Witness Stones Project Inc.

Restore History, Educate, and Honor Humanity

#WestHartfordCT

West Hartford to Rename Street in Honor of Two Enslaved Women

· ·

By Deidre Montague in the Hartford Courant on May 19, 2022

WEST HARTFORD — The West Hartford Town Council unanimously agreed to change the name of a city street this week, a small move that points to a larger goal — changing the town’s physical landscape to bear witness to its history and culture.

New Street in Blue Back Square will henceforth be named Dinah Road, in honor of two women named Dinah who were enslaved in West Hartford in the mid-18th century.

The change, a nearly year-long process of gathering signatures and support, was spearheaded by the Mayor’s Youth Council and the Witness Stones Project. Continue reading.

West Hartford Will Name Street After 2 Enslaved Women

· ·

By Gabby DeBenedictis on Patch.com on May 19, 2022

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The West Hartford town council voted unanimously to rename New Street in Blue Back Square “Dinah Road,” and according to the Hartford Courant the name is designed to honor two women who were enslaved in town.

The women, a mother and daughter both named Dinah, were forced to work on an estate where Hall High School is now located in the mid-1700s, the Courant reported, citing town historian Tracey Wilson. Continue reading.

Dinah Road: New Name for New Street Approved by West Hartford Town Council

· ·

The name of New Street in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square will be changed to Dinah Road. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton on We-Ha.com on May 16, 2022

A campaign by the Mayor’s Youth Council to rename a West Hartford roadway in honor of two women who were once enslaved in town was approved unanimously by the Town Council on May 10.

Mayor’s Youth Council members Tzionya Goldfischer, a student at the New England Jewish Academy, and Sarah Granquist and Priya Sinha, both students at Hall High School, have been working closely with Town Historian Tracey Wilson to gain approval to change the name of New Street, a roadway in Blue Back Square that runs between Raymond and Isham roads, to Dinah Road. Dinah, and her daughter, who was also named Dinah, were once enslaved in the West Division of Hartford, now known as West Hartford. Continue reading.

Witness Stones Project Students Petitioning to Rename Street in Blue Back Square

· ·

From left: Sara Granquist, Priya Sinha, Town Historian Tracey Wilson, Teen Services Librarian Kari Karp, and Tziyona Goldfischer collect signatures outside the Noah Webster branch of the West Hartford Public Library in order to get the Town Council to consider renaming New Street. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

 

By Ronni Newton on We-Ha.com on March 16, 2022

The only significance of the name of “New Street” in West Hartford is that it was a street newly-created about 15 years ago when Blue Back Square was built.

Three members of the Mayor’s Youth Council – all students at West Hartford high schools – are collecting signatures on a petition to change the name of that street from essentially a placeholder to something with more significance: Dinah Road. Continue reading.

Witness Stones West Hartford Offering Virtual Community History Project

· ·

The silhouette designed by muralist Corey Pane includes the names of Black individuals who have been key figures in the Black Lives Matter movement as well as several who were enslaved in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

 

Published in We-Ha.com on February 16, 2022

In collaboration with the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, Witness Stones West Hartford is offering a free virtual learning series with the project directors.

The public is invited to attend a series of free online classes this March and April offered by Witness Stones West Hartford. In the series of four, one-hour classes, you will work with project directors Dr. Tracey Wilson, Liz Devine, and Denise deMello to remember the lives of enslaved people who lived in what was then known as the West Division of Hartford. Continue reading.

The MLK Mural Part I: Bristow and Freedom

· ·

West Hartford’s MLK39 Racial Equity Mural. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

By Witness Stones West Hartford Co-Chair Dr. Tracey Wilson in We-Ha.com on February 14, 2022

Journalist Yamiche Alcindor, speaking at the University of Hartford on Feb. 8, 2022, said that “Freedom is never won, it is always earned. … Each generation must fight for it to build the beloved community.”

The 2,200 square foot Martin Luther King mural painted in June 2021 helps us to keep the concept and reality of freedom alive in this community, in this generation. It reminds us that we stand on the shoulders of those who defined and redefined freedom in the past. Continue reading.

Conservation Project Planned for West Hartford’s Historic Old North Cemetery

· ·

Courtesy of We-Ha.com

 

By Ronni Newton on We-Ha.com on September 23, 2021

A stroll through the Old North Cemetery on North Main Street in West Hartford reveals gravestones bearing many familiar names – names used for town roads, schools, and key landmarks – but it’s also quickly apparent that many of the stones are in a state of disrepair.

“I’ve always had an interest in doing something about that cemetery,” said Matthew Warshauer, a history professor at Central Connecticut State University who is known to town residents for the Halloween displays at his North Main Street home, right up the street from the historic cemetery.

Many of West Hartford’s founders are buried in the Old North Cemetery, which was created in the late 18th century after the Old Center Cemetery (a block farther south) became too small. It also serves as the final resting place of veterans from the American Revolution, War of 1812, and the Civil War. Continue reading.

Witness Stones West Hartford Receives West Hartford Greater Together Community Fund Award

· ·

By Ronni Newton on We-Ha.comi on July 28, 2021

The West Hartford Greater Together Community Fund, which announced in January plans to award the first $25,000 of grant money to local nonprofits, announced Wednesday that seven organizations have will receive awards in the inaugural cycle.

The program, formed by The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and administered by an all-volunteer advisory committee of town residents, considered applications for grants to fund projects that would “improve or enhance the quality of life in West Hartford or otherwise contribute to address a direct need” in the town, the committee said in a news release announcing the grants. Continue reading.

West Hartford Witness Stones Students Argue for Change

· ·

By Katrina Koerting in the Register Citizen on

WEST HARTFORD — Some streets around town could get new names under an ordinance to honor people or historic events.

Local officials said there are still logistical issues to finalize, but the ordinance was largely supported by public speakers and adopted by the Town Council. Continue reading.