Windsor's Full Story Told in New History Exhibition

The Windsor Historical Society opened a new permanent exhibition titled "Windsor:  Bridging Centuries, Bridging Cultures" Tuesday night.  Showcasing 400 years of Windsor history, this display tells the stories of all the people who have made Windsor the unique place that it is.

"There was a great interest in personal Windsor stories," said exhibit coordinator and curator Erin Stevic. "Windsor's story is all about being in an important location," she said.

Windsor, located between what would become Springfield and Hartford, was settled on an essential waterway that provided a location for vital commerce. The two-gallery display leads visitors through the settling of Windsor, the vocations which were once found here, the importance of the Connecticut River and the transition to farming and industry.

The attendees at the exhibition's opening reception noticed the spacious arrangement of the displays. "We have created a space where classes can sit," said Stevic, who did a lot of the work for the exhibit from her new home in Ohio. "But, for me, the interactive parts of the exhibit are going to be great for students of all ages," she commented.

"This is a true Windsor history, not just the English men's history," said Christina Vida, Curator of Collections and Interpretation.  The display illuminates the Native Americans who were living on the land when the settlers came, the Irish immigrants who came later to work the land and the issue of slavery within Windsor's boundaries.

For Christine Ermenc, Executive Director, the grand opening of this new exhibit is a culmination of a massive amount of work on the parts of a handful of her employees. "There is a lot of responsibility to portray different points of view," she said, adding that after two brainstorming days she and her team had come up with 25 potential ideas for new exhibits. After surveying the community and narrowing it down to seven solid ideas, Ermenc said Stevic got to work, figuring out how to make a "complex story understandable."

"The new exhibit tells you not only what was here, but also what brought them here," said Stevic.

Some important sponsors for this exhibit include Windsor Federal Savings, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the Connecticut Humanities Council and Rabbett Insurance Agency.

The Windsor Historical Society is located at 96 Palisado Avenue in Windsor. They are open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.