The Cheshire Historical Society
Hitchcock Phillips House
43 Church Drive
Cheshire, Connecticut 06410
Welcome to the Cheshire Historical Society Book & Gift Shop
We can ship books and other items to you!
Please come and see our Gift Shop at the Cheshire Historical Society. The Hitchcock-Phillips House Museum will be open to the public every Sunday afternoon 2:00 to 4:00 PM from April through December (we are closed on holiday weekends, so just be sure to check the web site or phone ahead). To schedule a visit at another time, call (203) 272-8771 or (203) 271-2378. We have a number of informative and "all about Cheshire" books, most notably our Landmarks of Old Cheshire and our Reflections on the Canal in Cheshire.
CHESHIRE HISTORY BOOKS
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Landmarks of Old Cheshire - Cheshire
Bicentennial Committee (c) 1976 This is a "must have" book about Cheshire. It is the first book of its kind to be published in over 80 years (as the 1974 cover reads). In 1894 Brown and Paddock wrote Old Historic Houses of Cheshire, designed to promote an understanding of Cheshire's past and its architectural heritage. Presently (in 1976), nearly half of the landmarks noted by Deacon Brown have been lost; the book itself is virtually unobtainable. The Cheshire Historical Society has uncovered additional inventory of this 1974 Landmarks book and we are very pleased to be able to offer this to you. This is a limited edition. Dr. Howard T. Oedel, professor of American colonial history at Southern Connecticut State University served as Editor of Landmarks of Old Cheshire. Author of a number of publications on colonial history and the Civil War period, Dr. Oedel also taught extensively on historic preservation and restoration. Undoubtedly the most charming feature of Landmarks of Old Cheshire are some fifty original wash-drawings, executed with sill and patience by Kathleen Gagnon of East Hartford and a 1976 graduate of SCSU, Additionally there are another fifty illustrations, many of them photographs of long ago and never before published, obtained from the collections of the Cheshire Historical Society and from private donors. |
Cheshire is fortunate indeed to have a superior
account of her landmarks! This book is $35.00 USD |
Images of America: Cheshire by Ron
Gagliardi
Published in 2001, this book documents the town's history from prehistoric times
through 1929. It contains 240 historic photos that capture the spirit of the
town's early years ($20)
Our Town - Cheshire Connecticut 1780-1890
by Marion Moore Coleman
Reflections, memories and historical notes from throughout the town's history.
Most of the assembled articles were published originally in The Cheshire
Herald ($35)
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The Barite Mines of Cheshire by
Crawford E. Fritts [beginning c. 1850's] In Cheshire in For twenty years barytes mining was conducted on a large scale. Shafts were sunk as deep as 500 feet, and tunnels almost a mile in length followed the three distinct north, south, and central veins. Over five hundred miners were employed at one time, and sixty to seventy tons of ore were excavated daily. It was estimated that over four and a half million dollars worth of barytes was taken from one mine in a single year, and the miners' pay-roll exceeded thirty thousand dollars a month. (Cited from Landmarks of Old Cheshire) |
Learn more about why we have these mining
sinkholes in Cheshire! And about Barite Mining in our town. This 36 page pamphlet is $5.00 USD |
The Durand Family of Cheshire Connecticut
by Sterling Jewett
Collection of information on the musical Durand Family ($25)
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Reflections on the Canal in Cheshire, A Scrap-Book
Account compiled by Raymond L. Beard This little gem of a booklet provides a wonderful assortment of drawings, photos, letters, and descriptions of the canal that was in operation in 1828 (after 3 years of construction). Where we now rollerblade and run on our Cheshire Linear Park, nearly 200 years ago horse-drawn barges provided passenger excursions, but more importantly they brought building materials, food stuffs, and manufactured goods from distant sources. In return, oyster kegs and other products of local mills and farms were shipped out of Cheshire; barite from the Jinny Hill mines were loaded at Higgins Road and carried to New Haven Markets. From this booklet (p. 21): |
A fascinating look at Cheshire Lock 12 and
how the Canal came to be! This 81 page booklet is $5.00 USD |
Also on sale at the Society:
1882 Map of Cheshire - 18 x 24 inches ($5) Click here for electronic version
"Door of Cheshire" Poster
Created by Hope Reinhard, this colorful poster features 20 doorways from local
historic houses. Originally priced at $25. All proceeds benefits the Society
($10)

Set of 10 Historic Post Cards - black and white with Cheshire street scenes ($3)
Cheshire Historical Society Cookbook 1994 - And of course, our cookbook! These are the recipes we remember before cholesterol awareness. Back when butter and eggs were good! There are some really wonderful, feel good recipes in this book. Who knows! You may want to rethink chocolate fondue and whoopie pies. We do have canning jars in the Boutique in the Shed.
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Events and meetings are held at the Hitchcock-Phillips House, 43 Church Drive
Cheshire, CT unless noted otherwise.
Call 203-272-2574 or e-mail for more information.
You can e-mail Diane Calabro, President Diane Calabro E-mail