Ellington Historical Society to use grant for Nellie McKnight Museum

Jun. 18—ELLINGTON — The Ellington Historical Society is using a $4,905 grant from Connecticut Humanities for a consultant who will guide its board of directors through the process of creating a three-year strategic plan for the Nellie McKnight Museum on Main Street.

Museum consultant Kathy Craughwell- Varda said her role with the 12-member board is as a facilitator. When the group begins meeting later in the summer, she'll start with conversations about what the board believes are the important services the museum provides to the town.

The ways that board members respond to various hypothetical scenarios that delve into the concept of strengths and weaknesses that Craughwell-Varda will propose for discussion will help build their "administrative muscles," she said.

"It's rare that board members have worked for a museum, but they all come with skills that can be used further and help them function as a group with one voice," she said.

Nellie McKnight, a prominent Ellington resident, donated her 1812 Federalist-style home at 70 Main St., along with its furnishings and records, to the historical society upon her death on Oct. 27, 1981 for it to be maintained as a museum. A farm exhibit, Nellie's Mercantile on Main — an old-fashioned general store — and a Vintage Wares Barn are also at the site.

PLANNING AHEAD

WHO: Ellington Historical Society.

WHAT: Will be using a $4,905 grant from Connecticut Humanities for a consultant who will guide the historical society through creating a three-year strategic plan for the Nellie McKnight Museum.

Mark. A. Maciolek, president of the Historical Society, said his main goal is to make the Nellie McKnight Museum a place that people of all ages will have fun visiting.

The museum recently held an event called "Barnyard Babies Day" that featured goats, piglets, alpacas, and chicks.

"The place was filled with people of all ages and from all the surrounding towns, and it was a beautiful thing to see everyone enjoying themselves," Maciolek said.

Another recent event where members of the community brought their vintage cars for display at the museum drew students from the high school, many of whom had never been to the museum before, he said.

It was such a success, he said, that the historical society is now planning a car show at the museum every Friday at 5 p.m.

Another goal of his is to resurrect a piece of the historic Cogswell School on the museum's property. The 146-year-old one-room schoolhouse had once stood at 80 West Road and later became the Valley Fish market owned by Agway. The building was razed in 2020 but, according to the historical society's website, volunteers were able to save some of it — "the beautiful front gable of the school, complete with dancing corbels and the iconic center window, all intact."

The historical society is working with architect Bob Dawson on rebuilding the school on the museum's property. Once completed, Maciolek said, he looks forward to the board holding its meetings there and opening it to town groups who would like to use the space.

"Right now, there's nowhere in town beside our schools to have a small meeting or gathering," he said. "Hopefully, the restored school can be used for those."

Dianne Trueb, vice president of the historical society, said the board has many ideas for the museum's future, including the goal of making it a cultural center for the community to enjoy.

"This would be through educational exhibits, special events, and opening it to people for meetings and programs," she said.

The current board, which took office in 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, added monthly events at the museum, Trueb said.

Now that things are opening up again and COVID restrictions have been lifted, she said the board is starting to add more events at the museum. On July 25, an antique tractor show is planned.

For other monthly events, Trueb said, the board is interested in finding out what the community would like to see featured at the site.

Community input is part of planning a three-year strategic plan, Craughwell-Varda said. "In every strategic plan, we spend part of the sessions inviting other members of cultural institutions, clubs, not-for-profit groups and individuals to collect their thoughts on the institution. We need community input because you can't grow a cultural institution in a vacuum. It's important for the board to know how they're perceived by the community."

For more coverage of Somers and Ellington, follow Susan Danseyar on Twitter: @susandanseyar, Facebook: Susan Danseyar.