A brief history of the CT SHPO Museums and their Collections

The CT SHPO Museums began collecting in 1900, when the Henry Whitfield State Museum was created by the Connecticut State Legislature. Since that time, and with the addition of the Eric Sloane Museum in 1969, Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine in 1972, and the Prudence Crandall Museum in 1984, the collections have grown in number, but also in the stories we can share with the public.

Each Museum has its own Mission Statement, collecting priorities, and interpretive themes. We believe our collections help inspire, enlighten and connect but we also want to preserve our collections so they can continue to inspire into the future.

Over the past 125 years, our museums have strived to collect what is relevant to their mission and stories we share. But we also acknowledge that we cannot collect everything. That is why we are thoughtful in what we collect and why.

Today, a renewed purpose and vision guide the staff of the CT SHPO Museums. Each museum is confronting the facts of their sites’ past, including their collections, and works towards a more inclusive history of their sites and history in general. With thousands of manuscripts, books, photographs, and 3D objects, it takes a lot of work to ensure the items are stored, preserved and handled with care now and for the future.