Each year the Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich hosts thousands of students and teachers at Bush-Holley House, the centerpiece of our beautiful historic site on Cos Cob Harbor. Our interactive, inquiry-based programs give students the opportunity to creatively explore topics and sharpen their critical thinking skills. Each experience is specially designed to complement classroom teaching while providing students and teachers a memorable day full of fun and discovery. Our programs cover topics such as colonial American history, the American Revolution, slavery in the North, the Industrial Age, and the development of American Impressionism. All programs meet state curriculum standards for both Connecticut and New York states. Please contact us at (203) 869-6899 to discuss how we can tailor our programs to meet your specific needs!

2009-2010 School Programs Guide

Life in Colonial New England

Recommended for grades K-2

Students experience how early New England colonists lived, worked and entertained themselves on an interactive tour of the c.1730 Bush-Holley House combined with a lively session of hands-on discovery featuring colonial costumes and games.

Sarah and Her Town

Recommended for grades 3-4

Students relive the dramatic events that shaped the lives of the members of the colonial Bush family in the Bush-Holley House. Using reproduction objects, students become history detectives to determine the identity of historic artifacts that Sarah Bush and her family likely used. Pre-visit activity booklet available online.

Slavery:  A Dialogue

Recommended for grades 4-8 

Students tour the new nation rooms and experience how slaves worked and lived in the Bush home during the late 18th until early 19th centuries.  This interactive program focuses on the roles, responsibilities and daily life of the Bush slaves while they lived in this house.  As a culminating activity, students complete a dialogue between the slaves and the Bush family members using a biography worksheet and information they gathered on their tour.

(group limit 25)

Patriots vs. Loyalists: The American Revolution

Recommended for grades 5 and 8

Cast in the role of loyalist or patriot, students debate the issues and events that led to the start of the American Revolution. They visit the Bush-Holley House to learn how the Revolution affected the colonial Bush family. Then students participate in secret meetings using primary source documents to prepare an argument to support their position. A curator’s presentation of Revolutionary War artifacts is also included. The program concludes with a lively full class debate.

Create Your Own Impression

All Grades

Students are inspired by the beauty of Bush-Holley House and the surrounding landscape like many American Impressionist artists who visited the site. They investigate the dynamics between art and history as they search for visual clues in the artwork to learn about life at the turn of-the-century. Following a tour of the art colony rooms, students use paint, palette and canvas to create their own impressionist painting.

Meeting People in Portraits

All Grades

Students view and discuss the collection of portraits in the Bush-Holley House. Afterward they will identify artistic techniques and
characteristics including pose, expression, gesture and symbolic props to develop their interpretation of the individual. Students will then work in groups to write an interview involving one of the subjects.

Exhibition Related Program

All Grades

A Stitch in Time: Quilts from the Collection of the Greenwich Historical Society
March 2 to June 13, 2010

In our museum gallery, students will explore an exhibition of over 30 historic quilts created between the early 1800s and the late 1900s that tell the story of the people and the community in which they lived. Students will learn the historical and technical aspects of traditional patterns and quilting. Following the tour, students will engage in age-appropriate hands-on activities.

Schedule Your Visit Today

School programs are scheduled Tuesdays – Fridays starting at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Each program runs 1 ½ hours. Groups of up to 50 students can be accommodated at one time. One adult chaperone is required for every 10 students. Program fees are $5 per student. Teachers and adult chaperones attend programs for free. To book one of our exciting programs, call (203) 869-6899.