The Hebron Historical Society

Rev. George C. Shepard
Portrait by Reuben RowleyMrs. Sally Shepard
Portrait by Reuben Rowley

Thursday, May 16, 2019
Douglas Library
7:00 pm
Reception to follow in Old Town Hall
Free and Open to All

Hebron Resident, Kevin Tulimieri, 17th–19th Century Furnishings & Art Specialist at Liverant Antiques, will bring and speak about the large 1828 portraits of St. Peter’s rector and his wife, the Rev. and Mrs. George Champlin Shepard. The portraits were painted by Reuben Rowley, a cousin of Hebron’s many early Rowleys.

Tulimieri will also talk about Federal furnishings built by Hebron Cabinetmakers, William Pitt Gilbert and John Graves. The lathe and workbench used by these craftsmen, along with pieces of their furniture, can be admired in Old Town Hall.

Photo: Walter Woodward, CT Explored

What Have YOU Found on Your Property?

How old is the pottery fragment seen above? It is probably from the 17th century, but we should ask an archaeologist for confirmation. Dr. Brian Jones, CT State Archaeologist, has supervised digs in several of the state’s oldest Connecticut River towns. He has found tools, pottery, musket balls and foundations of long lost buildings.

On Thursday, April 18th, 7:00, Old Town Hall, the Hebron Historical Society is pleased to bring Dr. Brian Jones to Hebron. He will present a program entitled “Connecticut’s Earliest European Settlers: Recent Finds from Glastonbury and Windsor”. Dr. Jones’ lecture, accompanied by photos, will take us to some excavations to learn what exploration uncovered about Connecticut’s earliest European settlers.

Appointed State Archaeologist in 2014, Jones has worked in the anthropology and archaeology field for about 30 years. Much of his time has been spent researching the exploration of Native American cultures, particularly for the Mashantucket-Pequot Reservation. Dr. Jones serves as a UConn professor and works closely with the Museum of Natural History and Archaeology at the University of Connecticut.

With the help of always advancing radar-based surveys, Jones has also done some research in Hebron. To determine possible locations of unmarked graves, he supervised the use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) at Hebron’s Old Cemetery on Wall Street.

Bring your imagination and questions to Old Town Hall on Thursday, April 18th, 7:00. The program is free and open to the public, although donations are always appreciated. 

Less than a day after Anne Ives passed away, this double rainbow appeared over Old Town Hall!

Click here for more about Anne Ives.

Cropping of Quilt from Earlier HHS Show photo: RL Huntington

The Hebron Historical Society hopes to find you in the center of Hebron at Maple Fest 2019 the weekend of March 16-17. Stop by between 10:00 – 4:00 both days. The Old Town Hall will be filled with quilts and gift baskets. Outside can be found our special once-a-year Maple Milk, both icy cold and pleasingly warm. Some 2-legged cows will be wandering around Hebron Green directing you to the Old Town Hall where you can find the Maple Milk, tasty Maple Baked Beans and Maple Cookies – everything made with Hebron Maple Syrup. There will be something for everyone.

The 30th Annual Quilt Show will feature a nice variety of quilts. Local quilters and quilt aficionados have graciously loaned quilts, both new and old, and yours could be among them. Contact Mary-Ellen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.

For those who are admirers of the skill required to construct a quilt; who love the contrast of colors, the varied types of material, and the fascinating designs found in quilts, this Quilt Show is for you. As a special exhibit for our 30th-anniversary show, we will have old sewing machines and quilting tools on display.

The year 2016 brought a different organization to the Hebron Maple Fest. The Windham Chamber of Commerce was in charge, and Hebron Maple Beans were the new attraction. The Quilt Show had new display racks which provided cubbies where visitors could either stop to study the quilts, or step into while getting out of traffic and visiting with friends. The weather was good, and cows were in abundance on the Town Green. A mixture of music was played in OTH while folks filled out tickets for the many and varied Tea Cup Auction baskets. Check out the photos for visual memories of the weekend.