On the Waterfront: The Photographs of Mode Rathbun
2025-09-17 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | The Latham-Chester Store, 108 Main Street, Noank, CT, 06340, United States
JOIN US: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
7:30pm—Special Exhibition and Program
On the Waterfront: The Photographs of Mode Rathbun,” by John Wilbur
The Latham/Chester Store, 108 Main Street, Noank

Moses “Mode” Rathbun (1881-1965) was a native and lifelong resident of Noank. He was also an avid photographer who was fascinated with the village, particularly the waterfront. A collection of glass-plate negatives discovered at his former home on Front Street has yielded dozens of exceptional images of Noank in the early 1900s. Prints from these negatives provide a rare window into a version of Noank that is both familiar and unrecognizable. They capture the village at a time when the Palmer Shipyard was still producing large wooden ships, when there was still a substantial offshore fishing fleet, and when the shoreline was still cluttered with fishing shacks, lobster pots, buoys, marine railways, boat shops and coal docks. Join us September 17 for a special exhibition of these photographs and a lecture explaining their historical significance by NHS historian John Wilbur.

On the Waterfront: The Photographs of Mode Rathbun
2025-10-04 13:00 - 2025-10-25 16:00 | The Latham-Chester Store, 108 Main Street, Noank, CT, 06340, United States
Due to popular demand, we are extending the Mode Rathbun exhibit currently on display at the Latham/Chester Store (108 Main Street, Noank). The exhibit will be open every Saturday in October from 1-4pm.

Sister Sailors of Stonington
2025-11-19 19:30 - 21:00 | The Latham-Chester Store, 108 Main Street, Noank, CT, 06340, United States
JOIN US: 7:30pm, Wednesday, November 19, 2025
The Latham/Chester Store, 108 Main Street, Noank
Join Chelsea Mitchell, the Director of the R.W. Woolworth Library & Research Center at Historic Stonington as she discusses the “Sister Sailors of Stonington”, exploring the brave and passionate women who went to sea with their husbands in the 19th century. Defying traditional expectations of a woman’s duties, these pioneering women traveled thousands of miles on voyages that lasted years at a time, to the very edges of the known world. Learn how women like Abby Jane Morrell and Mary Burch Brewster navigated the forces of love and duty aboard ship; and how those same forces were tested by both nature and society.
Chelsea Mitchell lives in Pawcatuck with her husband. She received her MLIS from the University of Rhode Island, and has been at Historic Stonington (formerly the Stonington Historical Society) for nearly a decade. Chelsea has a special interest in women’s history, and sharing the lesser known stories of Stonington’s past in an effort to humanize our ancestors.

"For the Common Good: The History of Haley Farm"
2026-03-18 19:30 - 21:00 | The Latham-Chester Store, 108 Main Street, Noank, CT, 06340, United States
JOIN US: 7:30pm, Wednesday, March 18, 2026
The Latham/Chester Store,
108 Main Street, Noank

2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the foundation of the United States of America. To commemorate this milestone, history organizations across the State of CT are focusing on sharing stories centered on four major themes. The first of these is “For the Common Good,” a celebration of civic engagement in our communities. This March the Noank Historical Society will explore this theme with a panel discussion on the “Save the Haley Farm Committee” founded by several Noank residents in the 1960s. Their efforts resulted in the creation of Haley Farm State Park and led to the establishment of the Groton Open Space Association, which actively maintains nearly 2,000 acres of open space land in Groton today. We will also share the history of this property during its three centuries of operation as a farm from 1649-1947.

Noank Home and Garden Tour
2026-06-27 10:00 - 16:00 | CT
A Noank Home and Garden Tour
To benefit the Noank Historical Society
“Art is in the Air”
A self-guided walking tour of Noank Village on Saturday, June 27th will include:

Entry into over a dozen Noank homes and gardens
Plein air painters throughout the gardens, and Noank art displayed in homes
Points of interest highlighting Noank’s summer art colony since the early 1900s
Artwork by local artists for sale at the annual Noank Artists Exhibition

For full event details and ticket purchase, visit the event page.
