Our History
Danbury Museum & Historical Society Authority (DMHSA)
The Danbury Museum & Historical Society Authority acquires, preserves, exhibits, and interprets Danbury's past. Situated in downtown Danbury, the museum preserves the John and Mary Rider House c.1785), the Dodd Hat Shop (c. 1790), the Marian Anderson Studio, the old King Street Schoolhouse, the Little Red Schoolhouse and the Charles Ives Birthplace. Huntington Hall, a modern exhibit building contains the museum offices and a research library.
The Danbury Museum and Historical Society has evolved out of efforts to preserve endangered historic properties. One of the City's oldest structures, the Rider House on Main Street, would have been demolished in 1941 to make way for a gas station had it not been for the intervention of concerned citizens (including the Mary Wooster DAR Chapter). After raising money to purchase this property, these citizens founded the Danbury Historical and Arts Center.
A merger, in 1947, between the Scott-Fanton Museum and the Danbury Historical and Arts Center, saw the creation of the Danbury Scott-Fanton Museum & Historical Society Inc. During the 1950s and 60s, the museum acquired the John Dodd Hat Shop, the Ward House, the Charles Ives birthplace, two one room schoolhouses and erected Huntington Hall, where many of its exhibits have been displayed.
In 2004, the Museum was thrilled to add the Marian Anderson Studio to its collection. Famed contralto Marian Anderson made Danbury her home for more than 50 years. The studio was moved to the Main Street campus of the museum in 1999. Restoration of the studio was completed in early 2004. 2006 saw the merger of the Danbury Scott-Fanton Museum with the City of Danbury and a new entity was born on July 1, 2008...the Danbury Museum and Historical Society Authority.
Staff, Boards, and Volunteers
Danbury Museum Staff
Brigid Guertin, Executive Director
Michele Lee Amundsen, Collections Mgr
Patrick Wells, Researcher
Julia Siergiej
Delaney Daly
Megan Shiskin
President - Geoff Herald
Vice President -Liz Hudson
Second VP - Robert Young
Secretary - Marian Hesemeyer
Treasurer - Robert Doyle
Trustees: Paul Valeri, Dr. John Clark, Eric Gottschalk, Doug Polistena, Brandon Whitfield, and Roberto Alves.
Board members are nominated by the Mayor of the city of Danbury and confirmed by Danbury's City Council. If you would like more information please contact the Danbury Museum at b.guertin@danbury-ct.gov
Board meetings are generally held the second Thursday of each month at 5:00 pm in Huntington Hall. The public is welcome.
President - Ed Siergiej
Vice President - Kathy Ehli
Treasurer - Mike Flanagan
Secretary - Joretta Kilcourse
Board Members:
Roberta Struski, Brigid Guertin, Joan Saplio, Joanne Kaltenstein, Andrea Gartner, Anne Harrigan, Michele Lee Amundsen.
Authority Board Representative: Elizabeth Hudson.
Meetings are held at 4:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month in Huntington Hall at the Danbury Museum & Historical Society. The public is welcome to attend.
Upcoming Meetings
Mark Your Calendars!
Fabric Friends Quilting Group Monday, November 4, from 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Friends of The Danbury Museum Monday, November 1, at 4 p.m.
Danbury Mineralogical Society Thursday, November 7, at 7 p.m..
Danbury Museum & Historical Society Authority Board, Thursday, November 14, at 5 p.m.
The Arion Singing Society meets Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m.
Please note that all meetings are held in Huntington Hall. Click here to learn more about these groups and other DMHS partner organizations.
Volunteer Opportunties
Archive Volunteers
Looking for a fulfilling volunteer position
for a few hours a week?
Do you like to work with old manuscripts or use a computer to compile a database of archival resources?
Maybe paint a wall or build a shelf?
Give us a call to see how you can help the Danbury Museum.
203-743-5200.
Student Volunteers
Need volunteer hours for school or church?
Students over the age of 14 are encouraged to volunteer Saturdays at the museum.
You may be working in the gift shop, organizing archival materials, typing in a database, or working outside in our gardens.
Internships
The Danbury Museum seeks to fill several internship positions
available throughout the year.
Interns will work directly with the Executive Director or Curator on multiple ongoing projects in collections management, processing of archival collections, tour development, education, and preservation.
To apply, please submit a letter of interest and your resume to Brigid Guertin, Executive Director via email: b.guertin@danbury-ct.gov or phone by calling 203-743-5200.