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Captain Isaiah Pratt was a deep sea sailor whose family lived in Essex near where the Town Hall now stands, in the latter part of the 19th century. At that time, the youth of the town, when finished with the lower grades, went to Hill Academy. …

The Pratt Smithy was built in 1678, in Pettipaug Quarter, now Essex, by John Pratt, Sr. He was the son of Lieutenant William Pratt, one of the four first settlers in Essex. The Village Smithy on the hill was operated by the same family for ten…

In December of 1887, "all persons who had previously contributed were called to a meeting for building a Public Hall” in Essex. D.L. Stevens was the treasurer of the Public Hall fund, William Hough was chairman and E.W. Wetmore was secretary. Those…

"Essex Square" is based on a picture postcard which traveled to Sweden in 1913 for exactly one cent. But though postal rates have changed, and trolley cars have given way to automobiles, there are people in Essex in 1976 who remember the Square as…

The present Essex Art Association building on North Main Street was built in 1837 as a Baptist Church Conference Room. The street at that time was known as North Street.

It was used as a Conference Room until 1845, when it was purchased for $500…

The Dauntless Club was originally the home of Abner Parker, who built a one-story ell here in 1740 (the present dining room). This part of the structure was later enlarged to two stories. Uriah Hayden built the main house in 1766. The consequent…

Prann’s Corner, located in the very center of Centerbrook, was known for miles around. For over 80 years it was owned and operated by a member of the Prann family. Four generations of Pranns were born and/or lived in the house next to the store. …

Witch hazel has been long known for its soothing and healing qualities. Its story begins long before settlers arrived, when the hamamelis virginiana bush was noticed by the Indians. Legend has it that the yellow blossoms appearing in the fall…

The house on the property on the corner of North Main Street and Maple Avenue, known as Doane’s Farm, was built around 1810. It was originally a slaughter house.

Mr. Charles N. Doane bought the farm around 1911 and lived there until his death in…

The two-story, red brick building, now owned by the Essex Historical Society, began its life as Hill's Academy, a school for secondary education. The site was given by Joseph Hill, one of a group of seventeen citizens who established the school as a…