Local History On Tap: New This Week
Our two sites, the David Scott House and the Peter Parley Schoolhouse, will remain closed for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, this page will continue to be updated with new content every week.
“Ridgefield Historical Society has a great story to tell about our state’s role in the American Revolution – one that anchors the founding values and ideals of our Nation in local action and honors the sacrifice citizens made to uphold their inalienable rights. It’s a story from 1777 that still resonates today. We are proud of Ridgefield Historical Society’s commitment to making our history relevant and we will continue to advocate for organizations and projects that engage public interest, foster dialog among our citizens, and enrich our understanding of the human experience.”
– Dr. Jason Mancini, Executive Director, CT Humanities
- Connect with us!
- Ridgefield Streams, a new website dedicated to Ridgefield’s incredible arts & cultural organizations
- Our online collections
- And don’t forget to join our mailing list!
- Contact
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If you have questions, email us at info@ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org or call 203-438-5821.
- Contribute
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We hope you have been enjoying the new and varied content we have been presenting each week! Due to the pandemic, we have extended all memberships through August 31, 2020.
Please consider supporting us:
- Join as a member
- Renew your membership
- Make a donation
Thank you! - COVID-19 Archival Project
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Local residents, parents, and kids can all help us to preserve the history of the current pandemic by sending us photographs, artwork, personal reflections, stories, letters and more. These items, if appropriate, will be stored in our archives and made available to future researchers and visitors to our collection.
Click here to contribute to our COVID-19 Archival project.
You can read more about the project and watch introductory and example videos on the Documenting Ridgefield’s Response to COVID-19 page.
Examples of Images Submitted to the COVID-19 Archival Project:
Welcome Back! (Adam Broderick Salon & Spa) 
New plastic dividers in salon 
Town Hall supplies for businesses
Thanks for visiting our website and staying connected with us and local history.
Read a fascinating article on a stop on the Underground Railroad here in Ridgefield.
Adam Broderick, entrepreneur and salon futurist, shares his salon & spa’s experiences during the pandemic.
Read Thompson Derr’s first letter to his mother from Ridgefield School in 1916.
We are partnering with historian Jack Sanders to share bits of over 3,000 entries from his Ridgefield Encyclopedia.
Jerry Myers, chief of the Ridgefield Fire Department, shares the experiences of the Department’s first responders during the pandemic.
View Panel 11, The Struggle Continues: Beyond 1920 and a slideshow of graphic images from the Votes for Women exhibit.
In part two of this episode, Dr. Darla Shaw portrays Liz Leonard, the first female Selectman of Ridgefield.
We are partnering with historian Jack Sanders to share bits of over 3,000 entries from his Ridgefield Encyclopedia.
Brenda McKinley, Director of the Ridgefield Library, shares her organization’s experiences during the pandemic.
We are partnering with historian Jack Sanders to share bits of over 3,000 entries from his Ridgefield Encyclopedia.
In part one of this episode, Dr. Darla Shaw portrays Sarah Bishop, known as the hermitess of West Mountain. Sarah Bishop Road in Ridgefield is named after her.
Jack Sanders presents a timely and historical excerpt on racism in Ridgefield, portions of which have appeared in his book, Wicked Ridgefield, and on his Old Ridgefield Facebook group.
Ashley Vidmar, 10th and 12th grade English teacher at Ridgefield High School, shares her experience with teaching during the pandemic.
We are partnering with historian Jack Sanders to share bits of over 3,000 entries from his Ridgefield Encyclopedia.
In this episode, Dr. Darla Shaw portrays Miss Luce, a Ridgefield resident in the 1940s through 1960s who wore many hats in her lifetime.
View Panel 10, Ridgefield on the National Stage from the Votes for Women exhibit created by artist Bil Mikulewicz and researched by the League of Women Voters in Ridgefield and the Historical Society.
Emeritus state archaeologist Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni gives an update on the skeletal remains found in Ridgefield late last year and announces the significance of the Historical Society’s recent grant award from the National Park Service: American Battlefield Protection program!
Dean Miller, Chair of Ridgefield’s Meals on Wheels, shares his organization’s experiences during the pandemic.
In this episode, Dr. Darla Shaw portrays suffragist Elsie Hill, who lived just over the border in Redding.
View Panel 9, The Ridgefield Connection: The Town Responds from the Votes for Women exhibit created by artist Bil Mikulewicz and researched by the League of Women Voters in Ridgefield and the Historical Society.
Gerri Lewis, Public Information Officer for the Town of Ridgefield’s Office of Emergency Management, shares her experiences.
We are partnering with historian Jack Sanders to share bits of over 3,000 entries from his Ridgefield Encyclopedia.
First Selectman Rudy Marconi shares his experiences of having COVID-19 and being the leader of our town during this pandemic.
Sets of postcard scenes of “Old Ridgefield” by Jack Sanders are being offered for sale to benefit the Ridgefield Historical Society.
In part two of this episode, Dr. Darla Shaw talks about Mary Louise Olcott who lived at the northern end of Main Street.
This week view Panel 8, The Connecticut Movement, by artist Bil Mikulewicz and learn about the forming of the CT Woman Suffrage Association.
Read this essay by local historian Jack Sanders in which he compares today’s invisible virus to an equally invisible threat during World War II.
In part one of this episode, Dr. Darla Shaw portrays Laura Curie Allee Shields who lived on the southern end of Main Street.
In this episode, Dr. Darla Shaw will portray Cora Weir, youngest daughter of impressionist painter, J. Alden Weir.
Terry McManus gives part two of a two-part presentation about Anne S. Richardson and Anne’s Ridgefield estate and gardens.
This week view Panel 6, The National Movement: Two Different Roads and Panel 7, Great Change Must Expect Opposition by artist Bil Mikulewicz.
In this episode, Dr. Darla Shaw takes on the role of Anne S. Richardson, philanthropist and conservationist.
Terry McManus gives part one of a two-part presentation about Anne S. Richardson and Anne’s Ridgefield estate and gardens.
In this episode, Dr. Darla Shaw takes on the role of Mabel Cleves, an early education specialist.
Topics: The 1918 ‘Spanish flu’ in Ridgefield; Message from new Ridgefield Historical Society president Sara Champion
The African American suffrage movement, and folk music.
We speak with Terry McManus, archivist, historian, and creator of the beautifully illustrated A History of Ballard Greenhouse and the Garden and Conservation Trust.
This free smartphone app offers a pair of tours that highlight aspects of Ridgefield history.
In this clip, Walter talks about how music was provided for the silent movies in town hall and the daily route his mother took to get to the Danbury Music school.