Adults will have the opportunity to share their family memories at ‘Show and Tell’ hosted by the Noah Webster House and DirectLine Media in West Hartford.

This piece of linen has a note attached that was written by Sarah Mocko St. Germain’s grandmother. Submitted photo

Submitted by Sarah M. St. Germain, Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society

Everyone remembers bringing a treasured possession to school and telling their friends why it’s special. Why should schoolchildren have all the fun?

On Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1 – 3 p.m. everyone will have the chance to share at Show & Tell at the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society with DirectLine Media and David Chmielewski. Everyone young, old, and in-between is invited to bring an item with a history and share a story about it. Old photos, family mementos, and local history artifacts are just some of the things people have brought to Show & Tell in the past.

Perhaps it’s an old letter parents wrote to one another during the war, or maybe a musical instrument passed down through generations. The possibilities are endless.

Personal historian David Chmielewski will host Show and Tell and talk about how to preserve your family history at the Noah Webster House.

“This program allows people to share their family history with others,” said Noah Webster House Public Programs Manager Sarah St. Germain. “I have several amazing artifacts from my family.”

These include a piece of fabric that goes back to her roots in Slovakia. “I found it when I was reorganizing our cellar,” St. Germain said, “It had a note pinned to it.” The note was written in her paternal grandmother’s hand and says: “The history of this doyli. Flax was grown on great grandmother Nemick property by her and worked into thread in 1917. Woven by grandfather Swancara on his loom and was brought here by me (Anna Swancara Mocko) in 1921 and worked on to this finish by great grandmother Swancara.”

“I really hope people will join us at the Noah Webster House. It should really be a lot of fun and definitely entertaining.” said David Chmielewski, owner of DirectLine Media.

“Programs like Show and Tell are a great reminder that the museum functions as the West Hartford Historical Society,” said museum Executive Director Jennifer DiCola Matos, “We’re here to preserve local items and memories for the future.”

All are welcome to become part of the conversation or simply look and listen. It’s free, it’s fun, and the stories will warm the heart.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is grateful to the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving for their continued support.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is a 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 West Hartford history, the community that molded NoahWebster’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.