Waterford Historical Society (CT)
January 16, 2023
The Waterford Historical Society, Inc., a not-for-profit historic preservation organization, is one of 723 organizations in Connecticut to receive a CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant from CT Humanities. The $5600 grant will go toward planning 2023 programs featuring aspects of the Town of Waterford’s history.
Founded in 1967, the Waterford Historical Society, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization offering tours of its historic buildings on Jordan Green, and offering local history-related events and programs open to members and the community at large.
A similar grant in 2022 allowed the Waterford Historical Society to enlist the talents of a group of living historians to develop programs to present in and around its historic buildings on Jordan Green and to hire a videographer and photographer to capture these events for publicity and wider distribution. With the funds, the Society was also able to co-sponsor with the Waterford Public Library a live Juneteenth program and two well-attended book talks by local authors.
Kristen Widham, President, notes, "The grant allows us to develop and offer original programs of high quality to our town and the region. This support is crucial for us, since we are a not-for-profit organization that relies on donations and membership fees."
The CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants from CT Humanities aims to assist organizations as they recover from the pandemic and maintain and grow their ability to serve their community and the public. Totaling more than $8.5 million, these grants are part of a two-year, $30.7 million investment in arts, humanities, and cultural nonprofits by the Connecticut General Assembly and approved by Gov. Ned Lamont. The grant is provided to the Waterford Historical Society, Inc. from CT Humanities with funding from the state Department of Economic and Community Development and the Connecticut Office of the Arts.
About Connecticut Humanities
CT Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.
About Connecticut Office of the Arts
The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is the state agency charged with fostering the health of Connecticut’s creative economy. Part of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the COA is funded by the State of Connecticut and the National Endowment for the Arts.