Planning Grant Awarded for John Brown Birthplace

The Torrington Historical Society and UConn Torrington have received a $9,899 grant from the Connecticut Humanities Council to develop an interpretive plan for the historic John Brown birthplace located in West Torrington. The property is owned by the Historical Society and abuts the University of Connecticut campus. This grant-funded planning process will identify methods to make the historic site more attractive and informative for visitors as well as suggest ways to link the site with the UConn campus.

In 1998 the John Brown birthplace was placed on the Connecticut African-American Freedom Trail and in 2000 the property was acquired by the Torrington Historical Society in a merger with the John Brown Association. This will be the first major effort to improve interpretation at the birthplace since 1901, when the house was purchased and restored as a museum by the John Brown Association. The house was destroyed by a fire in 1918 and since that time there has been little at the site to interest visitors. The goal of the project is to attract more visitors by providing an educational experience and improved access. Preliminary discussions will focus on the creation of a walking trail that may include informational signs.

The planning team will led by John Monroe of the National Park Service, Northeast Region, Rivers and Trails Program and will include Todd Bolton of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The project also includes an archaeological survey supervised by CT State Archaeologist Nick Bellantoni, and a natural history survey conducted by Jeff Greenwood, Education Director of the White Memorial Foundation.

The participants will gather at the Torrington Historical Society on Sunday and Monday, September 8-9 for round table discussions. The preliminary plans for interpretation of the historic site will be presented at a public meeting to be held on the evening of September 9.

This planning is the first step in a lengthy process that will include additional grants to develop detailed plans and specifications. At this time, interpretive improvements to the site are still several years away. For more info call project director Mark McEachern at 860-482-8260, or project co-director Adriane Lyon at 860-626-6800.