Connecticut Historical Society Partners With

Old State House, Museum Of Connecticut History

HARTFORD — Governor John G. Rowland announced on September 26 that The Connecticut Historical Society (CHS), the Old State House Association (OSHA), and the State Library/Museum of Connecticut History will join forces to strengthen tourism in Greater Hartford and Connecticut. CHS will assume management of the Old State House and will collaborate with the State Library/Museum of Connecticut History to develop new exhibitions for the historic downtown landmark.

While the three entities will join forces to strengthen tourism, CHS – a private non-profit museum – will assume management of the Old State House. While both institutions will remain independent, not-for-profit corporations, the collaboration will, in Governor Rowland’s words, “set the stage for other such partnerships that can only increase heritage tourism and strengthen our state’s economy.”

Governor Rowland provided pivotal leadership and financial assistance in brokering the collaboration. He has allocated a total of $3 million in state Urban Act Funds to support physical alterations at the Old State House, exhibition development, and to maintain operations. The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is also providing substantial support for the collaborative effort in the form of a $350,000 grant to help with transitional expenses and to support new program development.

The City of Hartford, which also played an important role in brokering the partnership, provides the OSH with a yearly operating subsidy. CHS plans to raise $1 million in the immediate future to complete the funding package to develop dynamic, new exhibitions and programs at the historic downtown landmark.

The CHS/OSH partnership will complement the CHS’s plans to create a new Connecticut History Center.

“Given our new involvement with the Old State House and the Museum of Connecticut History in downtown Hartford, the CHS has decided to reconsider the site of the proposed Connecticut History Center,” said David Kahn, Executive Director of CHS. “The Connecticut History Center will focus on the history of the entire state while exhibits at the Old State House will explore the story of the site, as well as its importance in the development of state government and Connecticut’s capital city.

“In fact, we anticipate that together the combined CHS/OSH will eventually serve 30,000 to 35,000 school children each year, making it one of the larger, if not the largest, provider of cultural enrichment programs for students in Greater Hartford.

“Over the past quarter of a century, The Old State House Association has done a remarkable job of preserving and interpreting downtown’s greatest icon. Our new partnership represents a wonderful opportunity for the OSH to continue to grow in the years to come.

“CHS’s vast collections, along with the State Library/Museum of Connecticut History’s significant holdings, will be combined with the OSH’s central location and tremendous visibility to enhance the downtown experience while bolstering heritage tourism in our region,” Mr Kahn continued.

The centerpiece of CHS’ plans for the Old State House will be the creation of a 6,800-square-foot interactive exhibition to debut in 2005 in conjunction with the completion of the initial phase of work at Adriaen’s Landing. The state-of-the-art exhibition will celebrate the history of the Old State House and Hartford and will include artifacts from both the Connecticut Historical Society and the State Library/Museum of Connecticut History collections

Once implemented, the 120,000 square foot Connecticut History Center will eventually include at least 35,000 square feet of exhibition space – five times the amount of display space currently available at OSH. The Connecticut History Center will focus on the history of the entire state, while exhibits at the Old State House will explore the story of the site, as well as its importance in the development of state government and Connecticut’s capital city.