In 2026, the USA will celebrating its Sesquicentennial, or 250th birthday (a.k.a., “America 250”). The Town of Cheshire is planning many events and hopes that businesses, schools, churches, civic and community groups and others will be involved. Representatives from the Cheshire Historical Society have already been involved in the early planning sessions. The focus will be on celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, calling our town event, “America Red, White and Blue.” At this point, this effort does not have any funding from either the State or the Town. As a result, the scope and success of the effort are dependent on volunteer participation and charitable donations. If you see a call for volunteers for any of the activities that are being developed, please don’t hesitate to step forward and get involved!
Please continue reading here to learn about America 250 activities in which we have already participated, as well as some opportunities for you to get involved! We will update this section as additional opportunities become available.
1976 Norton School Time Capsule
During our 2-year Inventory Project, we discovered this timely Time Capsule - fittingly contained in a milk can!
It is currently on display in our Diane Calabro Meeting Room, anxiously awaiting its reopening in less than one year.
We encourage anyone who was a student at Norton School in 1976 to contact us to help us plan an appropriate Opening Ceremony.
Two Lights for Tomorrow
The Cheshire Historical Society was proud to be part of this nationwide initiative to begin the celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States of America. The famous ride of Paul Revere occurred overnight on April 18 – 19, 1775. Two Lights for Tomorrow was intended to commemorate this event and remind us that our history is about working together for a better tomorrow. We displayed two lights through the night at the Hitchcock-Phillips House. We also noticed that Knott & Santoro Law Firm at the historic Silas Hitchcock / Mary Baldwin House at 125 Main Street also participated with two lights in their parlor window.
A “Jane’s Walk” for America 250?
Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs, held annually on the first Saturday in May. With community partners, Preservation Connecticut coordinated the inaugural Jane’s Walk: Connecticut in 2024. This day of community engagement encourages people to share stories with their neighborhoods, discover aspects of their communities, and connect with their neighbors.
In 2025, Ball & Socket Arts provided a Jane’s Walk Tour of the West Cheshire area surrounding Ball & Socket, led by Agnes Wnuk. Agnes’s theme was how the more things change, the more they stay the same, focusing on the history of the neighborhood. The tour lasted for about one hour. Historical Society President Mitzi Romano provided Agnes with a couple of “breathers” by providing information about Cheshire’s first “beautification committee” in the person of Julia Humiston, and a story about the integral part that the Button Factory played in early firefighting efforts.
While Ball & Socket has indicated that they would like to repeat their Walk in the future, the Historical Society would like to provide a “downtown” tour. Several options have been suggested, including a revival of the “Titus Moss Walk Back in Time” tour, which was originally provided in 2006. The script exists but this effort would require actors as well.
If you are interested in participating in this effort as part of America 250, please contact us. In 2026, this event will occur on May 2nd, but planning will need to begin well in advance of that date.