Torrington, CT - The Torrington Historical Society, located at 192 Main Street, is open for the season and will remain open through October 31st. The Society is home to three tourist attractions: the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum, the permanent exhibit, No Place Like Home: The History of Torrington, and the Hendey
Machine Shop exhibit Pursuit of Precision: The Hendey Machine Shop 1870-1954.
The Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum and the two exhibits are open to the public Weds - Sat, 12-4 p.m.
Machine Shop exhibit Pursuit of Precision: The Hendey Machine Shop 1870-1954.
The Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum and the two exhibits are open to the public Weds - Sat, 12-4 p.m.
Fodor’s Guide to New England designated the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum as "one of the better house museums in Connecticut". Built in 1900, this grand Victorian mansion was designed for Orsamus and Mary Fyler by New Haven architect William H. Allen and constructed by the Torrington firm of Hotchkiss Brothers Company.
In 1956, Gertrude Fyler Hotchkiss, daughter of the original owners, bequeathed the house and its contents to the Torrington Historical Society. A visit to the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum will reveal a home rich in details: mahogany paneling, ornate carvings, stenciled walls, murals, parquet floors and ornamental plaster.
Family furnishings include impressive collections of porcelain, glass, oriental carpets and paintings by Ammi Phillips, Winfield Scott Clime, E. I. Couse, George Lawrence Nelson and Albert Herter. Guided tours of the house museum are available for $5 per person; children 12 and under are free.
Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12-4. The last tour is at 3:30 p.m.
Next door to the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum is the History Museum which contains an award-winning permanent exhibit, No Place Like Home: The History of Torrington. This exhibit explores the city’s history while showcasing photographs and artifacts from the Society’s collection. Audio and video components and hands-on interactive stations are featured in this exhibit. Admission is $2; children 12 and under are free.
The Carriage House, located to the rear of the property, is the site of Pursuit of Precision: The Hendey Machine Company 1870-1954. This exhibit features an operational belt-driven machine shop, a video kiosk, and a photographic history of the Hendey Machine Company, a former Torrington manufacturer of lathes, shapers and milling machines. Admission is free.
The John H. Thompson Memorial Library, which houses archives pertaining to Torrington history, is available to researchers Wednesday-Friday 1-4, or by appointment.
In 1956, Gertrude Fyler Hotchkiss, daughter of the original owners, bequeathed the house and its contents to the Torrington Historical Society. A visit to the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum will reveal a home rich in details: mahogany paneling, ornate carvings, stenciled walls, murals, parquet floors and ornamental plaster.
Family furnishings include impressive collections of porcelain, glass, oriental carpets and paintings by Ammi Phillips, Winfield Scott Clime, E. I. Couse, George Lawrence Nelson and Albert Herter. Guided tours of the house museum are available for $5 per person; children 12 and under are free.
Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12-4. The last tour is at 3:30 p.m.
Next door to the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum is the History Museum which contains an award-winning permanent exhibit, No Place Like Home: The History of Torrington. This exhibit explores the city’s history while showcasing photographs and artifacts from the Society’s collection. Audio and video components and hands-on interactive stations are featured in this exhibit. Admission is $2; children 12 and under are free.
The Carriage House, located to the rear of the property, is the site of Pursuit of Precision: The Hendey Machine Company 1870-1954. This exhibit features an operational belt-driven machine shop, a video kiosk, and a photographic history of the Hendey Machine Company, a former Torrington manufacturer of lathes, shapers and milling machines. Admission is free.
The John H. Thompson Memorial Library, which houses archives pertaining to Torrington history, is available to researchers Wednesday-Friday 1-4, or by appointment.
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