To get a flavor of a community, I always recommend that you start with the history museums. In Wilton, that would be the Wilton Historical Society’s complex on Danbury Rd. (Route 7 for the State Road fans.) The cluster of buildings, all painted the same deep red color that harkens back to farms and barns, offers a glimpse of the past yet thoroughly embraces the modern. That shouldn’t surprise anyone living in Wilton, the town has a deep appreciation for its land and its people, and celebrates those moments in time that share that decades long story.
One neat thing they offer, is a printed map of not only their collection on exhibit, but also on the reverse, a map of where the these items are related. I wish more local museums did this. Sometimes the significance of an object takes on deeper meaning when you tie the context of the era to the place. A sense of place is important to Wilton of course, not only is it home to Connecticut’s only National Park, but the Norwalk River, as it undulates through hills and valleys, echoes the landscape that J. Alden Weir settled in, as did so many Wilton founders.
With Ambler farm offering a working farm experience, that connection to the land and to the past is never far away. It shouldn’t be a surprise that ASML, the company that makes the equipment that, farms so to speak, silicon wafers that make up our modern computer age.
Wilton’s Kristine Lilly, a celebrated member of the US Women’s National Soccer Team, is a recent addition to the Wilton story. It’s a story that traces back a long timeline, with milestones represented by objects of the era. My favorite is an old voting machine panel, the mechanical levers echoing the connection to past political campaign slogans.
Another highlight of the museum, is the recreated kitchen of a time before electricity. A squat black wood burning stove sprawls in the middle of the room, while a hand pump identifies how water was pumped into a home kitchen. This was room that the staff encourages people to touch, a great way for those who remember these objects to connect those feelings with memories of long ago, and for younger people to have a better sense of shape and sounds of objects they may have only heard or read about.
The Wilton Historical Society puts on many events throughout the year, and the most up to date offerings are found on their website.
224 Danbury Road
Wilton, CT 06897
203-762-7257
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 – 4:00
