Connecticut River Museum
Encyclopedia
The Connecticut River Museum is a U.S. educational and cultural institution based at Steamboat Dock in Essex, Connecticut
that focuses on the marine environment and maritime
heritage of the Connecticut River Valley.
The three-story Connecticut River Museum is located in a restored 1878 steamboat
warehouse. The museum opened to the public in 1975, with Connecticut
Governor Ella Grasso as its first paid member and ex officio patron. The core of its collection came from the Wadsworth Atheneum
in Hartford, Connecticut
, which provided the museum with a loan of nautical artwork, navigation equipment and maritime-related artifacts.
The museum's main and third levels offer changing exhibits, while its second level is home to a permanent exhibition on shipbuilding, which includes historical maps and models of steamboats and exhibits on the piscine species in the Connecticut River
.
The museum's collection also includes a full-scale replica of Turtle
, the first American submarine, which was constructed in Essex in 1776 for use against the British in the American Revolution
. The museum property also includes a boathouse and a research library. In December 1995, the museum was given a triangular 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) waterfront property, valued at US$910,000, in the neighboring village of Old Saybrook, Connecticut
, by Bill and Victoria Winterer, who were among the museums co-founders. The property is used as a waterfront park managed by the museum.
“Connecticut River Museum,” Frommer’s
Essex, Connecticut
Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,505 at the 2000 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.- History :- The Great Attack :...
that focuses on the marine environment and maritime
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
heritage of the Connecticut River Valley.
The three-story Connecticut River Museum is located in a restored 1878 steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
warehouse. The museum opened to the public in 1975, with Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
Governor Ella Grasso as its first paid member and ex officio patron. The core of its collection came from the Wadsworth Atheneum
Wadsworth Atheneum
The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the United States, with significant holdings of French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School landscapes, modernist masterpieces and contemporary works, as well as extensive holdings in early American furniture and...
in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, which provided the museum with a loan of nautical artwork, navigation equipment and maritime-related artifacts.
The museum's main and third levels offer changing exhibits, while its second level is home to a permanent exhibition on shipbuilding, which includes historical maps and models of steamboats and exhibits on the piscine species in the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
.
The museum's collection also includes a full-scale replica of Turtle
Turtle (submarine)
The Turtle was the world's first submersible with a documented record of use in combat. It was built in Old Saybrook, Connecticut in 1775 by American Patriot David Bushnell as a means of attaching explosive charges to ships in a harbor...
, the first American submarine, which was constructed in Essex in 1776 for use against the British in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. The museum property also includes a boathouse and a research library. In December 1995, the museum was given a triangular 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) waterfront property, valued at US$910,000, in the neighboring village of Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,367 at the 2000 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick, as well as the census-designated places of Old Saybrook Center and Saybrook Manor.-History:...
, by Bill and Victoria Winterer, who were among the museums co-founders. The property is used as a waterfront park managed by the museum.
“Connecticut River Museum,” Frommer’s