Submitted by Claudette Lagasse
(January 24, 2023) — The Killingworth Historical Society was recently awarded a $5,600 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant from CT Humanities (CTH). CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants assist organizations as they recover from the pandemic and maintain and grow their ability to serve their community and the public. The grant money will be used to:
Grow and improve accessibility to our archives by uploading archived items to the online CT Collections website.
Increase public outreach by communicating with members on when we are sponsoring speakers, have an open house, a pop-up museum, when assistance is needed for cemetery maintenance as well as fundraising events.
Insure proper storage techniques and preservation for the textiles in our collection.
Address the proper air circulation for preservation of our artifacts in a climate-controlled environment.
Killingworth Historical Society was one of 725 organizations in Connecticut receiving a CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant. Totaling more than $8.5M, these grants are part of a two-year, $30.7M investment in arts, humanities, and cultural nonprofits by the Connecticut General Assembly and approved by Governor Ned Lamont. The CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant is provided to the Killingworth Historical Society from CT Humanities with funding from the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.
The purpose of the Killingworth Historical Society shall be to bring together those persons interested in the history of Killingworth and in the collection and preservation of all material which may help establish or illustrate all facts pertaining to this history.
Our mission and function are to collect material which may illustrate the history of the area, its settlement, activities in peace and war, progress in population, education, arts, science, agriculture, manufacturer, trade, and transportation. It collects all printed material pertaining to the area plus pictures, photographs/portraits, paintings, and material objects illustrative of life, conditions, events, and activities of the past and present. It strives to provide the preservation of such material and its accessibility to all who wish to examine or study it. The society also undertakes the preservation of historic buildings, monuments, and markers.
These funds will help us to continue to expand our visibility in the community through multiple platforms. They include not only displays at our Parmelee Farm campus, but public speakers, and our popular ‘Pop-up’ Museums for kids. There is also the ongoing effort to preserve and archive our growing collections.
About Connecticut Humanities: CT Humanities 9CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.
About Connecticut Office of the Arts: The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is the state agency charged with fostering the health of Connecticut’s creative economy. Part of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the COA is funded by the State of Connecticut and the National Endowment for the Arts.
