In the 1840 Presidential election, Thomas Cowles was the first man in Norfolk to openly cast a vote for James G. Birney, the nominee of the Abolitionists party.  Mr. Cowles was applauded somewhat vigorously by some of his fellow townsmen and friends, and this independent act caused much interest and discussion over the next twenty years.

A New Birth of Freedom, a quote from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, will explore Norfolk in the era leading up to the Civil War, and the men and families who joined the cause.

The Jump Chronicles How a Small Town and Its Local Hero Saved Ski Jumping Tradition

The Jump unveils the heart-warming tale of a remote Connecticut town’s improbable campaign to preserve its cherished ski jumping tradition in the first decade of the 21st century, helped by a local hero named Roy Sherwood who triumphed over polio to compete in the 1956 Winter Olympics.

The story unfolds in Salisbury, Connecticut, a cozy, snow-globe community of 4,000 nestled between New York and Massachusetts where the Appalachian Trail crosses. In the 1920s, Norwegian immigrants arrived, bringing with them a passion for ski jumping and other Nordic sports that quickly caught on in the region. In the 21st century, however, a decaying jump cobbled together decades earlier with telephone poles and lumber in the 1950s threatened to end a tradition that had evolved from flying off a simple hill ramp into a spectacle that drew thousands to the town to marvel at ski jumpers such as Sherwood soar on skis overhead.

An all-volunteer group named the Salisbury Winter Sports Association owned the jump and faced a critical decision when offered a chance to host a national championship contingent upon quickly replacing the tower: erect a new one at a cost of three quarters of a million dollars it didn’t have or reluctantly end the tradition of ski jumping that served as the town’s welcoming front porch for decades.

When the beloved Sherwood, a high school dropout who faced improbable odds of his own success decades earlier, declared unwavering support for a new jump during a community meeting, townspeople cheered. They would try and raise the money to fund construction.

The one-hour documentary showcases rare archival footage, photographs and interviews with local residents and Roy Sherwood about his life, career in ski jumping and support to keep the town’s tradition going. Sherwood was interviewed for the documentary in 2012, five years before he died at 85.

The Jump is produced, written and directed by Rich Hanley, whose documentaries include Remember When, The Flood of ‘55, The 1964 World’s Fair, UCONN Men’s Basketball: An Illustrated History, and Last Days of the Coliseum, among others. Brian Smith narrates.

Rich Hanley is a Professor Emeritus of Journalism at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. A graduate of the University of New Haven ’78 and Wesleyan University ‘93, Hanley served as a journalist for local, national and global media for 23 years in print, television and online before joining Quinnipiac as tenured professor in 2001. He has produced, written and directed several Emmy-nominated documentaries for CPTV and PBS.  Hanley oversaw graduate programs in journalism and interactive media for many years in addition to his teaching. He founded the university’s sports journalism graduate program in 2014. Hanley continues to teach the popular Story of Football class and other classes at Quinnipiac.

In 2007, Hanley received the Charter Oak Society Distinguished Faculty Member Award from Quinnipiac, and in 2017 he became the first-ever Frank H. Netter School of Medicine Outstanding Capstone Mentor for his work with a medical student in developing studies and training programs for youth hockey coaches to spot concussion symptoms in their players. In 2023,  Hanley received the Neilson Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is frequently interviewed by news media on the intersection of politics and technology, appearing in media outlets ranging from the New York Times to Variety to offer insights into the origins and distribution of disinformation through social media among other topics of vital interest to journalism.

A Decade of Decedent Desserts; Celebrating our Tenth Annual Cake Auction

Please join us for our 10th annual Cake Auction, Saturday December 7, 2024 at 5:30.  Signature cocktail and hors d’oeuvres prior to the live auction event at 6:00.  Auctioneer John Fernandez is sure to lead a lively round of bidding for confections made by some of Norfolk’s top bakers.  $25 per person at the door.  Hope to see you there!

Join Norfolk’s town historian, Richard Byrne, for a Walk to Stoney Lonesome — a Norfolk Land Trust site.   Richard will guide hikers to the other side of Route 44 and the old railroad tracks that used to run through West Norfolk. The railroad was built in Norfolk in 1871. It was not an easy task because of the steep grade and hilly terrain. The route from Norfolk to Canaan wound around Haystack and Bald Mountains, and then passed through a rocky gorge blasted from the hillside known as Stoney Lonesome. This was the site of a train wreck that occurred in March of 1882, and several years ago Richard found the pin which had been used to pull the train back onto the tracks from the embankment below. Find out more about the history of the railroad and the legendary train wreck on this hike.

Legend and the Legacy: Helen Hartley Jenkins and Michael Pupin

Neighbors, business partners and dear friends; Mrs Jenkins and Professor Pupin were well respected members of our local community and the larger world beyond, they made many significant contributions to both.  The Terraces one of Mrs. Jenkins three Norfolk residences, located across the street from Prof. Pupin’s vast Norfolk Estate, will be the site of this Historic House Dinner.  Ann Havemeyer, our curator, will present a fascinating program highlighting the lifeworks and details of this unique friendship.  Hosted by George Cronin the evening will also include cocktails, and a Serbian themed dinner.  Space is limited so sign up early!

 

Attention all active members of the Norfolk Historical Society, please join us on Friday June 21, 4:30 PM for a brief Annual Meeting followed by an opening reception of the 2024 exhibition A Haven of Happiness: Inventor Michael Pupin in Norfolk.  The museum will now be open Saturday and Sunday 1:00 to 4:00 through October 13, 2024

Please join us for our 9th annual Cake Auction, Saturday December 2, 2023 at 5:30.  Signature cocktail and hors d’oeuvres prior to the live auction event at 6:00.  Auctioneer Grady Cooley is sure to lead a lively round of bidding for confections made by some of Norfolk’s top bakers.  $25 per person at the door.  Hope to see you there!

In the 1970’s the Yale Summer Art program was in full swing.  Faculty and Fellows spent eight weeks working in various media with a continuous stream of visiting artists and working to create a portfolio that each participant would take home.  Artist Sarah Sutro attend the Yale art program in the summer of 1971, In the winter of 2019 she donated her portfolio to the Norfolk Historical Society.  This gift, which is on display in our current exhibition Shedding Light: 200 Years of Art & Music in Norfolk  was the inspiration for this video interview.  

Norfolk Historical Society Annual Members meeting will be held on 2/12/2023 at the Norfolk Library at 2:00.  Following a brief meeting we will present the following program.

Register here for the Zoom link instructions https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PMEozWAYTgyywcCGAmsctQ

Please join us for our 8th annual Cake Auction, Saturday December 10, 2023 at 5:30.  Signature cocktail and hors d’oeuvres prior to the live auction event at 6:00.  Auctioneers Betsy Gill and John Fernandez are sure to lead a lively round of bidding for confections made by some of Norfolk’s top bakers.  $25 per person at the door.