Amity and Woodbridge Historical Society
Preserving our past, connecting to our present.
The Amity and Woodbridge Historical Society (AWHS) is a 50l(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1936 that is dedicated to preserving local history and sharing it with our community and visitors alike. Our mission is to make history accessible to everyone in ways that create connection, advance knowledge, and inspire curiosity about the people, places, and events that have shaped our town. We do this by preserving the buildings, artifacts, and voices of Woodbridge and by sharing history in engaging ways.
Our Preservation Work
We are committed to preserving Woodbridge History and thus the majority of our donations support maintenance and preservation work on the museum buildings as well as our collections. We also work with the State Historic Preservation Office, CT Preservation, and CT Humanities, and other state and private agencies to support this important work. Our goal is to ensure that the buildings as well as the collections are preserved and maintained for future generations.
Our Programs
At this living history museum we host programs including tours, displays that focus on items from our remarkable collections, hearth cooking demonstrations, school field trips and fundraising events. The Society also sponsors speakers, exhibits, and programs offsite, including at a restored 19th century one-room schoolhouse.
The Museum
The Darling Family museum consists of the house and its surrounding outbuildings, including remarkable early barns, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The farmstead was built by Yale Graduate and prominent New Haven resident Thomas Darling, who relocated to Amity Parish in the early 1770s with his wife, two youngest children, and an enslaved family.
Abiel Gray of Hartford designed and built the house, which includes an original lightning rod (one of Darling’s correspondents was Benjamin Franklin). It is remarkably well preserved and furnished with Darling family pieces, helping visitors envision life in the late 18th and 19th centuries as lived by the Darlings.
The Museum can be visited during open houses, special events, and by appointment. Visit our website www.woodbridgehistory.org for information about events and how to book a tour.
1907 Litchfield Turnpike
Woodbridge, CT 06525
