Celebration marks John Brown’s 217th birthday

TORRINGTON >> Abolitionist John Brown was born in Torrington on May 9, 1800. Today at the Carriage House Gallery, the Torrington Historical Society will host a party to commemorate Brown’s birth. The party begins at 7 p.m. the public is welcome, free of charge.

Kevin Johnson pastor of AME Zion Church in Torrington and research assistant at the Connecticut State Library, will present his widely acclaimed and deeply moving performance of William Webb, an African-American Civil War Soldier from Connecticut.

Private Webb was an actual soldier, a native of Hartford. He was recruited in 1863 and served in the Twenty-Ninth (Colored) Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry in several battles in Virginia.

Johnson’s presentation of Webb is told from an emotional and exciting first-person perspective that vividly illustrates the struggle of the African-Americans in the Colored Infantry during the Civil War. He tells of his early life in Hartford, his recruitment and training, and the traumatic final battles of the Civil War. The presentation is based on extensive research in the collections of the Connecticut State Library and the Museum of Connecticut History at 231 Capitol Ave, opposite the State Capitol in Hartford.

The evening’s festivities will include a proclamation by Mayor Elinor Carbone, remarks by Mark McEachern, executive director of the Torrington Historical Society, Mark Linehan of the Torrington Trails Network and Torrington resident Conrad Sienkiewicz, coordinator of the event.

Rounding out the program will be a drum circle led by Angaza Mwando of the AME Zion Church, followed by birthday cake and coffee.

In the year 2000, the Torrington Historical Society merged with the John Brown Association of Torrington, and the historical society assumed the mission to preserve the history and memory of John Brown.

In 2013 the Torrington Trails Network helped build a three-quarter-mile walking trail through the property once owned by John Brown’s father Owen Brown, where the family lived until 1805. For more information, contact the Torrington Historical Society at 860-482-8260 or torringtonhistorical@ snet.net.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Kevin Johnson, pastor of AME Zion Church in Torrington and research assistant at the CT State Library, will present his widely acclaimed and deeply moving performance of William Webb, an African-American Civil War Soldier from Connecticut, during...