hiza and Curt Thompson.
The Orange Historical Society has used the center portion of the coat of arms as their logo that was depicted on the original official Town flag but has since changed to the original English version which includes the lion and the unicorn with other symbols of English royalty as seen in the coat of arms throughout history. The logo graces the bottom of each page of this website, as well as being used in our newsletter and on the new T-shirts.
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The Society
Founded in 1964, the Orange Historical Society strives to collect and preserve those items of history that pertain to the settlement of Orange as well as the surrounding area.
In addition to protecting the history and the future of the Town of Orange, the Society maintains the Stone-Otis House, a restored 1830's homestead, The Academy, which was built in 1878 and now serves as a museum housing the Mary Rebecca Woodruff Research Center, and the Bryan-Andrew House, a 1740 residence built by one of the earliest Orange families in the area then known as Bryan's Farms.
The Stone-Otis House at 615 Orange Center Road is open by appointment. The Academy and antique shop 605 Orange Center Road is open Saturdays from 10:00-3:00 P.M The Bryan-Andrew House at 131 Old Tavern Road is open by appointment by call 203 795-6106 .
The Society is always seeking to increase membership and financial support for its preservation efforts. See the Join/Visit/Shop page.
For information call (203) 795-3106 Email to orangehistorical@yahoo.com with questions or comments about our site. Address U.S. mail to Orange Historical Society, P. O. Box 784, Orange, CT 06477. Also follow us on Face Book.
In addition to protecting the history and the future of the Town of Orange, the Society maintains the Stone-Otis House, a restored 1830's homestead, The Academy, which was built in 1878 and now serves as a museum housing the Mary Rebecca Woodruff Research Center, and the Bryan-Andrew House, a 1740 residence built by one of the earliest Orange families in the area then known as Bryan's Farms.
The Stone-Otis House at 615 Orange Center Road is open by appointment. The Academy and antique shop 605 Orange Center Road is open Saturdays from 10:00-3:00 P.M The Bryan-Andrew House at 131 Old Tavern Road is open by appointment by call 203 795-6106 .
The Society is always seeking to increase membership and financial support for its preservation efforts. See the Join/Visit/Shop page.
For information call (203) 795-3106 Email to orangehistorical@yahoo.com with questions or comments about our site. Address U.S. mail to Orange Historical Society, P. O. Box 784, Orange, CT 06477. Also follow us on Face Book.
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OHS Officers and Directors
President, Ginny Reinhard
Recording Secretary, Priscilla Searles Treasurer, Marlene Silverstein |
Julie Davis, Director
Denise Stein Director Kathy Steinberg, Director Nina Ruckes, Director Betty Hadlock Director |
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Website creator: Bob Belletzkie; Webmaster: Design Techniques LLC
Volunteer Staff Members: Frances Vadney, Jan Clarke, Jane Opper, Breitenbach Family, Sue DelPrete
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Website creator: Bob Belletzkie; Webmaster: Design Techniques LLC
Volunteer Staff Members: Frances Vadney, Jan Clarke, Jane Opper, Breitenbach Family, Sue DelPrete
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Visitors since 12/25/2012
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