"The Castle: A Cornwall Love Story"

The Cornwall Historical Society is pleased to announce the publication of “The Castle: A Cornwall Love Story” by Jeffrey Jacobson. The book is an adaptation of the lecture presented by Jacobson in 2010 and includes 21 historic and contemporary images of Cornwall’s “Castle” and its first residents.

The Castle is a unique Cornwall landmark, built during the 1920s by NYC socialite Charlotte Bronson Hunnewell Martin. Shortly after purchasing Turtle Bay Gardens, a complex of brownstone townhouses in New York City, Martin began building a unique country retreat for herself and her husband, Dr. Walton Martin, in Cornwall. Dubbed “The Castle” by locals, the 8,412 square foot mansion was completed in 1924 and was used as a summer retreat. Charlotte added a pottery to the estate in 1927, hiring Vincenzo Rondinone to be her resident artist. Rondinone's Narrow Valley Pottery, and the Castle itself, became integral parts of Cornwall's history.

Over the course of the past 50 years, following the death of Charlotte Martin in 1961, the Castle has been a private country retreat for a number of owners, one of whom added a helipad to the property. The Castle's most recent owner, hedge fund manager Alphonse “Buddy” Fletcher, purchased the Castle for $5.9 million in 2000.

Jacobson will discuss his research on the Castle at a special talk and book signing on April 11, 2015. The program will be held at the Cornwall Town Hall, 26 Pine Street, beginning at 4 p.m. Copies of “The Castle: A Cornwall Love Story” will be available for purchase for $15 each. Cash or check only, no credit cards.

"The Castle: A Cornwall Love Story" may also be purchased online through Lulu.com and Amazon.com.

CHS at the Christmas Fair

Looking for some unique gift ideas? How about a Cornwall Historical Society jigsaw puzzle, Cornwall pottery, or a CHS gift basket? We'll have all of these and more at the Christmas Fair this Saturday, December 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the United Church of Christ, 8 Bolton Hill Road.

New! 500+ piece jigsaw puzzle featuring bottles from the Cornwall Historical Society collection.

Our new puzzles were developed by CHS Board member Karen Doeblin, who put some extra effort into finding just the right puzzle-maker:

Every great museum shop has a puzzle with an image from its collection;  so why shouldn't the shop at the Cornwall Historical Society have one?  As a jigsaw puzzle fan, however, I know how frustrating a poorly made puzzle can be, so we went to the premier, small custom puzzle maker at Eureka Puzzles in Brookline, Massachusetts.  He has created a beautifully made puzzle that all skill levels can enjoy with an image of beautiful bottles from our own collection. We hope you enjoy them!

Original photograph used for the new jigsaw puzzle.

Cornwall Historical Society gift basket, ready for giving!

Todd Piker's Cornwall Bridge pottery.

New and Improved Museum Shop

Board member Gail Jacobson brought her creative ingenuity to the task of revamping our small museum shop. Here she contributes a description and some photos of what's been done. Be sure to check it out in person! We're open on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m., through the end of October.

There is a welcoming sight at the Cornwall Historical Society: a new museum store. Just before the opening of the Civil War exhibit this summer, three shelving units were joined and placed in the front corner of our former Victorian carriage house to display the various books, notecards, and pamphlets available for sale. The previous blank corner now provides a cheerful and colorful entry to the exhibit. All the society’s publications are individually priced and easily viewed. 

Signed copies of John Demos’ The Heathen School book rest alongside booklets on Dudleytown, the Covered Bridge and a timeline of the history of Cornwall. It is the goal of the Board to expand the museum store offerings in the future. Already there are canvas tote bags embellished with a logo of the iconic Historical Society building and several items from Todd Piker’s Cornwall Bridge Pottery with Cornwall medallions. Each item represents Cornwall and/or the Society. Need a unique gift? Look no farther.

The new museum store.

Todd Piker's honey pot, pitcher, and tea bowl with Cornwall medallions.

Document boxes "retired" from our archives.

Canvas tote bag.