Newtown Historical Society will open its 2026-27 season with two consecutive weekends encompassing three free public events. Admission is free to all events, with donations to Newtown Historical Society gratefully accepted.

All are invited to enjoy “Paul’s Revere’s Famous Ride” on Sunday, September 20, at 2 pm. It will be presented in the meeting room of C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street.

Most adult Americans know about this famous ride which was so important in the Revolutionary War. Much of what many people know about Revere and his famous ride of April 18, 1775 comes from the equally famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Nathan Rumney will discuss that and more on Sunday, beginning with a dramatic reading of the legendary poem before continuing with a presentation on the man Revere became.

The oldest living son of nine children, when Revere’s French Huguenot father died he was only 19 and had to care for his mother and his siblings. Quite quickly he became a gifted gold and silversmith, much in demand for his work. He also was known as an engraver and later founded a hardware store.

Revere worked very hard all his life, possibly because he had 16 children to support — eight with his first wife, Sarah Orme, and eight more with his second, Rachel Walker — in addition to his younger brothers and sisters.

Even before the night ride Revere was active in the patriot cause, having joined the Sons of Liberty and participating in the Boston Tea Party. He later became a courier for the Committees of Correspondence.

Rumney will trace the events that led up to this famous event. Concluding his talk will be a discussion of the poem and which parts were factual and which were fabricated.

A member of Dirty Blue Shirts, a group that provides museum-quality living history programs in New England and beyond, Rumney is an actor, director, playwright, and producer with over 70 theatrical productions under his belt over the course of his nearly two decades in the field. His inherent penchant for the natural sciences, love of mythology, and plunges into philosophy have greatly influenced his previous and current roles in portraying living history.

He derives his greatest joy from bringing education and entertainment together for the enjoyment and benefit of audiences of all ages.

'Community Storytelling Event' Panelists Added

The historical society will then present "Voices From the One-Room Schoolhouse: A Community Storytelling Event" on Saturday, September 26, from 1-2:30 pm. It will be held at Middle Gate Elementary School, 7 Cold Spring Road.

The event is free, however, donations are encouraged.

In the 1940s, several one room schoolhouses were reopened due to overcrowding. Attendees will get a chance to meet five alumni of these schoolhouses and get a chance to ask them about their experiences.

Margaret “Peg” (nee Sherman) Forbell and Gloria Ricco, who both attended Flat Swamp School, and Evelyn “Evie” (Weber) Watts, who attended Land’s End School, were the first three local residents to accept the invitation to be on the panel.

Organizers have subsequently announced the addition of Charles Ferris, who also attended Flat Swamp School, and Mabel (Burr) Philips, who attended Huntingtown School, who have both joined the panel.

Historical Society Marketing & Volunteer Engagement Recruiter Barbara Wilson will moderate the panel.

Town Historian Ben Cruson will open the program with information concerning the reopening of some of the town’s one-room schoolhouses. Several of Newtown’s one-room locations reopened in the 1940s due to overcrowding.

There will also be a short “Then and Now” slideshow showcasing many of Newtown's one-room schoolhouses. Wilson has been researching and finding archival images for the Then portion of the slideshow, and creating the Now images while traveling around town with Watts.

There will also be time for public interaction. Wilson and the others are hoping people of all ages will attend, and ask questions during the rare opportunity.

Reservations are not needed for “Voices From the One-Room Schoolhouse: A Community Storytelling Event.”

One-Room Schoolhouse Open House

Then, on Sunday,September 27, Newtown Historical Society will open the doors to its own one-room schoolhouse, the circa 1850 building at 7 Cold Spring Road, from noon until 3 pm.

Located on the front lawn of Middle Gate Elementary School, the building is owned and maintained by the historical society. It replaced the original schoolhouse built in 1783 that served the Bear Hills School District. The building originally stood on the north side of Toll Gate Hill, near the Newtown-Monroe town line.

The building was donated to Newtown Historical Society in 1973, under the provision that it be moved from its original site.

Guests on Sunday, September 27 will be invited to take in a 19th Century educational experience. A docent will conduct a lesson on subjects taught in the 1800s. Visitors will also be invited to enjoy apple cider and outdoor games common to the time period.

Admission is free to all events, although donations to support Newtown Historical Society's ongoing preservation efforts are gratefully welcomed.

For more information about any of these events or Newtown Historical Society, visit newtownhistory.org, call 203-426-5937, or e-mail info@newtownhistory.org.