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Town Historian


    Bethany Center c. 1900

Duties of the Town Historian consist of collecting, preserving and making available materials relating to the history of the community, and preserving current records for the future.  The historian answers inquiries regarding the town's past, from dating a house, searching for ancestors, help for student research, land use history, media inquiries or other questions pertaining to the town’s history.  Information is obtained from: town records, historical society archives, gravestone inscriptions, verbal and oral histories, photos, maps, books, manuscripts, statements and records of individuals, and newspapers.

FAQs

INSTRUCTIONS: The question/title is just text changed to an H2 (Header 2). Then add a bullet to create the "drop-down" panel that will stay hidden until the user clicks on the question/title.

    What Is The Difference Between The Town Historian And The Historical Society?

    • The Town Historian is public official appointed by the Board of Selectmen.  The historian provides information to both town officials as well as the public and advises local agencies such as the Planning & Zoning Commission on issues related to historic properties.  In contrast, the Bethany Historical Society is a private not-for-profit volunteer organization that collects and preserves the cultural heritage and ongoing history of Bethany.  They do have historic preservation programs, but they are not a Town agency.

    Is there a local Historical Society?

    • Yes, the Bethany Historical Society, Inc. is headquartered at the old town hall on Amity Road.  The society own two properties; the 1914 Stanley Downs Memorial Building at 512 Amity Road and the c.1785 Russell Homestead at 20 Round Hill Road.  To contact call 203-393-1832 or visit their web site at: Bethany Historical Society 

      What Determines Whether Or Not A Building Is Historic?

      • Generally speaking, a building must be at least 50 years old and retain a majority of its original features.  Association with a significant individual or event is also a consideration.

      What Bethany properties have been placed on the National Registers of Historic Places?

      • The Wheeler-Beecher or “Hoadley House”, built in 1807 was listed in 1976 due to its architectural and historic significance.

      What is the difference between a local historic district and a national register district or place?

      • Local Historic District is a geographic area within a community singled out for its architectural, historic, cultural or archaeological importance.  Property in a historic district is protected from unsuitable change.  A lot and the buildings on it are part of the historic landscape and remain essentially the same from the time the district is established.  The State of Connecticut enacted legislation in 1961 to protect and preserve such areas by proclaiming them legal entities.  There are NO official Local Historic Districts currently in Bethany.

        National Register of Historic Places are historic properties worthy of preservation because of “a quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture…in districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects that possess location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association…with events that contributed to broad patterns of our history, with lives of significant individuals, with distinctive styles of architecture, or with information important to history or prehistory.”  Only one building in Bethany is on the National Register.  There is also a State Register of Historic Places.  More than a dozen structures in town are on the State Register.