Jennifer DiCola Matos has been named executive director of the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society.

Submitted by Sarah M. St. Germain

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society’s board is happy to announce the addition of Jennifer DiCola Matos to the museum’s staff as Executive Director.

Jennifer DiCola Matos has been named executive director of the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society. Submitted photo.

Diane Foley, the museum’s Board Chair, said, “Jennifer brings a wonderful combination of energy, education, and experience to the position that we know she’ll use to forward our dual mission. Many people know us as the boyhood home of Noah Webster, but fewer know that we are also the West Hartford Historical Society.”

Matos previously served as Connecticut’s Old State House’s Head of Education, where she managed school programs, interpretive projects, and museum operations. She returns to the Noah Webster House after a four-year hiatus, having previously been the museum’s Director of Education.

“I’m so pleased to be offered this wonderful opportunity to come back to an organization that I know and love,” said Matos.

Her vision for the museum encompasses both Noah Webster and West Hartford’s diverse history. “We are lucky to have a dual mission. We have the ‘big name’ of Noah Webster, and the Historical Society, which is important to everyone who lives in town.”

Matos would like to unite the two missions in a more comprehensive way. “We want people to realize the importance of the history in their own backyards. Noah Webster was a major player in the creation of an American culture. But he also was born and raised in West Hartford and is part of the town’s larger history,” she said.

Matos has a B.A. in History and Art History from the University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT and a M.A. in American Civilization from Brown University, Providence, RI. She is also a co-chair of the New England Museum Association’s Historic Sites Professional Affinity Group, a member of the Connecticut Museum Education Roundtable, and is on the Board of the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies.

One of Matos’ first projects as Executive Director will be to spearhead a community conversation about the power of place. The October 2 event, “Love Where You Live: The Power of Place,” will feature a panel of experts and community leaders who will weigh in on West Hartford’s historic past, rich present and promising future.

“The museum wants to play a larger role within the community. We all live, work or play in West Hartford: how can we collaborate to make it the best it can be?”

This fall will be a very busy season for the museum, with several major events planned, including West Hartford’s mainstay theatrical cemetery tour, West Hartford Hauntings and the museum’s large fall fundraiser, Spirits in the House.

“I’m proud to be part of West Hartford Hauntings again, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Each year, new and entertaining vignettes are created and refreshed, and this special anniversary will debut a new character with significant historical ties to West Hartford,” said Matos.

“Our fall fundraiser, Spirits in the House, is receiving incredible support from the community. We hope it will not only be a chance to enjoy music, food and drinks – and of course, to support your local historical society – but also an opportunity to connect with a variety of residents and businesses who call West Hartford home.”

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is located in the restored birthplace and childhood home of Noah Webster. Webster was a national figure known not only for the first American dictionary and the Blue-Backed Speller, but also for being a federalist, an abolitionist and a cofounder of Amherst College.

The historic house and exhibit spaces are open daily 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. ,Thursday through Monday. For information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs, please visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call (860) 521-5362.