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In 1900, a small library opened in the Southington Town Hall, but money was soon raised to construct a library building on Main Street. Completed in 1902, this original library building is a neoclassical structure built of of glazed terra cotta brick and granite. In 1917, Emma Bradley Yeomans Newell, a wealthy philanthropist, donated money for the addition of a “historical wing” to the library. The wing, not actually built until 1930, was named the Sylvia Bradley Memorial, in honor of the wife of Amon Bradley and grandmother of the notable Southington citizen, Bradley Barnes. The Southington Historical Society, founded in the 1960s, housed its collections and met in the wing. A new library was constructed in 1974 and the old building then became a museum called the Southington Historical Center. It recently received a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain to complete renovations on the building.

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Southington Historical Center (1902)
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3 thoughts on “Southington Historical Center (1902)

  • January 12, 2009 at 5:37 pm
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    Hello,
    Do you have exhibits that contain old manufacturing information such as The H.D.Smith Co, Thompson Co and others in Plantsville

    Thank you,
    John Tomasiewicz

  • April 7, 2009 at 9:18 pm
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    I currently am composing a brief article about H.D. Smith & Co. for the newsletter of the Richmond Antique Tool Society of Richmond, VA, based on information gleaned from various sources on the web.

    I will eventually publish the newsletter at http://home.comcast.net/~richmondantiquetools

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