Imagine the Past, Explore the Future

Halloween on the Green

The date is set for Fairfield’s most spirited annual family event, Halloween on the Green!

Families are invited to come in costume to the Museum Commons behind the Fairfield Museum & History Center (370 Beach Road) on Sunday, October 27 at noon for a day of free, fantastic fun! This family event, presented by the Fairfield Museum and the Town of Fairfield, will feature trick-or-treating, giveaways, performances, parades, food trucks, bounce houses, games, crafts, activities and more! Elaborate Halloween displays will be set up in the historic buildings on the Museum Commons (Kids’ Cottage, Sun Tavern and Old Academy Schoolhouse) and the entire area will be transformed into an enchanting Halloween village.

Legends and Hauntings Tour

Get chilled to the bone listening to haunting legends, superstitions, and local folklore as night descends. Did body snatching happen in the cemetery? Are there ghosts in Sun Tavern? Did witches really live here? Find out tonight! Attendees are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes! Please register early, as this popular event does fill up quickly. Please bring a flashlight!

 

History Bites: A History of the American House Part II with John Milnes Baker

John Milnes Baker, AIA, architect and author, will be presenting the much anticipated PART II of “A History of the American House”. The program begins in the age of Jackson and covers through to the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

 

Extended Lunchtime Chat: 12pm-2pm
Members: Free; Non-Members: $5 suggested donation.

 

 

 

 

Architectural movements this lecture will cover:

A    AMERICA COMES of AGE 1835-1876

1835-1876 From Irving’s Sunnyside to the Centennial Celebration

PICTURESQUE ERA
a) Gothic Revival 1840-19 60
b) Swiss Cottage 1840-1860
c) Italian Villa 1845-1870
d) Italianate 1845-1875
e) Italian Renaissance Revival 1845-1860
f) Exotic Eclectic 1850-1875
g) Second Empire 1960-1880
h) Stick 1855-1875
i) Queen Anne 1880-1910

B THE AGE OF EXPANSION 1876-1929

1876-1929 Centennial Celebration to the stock market crash of 1929

1876-1929 REMINISCENT STYLES

a) Early Colonial Revival 1885-1915
b) Dutch Colonial 1890-1930
c) Elizabethan 1910-1940
d) Spanish Mission 1890-1920
e) Pueblo 1900-1920
f) Spanish Colonial Revival 1915-1940
g) Monterey 1925-1855
h) French Rural 1915-1940

1880-1929 PALATIAL PALACES

a) Romanesque 1880-1800
b) Chateauesque 1885-1910
c) Beaux Arts 1890-1930
d) Tudor 1890-1930
e) 2nd Italian Renaissance Revival 1895-1930
f) Neoclassical Revival 1895-1950-

 

History Bites: American Lighthouses and the Restoration of Fayerweather Light with Jeremy D’Entremont

Jeremy D’Entremont is the historian and president of the American Lighthouse Foundation, the founder and chairman of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is also the host of the podcast “Light Hearted” for the U.S. Lighthouse Society and has appeared on numerous national TV and radio programs discussing lighthouse history. His presentations always highlight the rich human history of lighthouses, focusing on the fascinating lives of lighthouse keepers and their families.

Jeremy’s talk will feature highlights from the history of these lighthouses in the Bridgeport area: Black Rock Harbor (Fayerweather Island) Light, Penfield Reef Light, Tongue Point Light, and the now lost Bridgeport Harbor Light. All of these light stations have interesting personalities attached to them, and Jeremy will tell their stories with the help of old and new photos from various archives and his personal collection.

Presented with Black Rock 375.

Members: Free; Non-Members: $5 suggested donation. Please bring a bagged lunch. Beverages and dessert will be provided.

Famous Families of Fairfield Historical Bike Tour

Fairfield residents are invited to join the Famous Families of Fairfield historic bike ride on Sunday, September 22 at 1:00PM. Hosted by the Fairfield Museum & History Center and the Fairfield Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, the tour will visit various points of interest and recount the stories of important families from Fairfield’s long history, many of whose names are still well documented on the streets and buildings of the town.

“A bike tour provides a great way to access many of the spots where we want to show people how the names of prominent citizens from Fairfield’s past are still part of our daily lives,” said Walter D. Matis, Program Volunteer Coordinator for the Fairfield Museum, who will narrate the tour.

Tour participants will learn about Rodger Ludlowe, Mabel Osgood Wright, the Ogden family, the Jennings family, the Perry family, the Wakeman family, the Osborn family, and the Burr family, all of whom made important contributions to the town and whose names are memorialized at locations all around Fairfield.

Bike tour group members will start the ride on the Green in front of Town Hall. The ride will go past the the Fairfield Public library, the Birdcraft Museum, Roger Ludlowe Middle School and Fairfield Ludlowe High School. Then the group will stop at the Odgen House, Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, Southport Harbor and end at the Burr Mansion on the Old Post Road.

The cycling tour will cover approximately five miles, starting and ending at Town Hall. Bicycle tour participants are required to wear helmets and the group is limited to the first 25 people who sign up in advance.  Children 13 and older can be part of the tour but must be accompanied by a parent.

 

Executive Privilege – Its History of Use and Abuse

Presented by the Fairfield League of Women Voters

Although nowhere cited in the U.S. Constitution, presidents from George Washington on have asserted the claim now called “executive privilege” to resist efforts of Congress, the courts and the public to secure internal documents about their administrations. Is such a use of executive privilege a legitimate presidential power? Does it hold under definitive cases like U.S. v. Nixon? This presentation will explore the history behind this question, identifying the legal basis for executive privilege and tracing political controversy that has long surrounded it, including today.

Speaker: Donald W. Rogers, Ph.D., U.S. History. Specialized background in U.S. legal-constitutional history. Retired adjunct lecturer in history, CCSU, HCC and UB. Past president of the Connecticut Coalition for History, Boards of Civics First of Connecticut and the Connecticut Supreme Court Historical Society.

Make Your Mark: Closing Reception

 

Join us for a Friday the 13th Happy Hour with live painting by John Paul O’Grodnick and complimentary refreshments. The last chance to see this exhibition before it closes. 

How do you leave your mark on your community? On walls, on objects, on the human body, on paper…what does it mean to stamp your label, leave a paint stroke, sign your name, or sew a stitch? This exhibition explores how people – whether quilters, silversmiths, street artists or painters – leave their creative marks on their communities. From graffiti and tattoo artists, to quilters and silversmiths, people demonstrate and use their talents to serve and connect, show pride, and to leave a personal and lasting impression. Featuring local artists, including vibrant street muralist John Paul O’Grodnick, Bridgeport’s Liz Squillace (whose public art reaches new heights!) and of Three Roses tattoo studio, Frankie Frieri.

Jazz Fridays: Chris Coogan Quartet

Chris Coogan has spent a lifetime astounding audiences with his jazz and gospel music.   The N.Y Times calls him “a masterful pianist”.  Winner of the John Lennon song Writing Competition, he has recorded 8 CDS featuring his original jazz and gospel music.  He has performed at Manhattan’s Blue Note and Montreaux Jazz Festival and shared the spotlight with musical legends Bette Midler, Donna Summer, Paul Shaffer, Stevie Van Zant, Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love, Mavis Staples, Phoebe Snow and Lesley Gore.  Chris has entertained Bill and Hillary Clinton, Paul Newman, Martha Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg.  His TV credits include Celebrity Jeopardy, the Arsenio Hall show, a PBS documentary on evangelist Amy Semple McPherson, BBC America’s series “Copper” and four national spots for The Humane society.  As a gospel artist, Chris has performed with Take 6, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Maya Angelou and Richard Smallwood.  As a writer/arranger Chris founded and directs the good news Gospel Choir.  He performs regularly at churches, festivals and fundraisers.  Most weekdays you will find Chris teaching Jazz piano and gigging with his quintet.  “I see myself as a catalyst who uses the medium of music to bring people together.”

 

Piano: Chris Coogan

Trumpet: Rex Denton

Bass: John Mobilio

Drums: Jim Royle

 

This concert series on the Fairfield Museum patio features the best talented regional jazz artists and ensembles!

Bring your own chair or blanket. The concerts will take place rain or shine. In case of inclement weather, the performances will move indoors.

 

Jazz Fridays is generously sponsored by Bank of America, the Connecticut Office of the Arts, with thanks to Alan and Sylvia Neigher and WPKN.

 

Jazz Fridays: Jen Durkin and her jazz ensemble comprised of members of her band “The Business”

Jen Durkin is a Fairfield-based vocalist who got her start attending Berklee College of Music. She then moved to New York City, where she studied a broad range of musical styles, from gospel, jazz, blues and funk.  

This concert series on the Fairfield Museum patio features the best talented regional jazz artists and ensembles! Bring your own chair or blanket. The concerts will take place rain or shine. In case of inclement weather, the performances will move indoors. Jazz Fridays is generously sponsored by Bank of America, the Connecticut Office of the Arts, with thanks to Alan and Sylvia Neigher and WPKN.  

Brooklawn: A Walk in the Park – Opening Reception       

The Brooklawn neighborhood developed as an outgrowth of Bridgeport’s industrial revolution, providing a specially designed enclave for the booming city’s business leaders. Enjoy photographer Ari Burling’s luminous early morning photographs of the Brooklawn neighborhood and its unique landscape and architecture. Historical vignettes of the home’s original owners and their businesses will be featured alongside objects from the Museum’s collections. Burling will open the reception with remarks about his photographs, and Fairfield Museum’s Curator of Exhibitions Laurie Lamarre will speak on Brooklawn’s history. 

Museum Hours: Open Daily: 10am - 4pm
Library Hours: Wed-Fri: 10am - 4pm;
Sat: 12 noon - 4pm

370 Beach Road Fairfield, CT 06824
(203) 259-1598