Salmon Brook Historical Society
New this summer at the Wilcox House
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First the loom, now the hearth: ready for action
Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/category/history/page/2/)
First the loom, now the hearth: ready for action
The Consolidated School and Getting to know Jean Potetz
Here we are at the culmination of our five-part series. We started with Granby’s Congregational church life and added the Connecticut River Valley’s Great Awakening, plus the church’s harsh response. This awakening moved to the Southern colonies, resulting in yet harsher persecution by the Episcopal Church of Virginia. Madison and Jefferson were instrumental in the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776, but how did their religious freedom idea get to be the First Amendment to the Constitution in 1789, 13 years later?
For decades, the Cooley Schoolhouse sat quietly on the Clark family property, a relic of a bygone era when one-room schoolhouses were the heart of local education. Weathered by time in history, the building had a second chance. That chance came on August 26, 1980, when a determined community effort brought the schoolhouse to its new home at the Salmon Brook Historical Society, ensuring its legacy would live on.
In part three, we saw that Connecticut’s harsh response to the religious Awakening drove New Lights south for continued revival in those colonies. Back in Granby, a decade of contention by two independent God-fearing sides ended in peace under the guidance of a new pastor, Joseph Strong.
Many individuals have spent their entire lives in Granby contributing to the town’s growth and community spirit. One such was Merrill W. Clark, a dedicated town resident whose legacy of hard work and service left a lasting impact on Granby.
Fifty years ago, an extraordinary achievement took place in Granby when the Salmon Brook Historical Society successfully moved the Weed-Enders House seven miles from its original location in West Granby to the society’s grounds. Built in 1790, the Weed-Enders House is one of the oldest homes in the area, and its relocation remains a remarkable feat in local history.
The Salmon Brook Historical Society invites the community to a special photo shoot on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain date Nov. 10), at the Wilcox House on Simsbury Road in West Granby.
In Part three of this five-part religious history series, we’ll see the responses to the Great Awakening by the Connecticut colony and by certain New Lights leaving and going South.
E. B. Goddard, a man who wore many hats; Fundraiser photo shoot planned for Nov. 9; Don’t miss taking “A Stroll through Granby History!”