As the steward of Bush-Holley Historic Site, the town’s only National Historic Landmark, the Historical Society serves the community as a multi-disciplinary educational resource and represents the commitment of the people of Greenwich to preserve the history of Greenwich and the nation’s heritage. 

As a nonprofit institution, the Historical Society relies on the generosity of its friends and supporters to meet the costs of providing unique exhibitions, valuable education programs and events, and for the stewardship of Bush-Holley Historic Site.  Members and friends have the opportunity to provide direct support to the Historical Society through membership, annual giving, and our annual fundraiser Antiquarius.  We welcome your involvement.  

Click here to see Board Chair Susan Larkin’s OpEd piece in the Greenwich Time, dated February 19, 2010.

OPED to Greenwich Time by Susan G. Larkin, Ph.D Chairman of the Board
January 7, 2010

The Historical Society’s Claim to Town Support

A recent front-page article in this newspaper urged deliberation by the Town’s leadership in allocating the Town's limited resources. The Greenwich Historical Society is in complete accord with that advice. But in noting that other worthy causes may present competing claims for support, the writer failed to recognize the unique role the Historical Society plays in our town and the reasons its contributions should be recognized in the next budget cycle.

The Greenwich Historical Society is responsible for the preservation and operation of the Bush-Holley House—the only National Historic Landmark in Greenwich.  The Old House, as it was known in the early twentieth century, inspired paintings that hang today in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery, the White House, and other major museums across the country.  This venerable structure, its grounds and dependencies, is the venue for countless events that enrich the lives of our town's residents. 
The statistics may surprise you.  Every year, nearly 20,000 people participate in Greenwich Historical Society programs, on- and off-site.  Four thousand Greenwich students were enrolled in the Historical Society’s education programs last year; another 5,000 participated in after-school and family programs.  Approximately 9,000 students attended exhibitions, tours and lectures, while 1,300 adults used the Historical Society’s library and archives.  Our collections support Greenwich High School’s Advanced Placement American history classes and the Greenwich High School/Yale University summer institute for the study of the abolition of slavery.  In 2008, the Historical Society, in collaboration with Colonial Williamsburg Teacher’s Institute, hosted a conference for 40 teachers from Greenwich public schools.  The Historical Society, which is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums, also advocates for preservation of buildings having architectural or historical significance.  Through its Landmarks program, the Society has designated and plaqued more than 260 homes.  Focused but not parochial, we use Greenwich history to illuminate the American experience.

The Historical Society’s archives serve as a repository for the Town of Greenwich and consolidate in one publicly accessible place field cards, tax assessor records, street cards, census listings, minutes of various committees, plot plans, survey maps, land records, probate records, and personal property assessments.  The archives include Greenwich Land Records from 1640 to 1901, the Grand List from 1844 to the present and Greenwich Probate Records from 1853-1927.  Our archivist regularly assists researchers referred by the Tax Assessor, Planning and Zoning Officers, Parks and Recreation Department, Historic District Commission, and other Town agencies. 
The archives are a treasure trove for students and researchers of all ages.  Every day, the Historical Society’s archivist guides patrons to unpublished materials including manuscripts, photographs, maps, artifacts, audio and video recordings, postcards and ephemera.  Students accustomed to surfing the Web for information discover the incomparable excitement of working with real documents.  Homeowners delight in seeing what their property once looked like, and often use that knowledge to guide sensitive restoration and landscaping.  Other researchers seek letters from artists, recipes for dishes popular a century ago, insight into the slaves who once lived in the Bush-Holley House, seed orders, garden plans, and more. 

Since its founding in 1931, the Greenwich Historical Society has depended on the financial support of individuals.  Early benefactors have died, the economy has weakened, and competition for private support has intensified.  Last year the Historical Society was forced to cut its operating budget by 15 per cent, reduce operating hours, postpone exhibitions, and reduce staff.  Lack of funding has also resulted in the discontinuation of the journal Greenwich History.  The Town risks the financial erosion of a cherished institution that contributes greatly to our community’s quality of life. 

Touching the lives of thousands of students, teachers, preservationists, scholars and history lovers annually, the Greenwich Historical Society merits financial support from the Town.  The organization seeks annual operating support of $150,000, beginning in the 2011 fiscal year.  Maintenance of and improvements to property, plant and equipment would continue to be funded from private sources.  The Historical Society’s total operating budget for fiscal year 2009 is $1,332,282.  A grant of $150,000 would represent 11 per cent of that budget.  It would also represent approximately .0004 per cent of the Town’s current budget of $341,183,838. 
The Historical Society makes Greenwich a better place to live.  Its unique role as the only organization dedicated to the preservation of the ongoing history of all parts of Town makes it worthy of support in the Town’s budget. 

Susan G. Larkin, Chairman, Greenwich Historical Society

Click here to download article pdf.