The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Transforming the forlorn into community gems
MORRIS — A bedraggled and forlorn building, the erstwhile Morris Historical Society Museum, across from the Morris firehouse, has been shuttered for many years, awaiting its revival, which began in earnest when the newly formed Morris Fire Co. staged an open house for a huge crowd of local residents and supporters.
The museum’s new board of directors, including President Jamie Keppler, Vice President Dan Coutu, Secretary Carrie Keppler, Treasurer Denise Weik and Edie Weik, Ben Paletsky, Phil Birkett, Richard Skilton, Ed and Judy Dorsett and Scott Brady, have been focusing on their top priority of restoration for the museum, which was also the original town hall (circa 1861), and the original firehouse for the town of Morris.
Included in their plans for restoration and future tours is the adjacent one-room schoolhouse, which was moved from East Morris in 1984. The schoolhouse, one of several located in what was then known as South Farms, dates to 1772. A quirky side note is that the renowned showman P.T. Barnum owned a copper mine in South Farms, circa 1850, evidently as an investment property.
The museum has an eclectic mix of donated items, including a magnificent organ from the 1880s donated by the Throop family, which is awaiting restoration; a restored clothing and dry goods wagon owned by the H. Slaiby company from the Lakeside section of Morris; several military uniforms and ephemera, including a war helmet with a bullet hole, a black powder and ball musket from 1816, and a Purple Heart belonging to William C. Weik Jr., who earned it on the battlefields of Italy during World War II; the original headstone for town founder James Morris, and the original Bible belonging to the South Farms Ecclesiastical Society pulpit, donated by Henry Mann.
To the side of the one-room schoolhouse is a 1915 road grader that is slated to be restored by the Morris Highway Department and then placed prominently on the front lawn of the museum. The grader has participated in many Memorial Day parades and is a beloved icon of the town.
The group plans to offer tours of the two historical buildings on Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m. during the summer, on evenings when there is a concert on the nearby Morris green, or an event at the Morris Fire Co. directly across the street. They are planning a membership campaign and sale of engraved brick pavers as a continuation of the existing brick path surrounding the town green.
The board is seeking volunteers to serve as docents for the museum or to offer time and talent to upgrading the location, including building restoration, painting and installation of a path connecting to the existing brick paver path across the street.
For details, contact the Morris Historical Society, P.O. Box 234, Morris CT 06763.