Reading, Writing & Redding — A History of Our Schools (Virtual)

Registration Required Below

Join us for a fascinating journey through the educational history of Redding with our town historians!

Bruce Nelson and Brent Colley explore the evolution of the town’s schools from one-room schoolhouses to the modern educational institutions we know today.

Learn about the origins of public education in town, along with stories from early schoolhouses and the teachers who shaped generations.

Whether you’re a lifelong resident or a newcomer, this talk offers an opportunity to connect with Redding’s rich heritage.

History Close to Home is an occasional series delving into the unique and fascinating history of both Redding and the Nutmeg State. Whether you’re a newcomer to Redding, or an old-timer, this series offers opportunities to learn more about our collective stories and shared past.

This is a hybrid program that will be held both in person at the Library, and also presented virtually over Zoom. For the best experience, we recommend attending in-person, at the Library. If you’d like to register for the virtual program, please sign up below and a link will be emailed to you on the day of the program. To register for the In-Person program, please click here.

Our Town Historians

Brent Colley grew up in Redding and comes from a family that called this town home for five generations. He credits his grandfather, Harry Colley, for instilling a curiosity and a love for the town’s past. Colley leads walking tours, slide shows and speaking engagements that showcase the people, places, and events that have enriched the histories and shaped the landscapes of Branchville, Georgetown, and Redding.

Brent also created and maintains the town’s comprehensive online resource: historyofredding.net.

Bruce Nelson is a Redding native and its co-historian. Director of Research at the Historical Society of Easton, Bruce has won eight awards for Excellence in Journalism from the Connecticut Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, for articles published in The Easton Courier. Bruce is also a publisher and an author at Sport Hill Books.

In 2019, Bruce and Brent co-authored the book The Revolution Comes to Redding, a fictional narrative that brings to life actual events that occurred in town during the Revolutionary War. Copies of the book will be available for purchase after the talk. Brent and Bruce have also co-founded the Redding Connecticut History Project where they have curated over 3,000 documents and photos related to Redding history.