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Home About Us Location & Directions Membership Library Museum Exhibits What's New? Programs Publications Feature Articles Archives Links Contact MHS SPECIAL PROJECTS:   Barn Survey Submission deadline: March 30, 2008 more info… Barn Photo Contest Entry deadline: May 3, 2008 more info…
COMING EVENTS:   Connecticut Invents with Patrick Smith Fri., Apr. 11, 2008, 7:00 p.m. Buchanan Auditorium more info… Civilian Conservation Camps in Conn. with Marty Podskoch Fri., May 23, 2008, 7:00 p.m. Buchanan Auditorium more info… Museum Opening Sun., June 1, 2008, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. 954 Storrs Road more info… MHS Annual Meeting and Dinner Fri., Sept. 12, 2008, 6:00 p.m. Location: TBA more info… 70 Years Later: The Hurricane of 1938 Fri., Sept. 12, 2008, 7:30 p.m. Location: TBA more info… American Harmony with members of the CONCORA Professional Choir Date & time: TBA Location: TBA more info…

	WHAT'S NEW?
	Interns Assist Museum Director During the 2007 fall semester, our student intern — Amanda Sullivan — helped us catch up on a large backlog of cataloguing work. Now she is heading off for an exciting semester abroad in Greece. We thank her for all her help and wish her Bon Voyage! In her place, we are pleased to welcome UConn student, Amanda Grafe, as our intern for the spring semester. She will be helping us prepare our summer 2008 exhibits. Mansfield Barn Survey Project Have you ever thought about the history behind the many barns scattered throughout the Town of Mansfield, or wondered what has happened to some of these noble structures?             Hereford beef cows grazing near UConn barn   This past December alone, three more of Mansfield's historic barns were lost — as they collapsed under the weight of snow and ice. With fewer farms today, barns are disappearing from the landscape. Some of them slowly decay away, while others are razed as unused farmlands are developed for other purposes. Before more are lost forever, the Mansfield Historical Society — together with the Town's Agriculture Committee — plan to document Mansfield's barns as part of a state-wide effort coordinated by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. Through a grant from the Cultural Heritage Development Fund of the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation seeks to document and promote the preservation of these symbols of Connecticut's agricultural heritage. It is enlisting local historical societies and other concerned groups to aid in this effort, by documenting and photographing barns within their own communities.           Todd Levine of CTHP reviews barn architecture     The CTHP has established a Web site, www.connecticutbarns.org, which will serve as a repository for all of the information gathered, making it accessible to everyone. Our Society and Mansfield's Agriculture Committee have been recruiting volunteers to participate in the documentation of local barns, including those at the University of Connecticut. On February 21, 2008, more than fifty community members attended a volunteer training session at the Buchanan Auditorium (Mansfield Public Library), where Todd Levine of the CHTP presented a slide show illustrating the different types of Connecticut barns. Attendees were also provided information on how to conduct a windshield survey. Mansfield Historical Society is also soliciting historical photographs or drawings of local barns and farms, along with pertinent historical data, to add to our archives. If you possess any such images, please contact the museum (860-429-6575 or e-mail) so that arrangements can be made to scan them. Footnotes  [See related article in The Hartford Courant, Sunday, February 3, 2008 — "Wanted: Barns To Preserve — Connecticut Trust Focuses On Saving Iconic Remnants of State's Rich History", by Todd Levine.]  [See testimony offered by Todd Levine on March 5, 2007 to the Connecticut State Legislature — "In Support of HB-7220: an Act concerning the preservation of historic barns and agricultural structures".]  [See analysis of House Bill 5713 — "An act concerning the preservation of historic barns and agricultural structures, the definition of unimproved land and the location of farmstands".] In Memoriam — Leonard Seeber We are saddened to report the loss of another of our long-time Historical Society members. Although best known as a talented musician and teacher, Len Seeber was also a volunteer fireman. In 2002, he organized a wonderful exhibit about the history of Mansfield's fire companies at our museum, and served as the Society's Program Chair from 2003 through 2005. He planned some very enjoyable programs and bus trips for us. We will certainly miss Len and extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Jane, and to his family and friends.