Newtown Historical Society hosted an open house on Sunday, May 4, and a lecture titled “the Dred Scott Decision of 1857” on Sunday, April 27.

The lecture, held at C.H. Booth Library, was about the decision by the Supreme Court to not uphold African Americans’ rights as citizens of the United States of America. The decision was extremely controversial and added to the growing sectional tensions that ultimately led to the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln’s rise to power was propelled by this “use or abuse of power in the history of the United States Supreme Court.”

Mark Albertson, the historical research editor at Army Aviation magazine in Monroe, as well as serving as the historian for the “Army Aviation Association of America,” gave the presentation at the library. Albertson has taught several courses at the college level about WWI and WWII, the Vietnam War, and the French Revolution.

A few of the attendees remarked that Albertson is like “a walking encyclopedia of information,” and noted that the lecture was one of “the most fascinating” in recent times.

The Open House, held at the Matthew Curtis House, was an opportunity for residents to learn more about the home and Newtown Historical Society. The Matthew Curtis House was built around 1750 and purchased in 1781 by Matthew Curtis. He and his family lived in the house until 1824.

In 1970, Newtown Historical Society bought the house. The house is large at 2,361 square feet, but has a much smaller feeling due to the type of construction that was common in colonial days. The Historical Society maintains a large collection of items with historical significance and many of them are on display throughout the house. Docents are available during Open House and other programmatic events to provide tours of the house.

For more information about Newtown Historical Society and its many events, visit newtownhistory.org.