NEWFANE — The Historical Society of Windham County received an Award of Merit from the League of Local Historical Societies at its annual meeting and conference held on Oct. 29 in Bennington.
The Historical Society of Windham County was recognized for its second annual history fair, which took place on Aug. 14 on the historic Common in Newfane, Vermont.
Mark Hudson, Vermont Historical Society executive director, presented the award in the category of educational outreach.
The event featured exhibits by the Vermont Historical Society, the Historical Society of Windham County, the Estey Organ Museum, the Brookline Round School House, Brookline Church Preservation Association and Vermont Cemetery Association, as well as 10 historical societies in Windham County, including those from Brattleboro, Dover, Dummerston, Grafton, Guilford, Jamaica, Putney, Townshend, Vernon and Whitingham.
Also featured at the fair were antique professionals who appraised old treasures, handcrafted wares by crafters from the region, Vermont authors, and professional genealogist Joann Nichols who answered questions about genealogy research.
Additionally, there were walking tours of the Village's historic district, music played on an historic Estey organ, demonstrations and presentations on wool spinning, birch bark canoe making, weaving, colonial wood working, and old cemeteries of Vermont.
The Museum of The Historical Society of Windham County provided regularly scheduled tours of its extensive collection of Windham County artifacts.
The fair received excellent coverage in local papers and resulted in more than 400 people attending of the course of the day.
Information about the fair can be found on the Historical Society of Windham County's new Web site at historicalsocietyofwindhamcounty.org.