The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society will hold its second bus tour of ‘hidden’ sites on the south end of West Hartford on Nov. 20, 2016.

A group explores the former site of Goodwin Pottery Works with Jennifer DiCola Matos, Executive Director, Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society. Submitted photo

Submitted

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is pleased to offer the second bus tour in the History Drives Us series on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016 from 1-2:30 p.m. The previous tour, held in June 2016, covered the town’s “hidden history” north of Farmington Avenue. This tour will focus on West Hartford history south of Farmington Avenue and will be led by Jennifer DiCola Matos, executive director of the museum.

The tour will point out sites of significance that have largely been forgotten over the years. “There are so many interesting bits of history in our town,” said Matos. “The problem is that most of the places and stories have been forgotten over time.” Matos will point out long-forgotten historical sites in town, like Sherman Acres on South Main Street (today Rockledge Golf Course), the Beach mansion and Vine Hill Farm on Brightwood Lane, the Goodwin Pottery Works on New Britain Avenue, and the Charter Oak Race Track on New Park Avenue.

Unlike previous History Drives Us bus tours, this tour has split West Hartford into two separate tours. “Last year, we tried to cover the whole town in one tour and we decided it felt too rushed,” Matos explained. “Instead we created one tour for points north of Farmington Avenue and a separate tour for points south of Farmington Avenue.”

Additional points of interest on the Sunday, Nov. 20 bus tour include the Four Mile Marker, Buena Vista Historic District, sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski’s house, Wood Pond, Holy Family Retreat & Conference Center, Gerth Farm, and the Talcott Woolen Mill. Guests will exit the bus at certain points to briefly explore afoot. Attendees will also receive a photo packet that shows past landscapes and buildings.

The History Drives Us bus tour will depart from the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, 227 South Main St., West Hartford, CT 06107, on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016 at 1 p.m. and will return at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person ($25 for museum members) and can be purchased at noahwebster.yapsody.com. Space is extremely limited.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is a not-for-profit museum and cultural destination where citizens can learn to understand and appreciate the past. The museum preserves the birthplace of Noah Webster, the founding father, educator, author and lexicographer who taught generations of Americans what it means to be American. This National Historic Landmark is also a repository for the history of West Hartford, the community that molded Noah Webster’s future and is still thriving over 250 years later. The historic house and exhibit spaces are open daily 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. For information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs, please visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call (860) 521-5362.