Museums & Collections
Our historic house museum, tool museum, library, and gardens are located at 103 E. Main Street in Clinton.
The Museum Room in Town Hall is located at 54 East Main. All are free and open to the public.
Hours for each venue are listed below.
1750 Elisha White House
Built in 1750 by Captain Elisha White, our historic house museum known locally as “Old Brick” contains portraits, period furniture, and many domestic tools appropriate to an 18th century house. Donated to the Clinton Historical Society in 1987 by Sally MacMillan, the house has been restored to reflect 18th century tastes and serves as a gracious gathering spot for Clinton Historical Society events.
Open by appointment.
Email us at info@clintoncthistory.org or call 860-669-2148 at least a week in advance.
Buell Tool Museum
The Buell Tool Museum contains a wealth of examples of early colonial tools and machines used by the Buell family whose ancestors were among Clinton's first settlers. The barn itself was previously located on the Buell family property on Glenwood Road. It was donated to the Clinton Historical Society in 1998 and moved to its present location by a group of volunteers who carefully dismantled the timbers and stones and then brought them, bit by bit, to the grounds of Old Brick where the barn was reconstructed. Today, the Tool Museum serves as a window into the past, allowing CHS to show visitors just how much was accomplished by hand, before the age of power tools and machines.
Open by appointment.
Email us at info@clintoncthistory.org or call 860-669-2148 at least a week in advance.
George Flynn Library
George S. Flynn Library contains more than 20,000 documents, photographs, maps, clippings, and other materials chronicling the history of Clinton and its families. It is located directly behind “Old Brick” at the back of our campus.
Open most Wednesday mornings from 9:00 to noon, and by appointment.
Please call 860-669-2148 to confirm open hours before coming, or to schedule an appointment. Or email us at info@clintoncthistory.org at least a week in advance.
Herb & Flower Gardens
The gardens are open to the public during daylight hours. Please respect the gardens when visiting. Filled with perennials, shrubs, herbs, and trees, the gardens are at their peak from June through September. Of particular note is the witch hazel, located in the southeast corner of the garden, which has historical significance not only because of its frequent use by early settlers for medicinal purposes but also because of its use by Unilever/Ponds, a corporation that dominated manufacturing in Clinton for decades.
Garden Photography Policy
Visitors are welcome to take photographs for their own personal, non-commercial use. Wedding photography, commercial photography, group photographs, and special event photography may be permitted, but advance notice is required. Please email us at info@clintoncthistory.org if you wish to use our gardens for those purposes.
Museum Room in Town Hall
The Museum Room in Andrews Memorial Town Hall contains displays that chronicle the history of Clinton from its founding in 1663. Permanent exhibits include displays about early settlers, education, Native Americans, industry, shipbuilding, and the War of 1812. Each year, a special exhibit is also mounted, covering such topics as the history of baseball in Clinton.
Open year-round on Thursdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and by appointment.
Email us at info@clintoncthistory.org to schedule a visit.
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