Aspinock kicks 

off fund-raising

PUTNAM — Putnam’s Aspinock Historical Society recently announced its 2nd Annual Appeal Campaign. This year’s goal is to raise $15,000 to aid in the stabilization of the Cady-Copp Cottage. Local citizens have volunteered to serve on the Campaign Leadership Team.  

Returning general chairmen are brothers Marc and Tom Archambault of the Archambault Insurance Company. They were raised in Putnam and have grown the family insurance business started by their grandfather. They have been active in community activities all their lives and believe that Putnam has a wonderful and varied past which needs to be preserved. 

They said: “We have enjoyed growing up and living in a community where our history surrounds us every day.  From the mills along the river, to Main Street, and even the building we work in, our past can be seen and touched. It has instilled in us a strong sense of community and pride in the history that our town has enjoyed. We are excited to be able to help preserve this knowledge for future generations.” 

Assisting the Archambaults will be John Miller as division leader for Corporations and Business, and Liz Thompson and Al Cormier will be the leaders for the Professionals. Greg King will lead the Major Gifts division while Scott Pempek heads the division for Organizations. Piloting the division for Community are Marcy Dawley and “Buzz” King, and Robert Chicoine chairs the division for Aspinock Historical Society members and directors.

The proceeds from the campaign will assist the Society in continuing its on-going activities. Also, immediate attention must be given to preserving the Cady-Copp Cottage. 

At the cottage, the windows, walls, and doors need some TLC. This year’s Annual Appeal funds will guarantee the preservation of this local historic building, eventually opening it to the community, and not losing it to weather, age and critters. 

The 2017-2018 Annual Campaign goal of $15,000 is to be used to stabilize the Cady-Copp Cottage and, in the near future, open it as a museum to the public. The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 based on its architectural and historic significance. Built in c. 1745, and located on Liberty Highway, (Rt. 21), the house was last occupied in the 1920s. Part of Cady-Copp’s uniqueness is that it has never been updated with running water or electricity. 

In 2004, the Public Archaeology Survey Team conducted archaeological tests to determine whether important buried artifacts or structural remains were present. The archaeological investigations at the site made many new discoveries about the homestead and the activities of the families who lived there. 

Putnam’s Aspinock Historical Society was founded in 1972 when a dozen citizens recognized the need to preserve our past and educate people in the area about our rich heritage. The first public event was celebrating the 200th anniversary of the raising of the Liberty Flag on the Putnam Heights green at which then-Senator Abraham Ribicoff spoke. 

Later, the Society procured a boxcar and developed it into a museum in which beloved local teacher and author of The Boxcar Children series, Gertrude Chandler Warner, is honored and memorialized. Each year the museum receives visitors from all over the U.S. Many interesting and diverse programs have been held through the years, featuring a vast variety of topics from major themes such as Flood of 1955 to very specific historical items. 

Each year members provide tours and talks to local schools, groups and the community. Members are also called upon by the Town of Putnam to provide historical information. Members often assist students in researching information from Putnam’s past and provide resources for teachers.  

With donations, Putnam’s Aspinock Historical Society will be able to continue and expand the services.