Two New Exhibits @ Litchfield Historical Society

The Litchfield Historical Society, located on 7 South Street in Litchfield has curated two exhibitions that will run through November 25, 2018.  

The major exhibit this year is By the Virtue of its Citizens: Educating a New Nation at Sarah Pierce's Academy.  The exhibition explores the innovative educational philosophy of the school's founder, Sarah Pierce, and its influence on later social and educational reforms. It also investigates the lively social and intellectual community created by the Litchfield Female Academy and the Litchfield Law School.

Items from the Litchfield Historical Society's extensive collection of artifacts and archives from the Litchfield Female Academy will be on display, as well as several ornamental arts pieces on loan from regional institutions.
Also featured is the Litchfield Historical Society's newest acquisition: a portrait miniature of a young Miss Sarah Pierce!


The second exhibition is titled 

To Weep with Those Who Weep: 

Mourning Practices in Litchfield.  Mourning practices of the 19th century were largely affected by the death of George Washington, with an increase in memorializing the dead. The exhibit documents the tangible and intangible manifestations of loss in Litchfield and the surrounding area. 

Stories of loss within the community form the basis of the exhibit, highlighting correspondence sharing condolences, discussing funerals, and reflecting on life and death. The exhibit will also touch upon reactions of Litchfield Female Academy students to death. Artwork portraying those in mourning and those being mourned will be on display, as well as poems written for those who died and objects created in their memory.