Histoury

05/20/2026

This years Most Endangered Places list has been announced by National Trust for Historic Preservation. "The places featured on the 2026 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places span the country, from rural areas to densely populated city centers. Each of these places has different challenges and needs, but they are all united in how they illuminate stories of remarkable individuals who fought to bring our country closer to its founding aspirations of equality. These historic places, and the inspiring stories they preserve, are necessary so that America may learn from its past in the hopes of building a more perfect union."

Somerset, MA, and two New York spots made the list...

Now in its 39th year, the list has proven to be a highly effective tool for shining a light on the threats facing our nation’s greatest treasures. The places featured on the 2026 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places are united in how they illuminate stories of remarkable individu...

05/18/2026

May 30th only! Step inside Avon and Simsbury historic colonial homes on this new tour.

This tour will bring you inside several private colonial homes found in these two locales, with many more highlighted from the comfort of our charter bus.

Interior stops include the 1690 Amos Curtis saltbox, a handsome brick 18th-century Federal-style residence, a circa 1745 Thompson Family saltbox, and the circa 1735 Joseph Mills House!

SPACE IS LIMITED. OFFERED ONE DAY ONLY.
Saturday, May 30th, 2:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Check-in and board the bus at Simsbury Historical Society.

Adult: $85. Premium: $95. Student: $55.

More details and registration at www.histoury.org

05/18/2026

We had a lovely time touring colonial homes in Plymouth, MA, this weekend! From the bus we went through Downtown Plymouth where homes from the 17 and early 1800s are now part of a bustling commercial center, including the home of Mercy Otis Warren and the author of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations.
We toured the interior of four colonial homes, built between 1684 and 1815, including two in off-the-beaten path areas of town. As can be expected in this South Shore Massachusetts community, we saw many varieties of the historic Cape Cod home, including the half-, three-quarter-, and full-Cape. We were also reminded that plumbing was not original to colonial homes, a five-seater outhouse still stands proudly in the yard of one of our interior stops!

Thank you to all who joined us and to the homeowners who welcomed us in!

05/13/2026

Happy Birthday Virginia!
Born on this day in 1943, Virginia Savage McAlester went on to graduate from Harvard and attend its illustrious Graduate School of Design. In 1984, with her then-husband Lee, she authored the widely popular A Field Guide to American Houses. In 2013, Virginia published a second edition of the guide which included a broader scope of American domestic architecture.

Acclaimed by scholars and treasured by professionals in preservation (as evidenced by our own thumb-worn copy shown here), we recommend it to anyone curious about architecture and looking to better understand our everyday built environment.

Virginia passed away in 2020 but her legacy will live on through the countless moments of insight and gems of fun that she left us in this guide, her other publications, and through her other preservation work, particularly in her hometown of Dallas.

05/12/2026

DON'T MISS OUT! This Saturday only.

Step inside 17th, 18th, and early 19th-century homes on our Plymouth tour - previewed here.

From the comfort of our charter bus, you'll see and learn about many other colonial homes throughout town.

A FEW SPOTS LEFT! Use code 1776 for $17.76 off each adult and premium ticket.
Good through Friday.

Head to Plymouth and spend your afternoon with us!

Details and registration: www.histoury.org

05/11/2026

Saltboxes. You’ve probably heard of them. This is a classic New England type of colonial home. The iconic shape is defined by its rear roof, which has a long slope that extends toward ground level. The name is derived from the containers that colonists used to store their salt. These boxes were attached to the kitchen wall; its angled lid was lifted to get a pinch.

As was the norm in the early 1700s, a house would have been built with a symmetrical facade (front) and would consist of two rooms on each floor, one to the left of the center and one to the right. One of these first-floor rooms would be the kitchen (which served other purposes as well).
As time went on and if circumstances allowed, space was added to the first floor, often times to move the kitchen out of the way and give more formality to the original rooms. Construction of this new interior space was accomplished by simply extending the rear roof and building new walls around it.

Colonists themselves did not call these home saltboxes. According to several sources, including Merriam-Webster, the word was first used in this way in 1876. This would have coincided with the American Centennial, when people were looking back enthusiastically at the country’s colonial origins; this kicked off the Colonial Revival period of American architecture which “says on the can” what it is: a revival of colonial architecture. People began to design or remodel homes to look like those of the 1700 and early 1800s, but there are many differences between true colonial architecture and the Revival homes…

Much to our surprise, when we went to Merriam-Webster ‘s online dictionary to look at the etymology of “saltbox,” we found that a reference to our upcoming May 30th Avon and Simsbury tour made its way to the site! And in another coincidence: on our June 20th tour in Litchfield County, we will be stepping inside a colonial that was once home to the sister of Noah Webster, as in Merriam-Webster!

Check out our upcoming tours, we hope you join us!
www.histoury.org

05/07/2026

Enjoy some highlights from our May 3rd tour of colonial homes in Westport and Weston, CT!

Originally part of Fairfield, CT, these two towns are rich in colonial history and homes that were built centuries ago. We spent time touring some of these homes on the bus to see a variety of colonial-era architecture, discuss some of the individuals that first called them home, and other topics from the town's history.

We stepped off of the bus to go inside four special colonial homes!

Thank you to those that came out for this lovely event, the homeowners that opened their doors to us, and to .

WE HAVE THREE MORE UNIQUE TOURS THIS SPRING - DON'T MISS OUT!
www.histoury.org (link in bio)

05/05/2026

Enjoy some highlights from our May 2nd tour of colonial homes in Old Lyme, CT!

Old Lyme is one of the oldest colonial communities in Connecticut. Centuries later, a great variety of its early homes remind us of its history and also make it a truly charming place. We spent time touring some of these homes on the bus to see a variety of colonial-era architecture, discuss some of the individuals that first called them home, and other topics from the town's history and its ongoing preservation.

We stepped off of the bus to go inside four special colonial homes!

Thank you to those that came out for this lovely event, the homeowners that opened their doors to us, and to @, East Lyme Historical Society, and for making this day a great experience.

WE HAVE THREE MORE UNIQUE TOURS THIS SPRING - DON'T MISS OUT!
www.histoury.org

04/30/2026

THIS SUNDAY ONLY. Your chance to step inside historic colonial homes in Westport and Weston - and see and learn about many more on our charter bus!

Special offer. 15% off with code CT15. Just a few spots left. BOOK TODAY!
www.histoury.org

Our tour will bring you inside the OLDEST HOME IN WESTPORT, another with historic details like colonial Delft tiles and many curious stories, and two period farmhouses in Weston, including one whose original owner is considered one of the first governors of Oregon!

If you already love history, old homes, or are just curious and looking for a fun way to soak up history and culture, then JOIN US!

New England and New York history tours, bringing you inside historic homes for the unique chance to experience design and heritage!

04/29/2026

DON'T MISS OUT...May 3rd only! Tour colonials homes in Westport and Weston...

Here is your preview of this unique experience to STEP INSIDE private colonial homes in these two locales. Never offered before and never offered again!

FOUR HISTORIC HOMES opening for this tour, including the oldest home in Westport, an 18th-century home that was almost destroyed during the war and retains original Delft Blue tiles, and more!

PLUS, see and learn about the histories of many more colonial homes from the comfort of our charter bus.

SPACE IS LIMITED
OFFERED ONE DAY ONLY
NEVER REPEATED

Go to histoury.org for details and registration.

Histoury is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.