The Hanford-Silliman House at the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society offers families a welcoming way to explore Connecticut’s past, and to consider the many roles women played in everyday life.
Built in 1764 by weaver and New Canaan’s first licensed tavern keeper, Stephen Hanford, the house functioned as both a family home and an “ordinary,” or inn and tavern, for travelers.The home’s history reveals the work and responsibilities of women across generations. Jemima Kellogg Hanford raised her family in the busy tavern household, while Sarah Hanford later sold the property after Stephen Hanford’s death.
The house then became home to Martha Leeds Silliman and Dr. Joseph Silliman, who raised seven children there; the Silliman family remained connected to the property for 126 years.Visitors can tour the historic house and explore original Silliman family objects, period furnishings, a traveling loom, household tools, dolls and toys, and the museum’s notable pewter collection.
The broader campus includes 11 historic sites, including the Town House, Cody Pharmacy, Rock School, Tool Museum and Print Shop, and the John Rogers Sculpture Studio, making it a great place for families to discover local history together. The museum’s clothing and textiles collection, one of Connecticut’s largest, includes more than 6,000 items spanning 240 years, from wedding dresses and children’s clothing to shoes, accessories, quilts, and undergarments. Rotating exhibitions offer another window into how women and families lived, worked, dressed, and marked life’s important occasions over time.