Danbury Museum and Historical Society

During the Revolutionary War, Connecticut’s [1] role as the “Provision State” meant that its vast storehouses were under constant threat of attack. One of the most devastating raids occurred at Danbury [2] in April 1777, when 2,000 British soldiers ranged themselves on the town green and burned down every building in sight, destroying thousands of dollars worth of army stores.

Because of that, the two buildings making up the Danbury Museum and Historical Society (43 Main St., 203/743-5200, www.danburymuseum.org [3], hours and rates vary seasonally) are some of the oldest surviving structures in Danbury, even they were only built in 1785 and 1790. Inside, the museum contains exhibits and relics from the Danbury Raid.

In addition, one of the buildings used to be the factory of John Dodd Hat Shop, and now contains exhibits showing how straw, silk, and wool were turned into headgear for almost 200 years.