Take home this cannonball from the War of 1812 era for an entire year -- a truly priceless item! Display this stunning conversation piece in your home or office.

This cannonball was recovered in Stonington and weighs about 18 pounds. It is believed to have been shot during the Battle of Stonington in 1814, but dating iron this old can be tricky; so it is possible that this cannonball is older than that!

The cannons used to defend Stonington during the War of 1812 - and now on display in Cannon Square - are 18 pounders. They were a popular defense cannon against naval warfare since they were mostly stationary and had a long range of accuracy for the time period (up to one mile!). 18 pounds refers to the weight of the ball; but also to the size or caliber of the cannons themselves. Typically; the powder charge used to fire the shot was about 1/3 as much as the shot itself; meaning these 18-pound cannonballs were fired with 6 pounds of gunpowder.

As a memento of your stewardship of the cannonball for a year, you will also receive a copy of "The Rockets' Red Glare" by Glenn Gordinier.

The cannonball must be returned to the Stonington Historical Society by May 15, 2022, with the case. The cannonball cannot be removed from the case.

Local delivery only or can be picked up at the Captain Nathaniel Palmer House, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington. CT.

Up to 20 people will join the esteemed Venture Smith scholar Nancy Steenburg and her colleague Elizabeth Kading for a hike to the Venture Smith homesite at Barn Island on July 24 at 10 am.

The hike will be followed by a picnic luncheon, an intimate presentation and a Q& A session with Professor Steenburg, and a tour of the Lighthouse Museum.

Venture Smith was kidnapped from his African homeland as a child and enslaved here in Stonington for the better part of his life. Under various owners, Venture Smith was both respected and abused. He was allowed to earn an income outside of his bondage and eventually was able to purchase the freedom of his family. In Stonington, Venture Smith was enslaved, purchased his freedom, bought real estate, and built a home. His dictated autobiography was published in 1797 detailing his extraordinary life.

Nancy Steenburg is a professor of history at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point Campus where she also oversees the Bachelor of General Studies Program. She has studied the life of Venture Smith for many years and was instrumental in identifying the original boundaries of Smith's parcel of land and homesite. Steenburg served as the primary researcher for the Venture Smith Project funded by the State of Connecticut. "My Freedom is a Privilege that Nothing Else Can Equal," an exhibit about the life of Venture Smith and enslavement in Stonington opened at the Lighthouse Museum in 2022.

Host a cocktail party for up to 20 people at a unique location - Stonington's own Lighthouse Museum! Hang out with your friends and learn more about the history of Stonington.

Food and drink will be provided by the Stonington Historical Society.

Date must be mutually agreed upon. Cannot conflict with SHS programming.

Perfect for your next book club meeting!

Lisa Brownell, author of the historical fiction novel Gallows Road will join your book group to talk more about her debut novel. 6 copies of the novel are included.

Meeting time to be mutually agreed upon. Can be redeemed starting in September 2022.

About the Book
A beautiful young woman is condemned to death for a crime that she swears that she didn't commit. Inspired by true events in New London, Connecticut in the 1750s, the novel GALLOWS ROAD is told through the voice of a servant, Mercy Bramble. Sent to live in a remote farmhouse, the 17-year-old finds herself in a destructive relationship with her 27-year-old master. The mysterious death of her newborn puts Mercy's life in the hands of a jury while three ministers - and a group known as Children of God - all fight to save her soul. Indentured servants - white or Native American men and women who often worked alongside black slaves - were forbidden to marry during the seven years they were bonded to service. Illegitimate births were common, and unwed mothers faced heavy fines and extended servitude. This setting of multi-racial households in colonial New England sheds light on an important chapter in our American past. The story builds to a climax that Kirkus Reviews has called "a nail- biter all the way."

About Lisa Brownell
LISA HALL BROWNELL, a fiction writer and editor, believes that stories have the power to connect one person to another, and past to present. GALLOWS ROAD is her first novel. She also has written screenplays and short stories and is working on a second novel. A former media director for Mystic Seaport Museum and director of publications for Connecticut College, Brownell was editor of the award-winning CC: Magazine. She graduated from Brown University, and earned an M.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She now lives in Ledyard, Connecticut.

Join Woolworth Library Director and Collections Manager Chelsea Mitchell for a private showing of objects from our collections chosen specifically for you and your interests.

You and up to 10 of your friends will be hosted in the Woolworth Library to interact with and learn about textiles, artworks, objects and manuscripts that relate to a topic of your choosing - or leave it a mystery and let us share our most mysterious, ornate or oldest pieces with you.

Offer expires 6/30/2023. Advance reservation required; date must be mutually agreed upon.

Up to 10 of you will join Librarian and Collections Manager Chelsea Mitchell for a curated tour through the Historical Society's collections of American folk art.

Enjoy a glass of wine with the group at the conclusion of your tour.

Offer expires 6/30/2023. Advance reservation required; date must be mutually agreed upon.

Our most popular program at the Stonington Historical Society! Learn the history of your home from its indigenous beginnings to the present day.

Our house histories include a complete chain of title, social history of the people who have lived in your home, and a plaque that bears the name of the individual(s) who built it! This is a fascinating way to learn about your house, but also about the history of the town.

House must have been built before 1950.

Complete your library with this anthology of 20 Stonington history publications. Includes:

• A Village Love Affair - Rollie McKenna's Stonington
• The Rocket's Red Glare by Glenn S. Gordinier
• Connecticut Waters by Caryn B. Davis
• Landmarks You Must Visit in Southeastern Connecticut by Constant Waterman
• More Landmarks You Must Visit in Southeastern Connecticut by Constant Waterman
• Hidden History of Mystic & Stonington by Gail B. McDonald
• A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa but resident above sixty years in the United States of America related by Himself 1798
• Stonington by M. Earl Smith and J. Huguenin
• Steamboats on Long Island Sound by Norman Brouwer
• Stonington During the American Revolution by Norman Francis Boas
• Our Flag is Still There, a Scrapbook History
• The Davis Homestead by John Lawrence Davis
• South of the Cannons by Henrietta Mello Mayer
• Once Upon Quoketaug by Rudy J. Favretti
• Stonington Ice by Joseph A. Vargas, III
• Murder at Darling Hill by Judith G. duPont
• Antarctica Discovered by a Connecticut Yankee, Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer by Lawrence Martin
• Capt. Nathaniel B. Palmer & Nathaniel B. Palmer, 2nd by Norman F. Boas, MD
• The Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer House by Constance B. Colom

Local delivery only or can be picked up at the Captain Nathaniel Palmer House, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, CT.

Get a group of up to 10 friends together and enjoy an evening at the Captain Palmer House with Librarian and resident cocktail historian, Chelsea Mitchell.

Sample drinks from American history with a simple charcuterie spread. A fun and casual evening!

Date must be mutually agreed upon. Offer expires June 30, 2023.. Date cannot conflict with other SHS programming,

Show off your Stonington pride with a variety of items from the Stonington Historical Society's Gift Shop! Includes:

• Stonington Tote Bag
• Stonington tea towel (Talented Cityscapes)
• Lighthouse Museum beanie hat
• Set of 8 postcards featuring historical photos of Stonington
• Needlepoint Stonington Lighthouse keychain (Smathers & Branson)
• South of the Cannons by Henrietta Mello Mayer
• Once Upon Quoketaug by Rudy J. Favretti
• Stonington Ice by Joseph A. Vargas, III
• My First Three Hundred Years by Henry Robinson Palmer, Jr.
• Murder at Darling Hill by Judith G. duPont
• Family Membership for 1 year to Stonington Historical Society

Local delivery only or can be picked up at the Captain Nathaniel Palmer House, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, CT.

Up to 10 of you will join an experienced SHS guide for a private walking tour of Stonington! Choose from one of the following tours:

• Historic Stonington Borough - Learn more about our own seaside village and those who lived here.
• Battle of Stonington - Step back into time and learn more about the Battle of Stonington.
• Queer if By Sea - Learn more about the queer history of Stonington's residents.
• Stonington's Literary Legacy - Learn about the literary giants who called Stonington home.

Advance reservation required; date must be mutually agreed upon.

Own your very own piece of the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House!

An ornate iron fence post, original to the Captain Palmer House, is housed in a mahogany frame made from salvaged wood from the basement of the Palmer's home. Includes a brass plaque:

Original Fence Piece
Capt. Nathaniel Palmer House
1852

Made by local artisan, Kevin Mizak, this architectural fragment is one of only eleven made!