Founded April 18, 1946, to serve the Naugatuck Valley towns of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, & Shelton
“Celebrating a Proud Past and a Promising Future”
David Humphreys
House - Home of Derby Historical Society
Hours: Monday - Friday, 1PM - 4PM
Office: Sarah Riggs Humphreys House,
37 Elm Street Ansonia, CT 06401
Telephone: (203)735-1908
Mailing address: PO Box 331, Derby, CT 06418
E-mail: info@derbyhistorical.org
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Annual Meeting and Program Featuring First Lady Dolley Madison
Sunday, February 12, 2012 1:00 PM at Christ Episcopal Church,
56 South Cliff Street, Ansonia CT
An earlier form of taxation: Revenue Stamped Paper:

Click here to read a story shared by
Col. Don Woodworth
New Fund at Valley Community Foundation Will Restore Veterans Memorial Plaques

Julia Baldini, Executive Director of the Derby Historical
Society, James Dellavolpe, Mayor of Ansonia, Jamie Cohen, President of the
Valley Community Foundation, Congresswoman Rosa DeLuaro and Congressman Chris
Murphy
January 12, 2012 - The Valley Community Foundation (VCF) announces that the
Derby Historical Society and VCF in collaboration with the Mayors of Ansonia,
Derby and Shelton have created a new fund to restore veterans memorial plaques
that were stolen from local Valley communities in 2011. The Fund will be
known as the Veterans Memorial Plaques Restoration Fund and gifts up to a total
of $6,000 will be matched through a $5,000 grant from unrestricted funds from
VCF and a $1,000 contribution from the Cohen-DeToro Charitable Fund. Gifts may
be made online at
www.valleyfoundation.org or by check and mailed to the Valley Community
Foundation at 253-A Elizabeth Street, Derby, Connecticut, 06418. For more
information, call the Valley Community Foundation at (203)751-9162.
Recent Events
Twelfth Night Celebration at the Humphreys House
Sunday, January 8 1:00PM - 4:00PM
Twelfth Night is an old holiday associated with the end of the Christmas
season, best known by the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” At a time
when many of us are in a tizzy trying to accomplish all the chores and shopping
associated with the Holidays, the celebration of Twelfth Night at the David
Humphreys House has only become more popular with each passing year. All are
invited to visit and turn back the clock to a less hectic time. Partake in the
refreshments, bask in the warmth of the fireplace, and enjoy the live music. The
Humphreys family and their neighbors of the 18th century will be on hand to
welcome guests. Tours of the historic home, which will be decorated with plants,
branches, and greenery, will be conducted. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the
caroling, and partake of the refreshments, good company, and the warm,
comforting fire of the hearth. Refreshments will include finger sandwiches,
desserts, hot cider and punch. Our homemade American Girl-sized doll clothes
will be available at the gift shop. Donation: $3.00 per person, or $10.00 for a
family of four or more.
Christmas Fair
Saturday, December 3 10:00AM - 3:00PM
This holiday shopping season, support your local community and finish your
Christmas list by stopping by our "Christmas Fair" at the David Humphreys House.
Enjoy hot cider and cookies as you peruse a selection of gifts including books
on local history, prints, household wares, toys, hand-made crafts and American
Girl Doll sized clothing. For a partial list of the gift shop offerings,
click on the "Gift Shop" link on the left side of this page. Cost is free
and you won't have to fight anyone for a parking spot.
Open Hearth Cooking
Sunday, November 13 1:00PM - 4:00PM
Led by the Derby Historical Society docents, watch a cooking demonstration
and sample foods from the colonial period. Cost: $5/adults, $3/seniors &
children 8 - 16, FREE/children under 8.
A Visit With Abraham Lincoln
Monday, November 21 5:00 pm - Grassy Hill Lodge
Abraham Lincoln is coming to visit with our donors on Monday, November 21 for a very special night at Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby. If you click on the image to the left you can read all about Steve Wood and his masterful portrayal of the man who many say was the greatest president in U.S. history. This special night is part of the Society's Annual Appeal (see above), anyone making a donation of $40 or more is entitled to a free ticket for the evening. Additional tickets are available for incremental donations of $40. This event is a must for Valley history buffs, and we invite you to share this pre-Thanksgiving special event with us.
On Saturday, October 1 the Derby Historical Society presented a Civil War Living History Reenactment by Company F, 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry on the grounds of the Derby Historical Society at 37 Elm Street, Ansonia, CT from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Click here to see photos of the day. You can also play the video below and check out more videos like it by clicking on the links below the video.
Collections Catalog On-lineThe Derby Historical Society is pleased to announce that a limited portion of our Society's Collection Catalog is now available to the public to search on-line. We need to stress that this is just a start, and it will take years to get everything on-line. However, we want to serve you better by making this important start. You will be able to search the records for objects, photos and more, and we will be adding more content as we move forward with this exciting project. |

Something special was cooking at the Humphreys House. Click here to find out what!
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Our pewter ornament returns! |
Visit the Humphreys House Gift Shop!
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We are selling hand-made American Girl-sized clothes from all eras! |
This website began in 1998 as part of the Electronic Valley Project, linking the towns of the Lower Naugatuck Valley to the World. Initial funding was provided by the SNET Museums for the Millennium Project.
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Made possible with the support of Savage Joy Corporation