For 44 years the Ledyard Historical Society has worked to help preserve and bring to light the rich tradition and historical importance of Ledyard and Gales Ferry. And largely due to this unwavering commitment, Ledyard is unique among its Connecticut counterparts as it is the only town in the state that owns and oversees its historic district, which includes the Nathan Lester House and the water powered Up-Down Sawmill.
Though both of these buildings and grounds are overseen by the Ledyard Historic District Commission, the historical society takes on some roles in the care of many of Ledyard’s historic sites.
First the members of the Ledyard Historical Society help to gather and maintain a large collection of historic papers, including old maps, genealogies, diaries, family papers, photos, and land records, which are all kept in the historical research room at the Bill Library. In addition to gathering materials, historical society members have published a number of books, including Historic Ledyard, vols. I-V, History of Ledyard, Historic Ledyard: The Bluff, and September 5, 1781, North Groton’s Story.
Ledyard Historical Society President Ellen Fossum described the other functions of the society.
“The historical society has worked hard to gather all the materials that we have for the research room, and Jan Bell has been great in recruiting people to help and training them in how to use the room,” Fossum explained. “We also maintain the Gales Ferry One-Room Schoolhouse on Hurlbutt Road and are responsible for all of the furnishings and items inside the Nathan Lester House and out in the barn. And we host numerous school groups that come to visit the sites.”
In the past year the historical society has experienced a number of benchmarks, including the public opening and official naming of the Janice W. Bell Historical Research Room at the Bill Library; the opening of a newly assembled and fully furnished historical bed chamber complete with a rope bed in the Nathan Lester House along with a new glass display case with various small antiques and historic documents; and the shooting of a short film, The Curse of Micah Rood, on the premises of the Nathan Lester House. In addition, the Stonington Historical Society recently donated a number of colonial-era artifacts to the Ledyard Historical Society, including two large harness floor looms with original beams and brake still intact, which are thought to date back to the late 1700s. The looms are on display on the top floor of the Nathan Lester House.
With a very successful year gone past, the historical society anticipates another stellar year to come, which will start with their annual meeting and potluck dinner. The event will take place on Friday, May 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cy Anderson Fellowship Hall in the Ledyard Congregational Church and will feature a variety of home-cooked foods and desserts, a special guest speaker, and a silent auction.
Speaking will be noted antiques expert Lewis Scranton. Scranton has been a highly regarded antiques dealer for more than 40 years and has shown his pieces at premiere antiques shows throughout New England and New York.
“Lewis Scranton is very well-known for his knowledge of antiques,” Fossum explained. “So it’s a pretty big deal that he’s coming to speak and we’re all very excited to have him.”
Scranton will focus on paint-decorated tinware and supplement his talk with some pieces from his own collection. Those who attend are also encouraged to bring in their own painted tinware to show Scranton. After the presentation, several pieces of hand-painted tinware created by Sylvia Bixler in the 1950s will go up for silent auction.
American paint-decorated tinware had its origins in New England in the mid- to late 1700s. Taking the form of various useful household items such as trays, pans, pots, boxes, and canisters, the decorative pieces became a must-have item for any respectable household in the 1800s. Because of the demand, tinware shops became highly profitable businesses, with one of the most well-known and successful shops located in Berlin, Conn.
While this American craft slowly waned in popularity after its “classic period” during the mid-1800s, paint-decorated tinware became sought after by antique collectors in the mid-1900s and continues to be in demand with certain pieces valued at thousands of dollars. In addition to becoming a highly valued item, post-producing pieces became very popular in the 1950s and ’60s.
One 1950s tinware artisan was Sylvia Bixler of Ledyard. Bixler was an important figure in Ledyard throughout her life and a civic leader from the 1950s to 1970s. Bixler represented Ledyard in the Connecticut General Assembly from 1961 to 1965 and was the first president of the Ledyard Historical Society when it was founded in 1964. Among other achievements, Bixler was the principal force behind Ledyard acquiring the Nathan Lester House and grounds in 1967 and chaired the Historic District Commission that was created to oversee the property. Those pieces of Bixler’s work that are not being auctioned will remain on display at the Nathan Lester House, which will open for the season on Memorial Day from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Other events the historical society has planned for the coming year is an old-fashioned Fourth of July cookout and barbecue on the grounds of the Nathan Lester House, which will be open to the public. The society also plans to create an official Ledyard Historical Society Web site.
For more information on any events or services offered by the Ledyard Historical Society, contact either the Bill Library at 464-9912 or the Gales Ferry Library at 464-6943.