Executive director who led Norwich Historical Society to prominence departs

Norwich ― From walking tours to efforts to preserve historic buildings, the Norwich Historical Society has taken a prominent role in promoting the city’s history.

Society leaders credit part-time Executive Director Regan Miner for the group’s success. Miner, a 2010 Norwich Free Academy graduate, earned an undergraduate degree in history at the University of Connecticut and master’s degree in public history at Central Connecticut State University.

Miner will leave her position and begin a new position Monday as full-time executive director of the Fort Adams Trust in Newport, R.I. The trust owns and manages the 1799 fort named for President John Adams.

Miner and her husband, Dayne Rugh, executive director of Slater Memorial Museum at NFA, plan to stay in the city. The couple lives in the Norwichtown Historic District. Miner serves on the Historic District Commission.

“I am a proud Norwich resident, born and raised,” Miner said. “We still want to be part of the community, but in a different capacity and still continue to promote and advocate for Norwich’s rich history and continue to support historic restoration efforts where we can.”

During Miner’s 10 years at the historical society in various roles, the nonprofit has secured federal, state and local grants for programs and to restore historic buildings in partnership with the city and with The Society of the Founders. The Society of the Founders owns and operates the Leffingwell House Museum and the adjacent Greenleaf House.

The Norwich Historical Society obtained grants to renovate the the 1783 Lathrop schoolhouse at the Norwichtown Green and to restore the long-vacant 1789 East District Schoolhouse on upper Washington Street, both owned by the city.

Norwich Public Utilities contributed $126,998 in Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credit funding to the society since 2016 to assist with the renovations.

"Regan has been a fantastic collaborator with NPU for many, many years,” NPU spokesman Chris Riley said. “Her enthusiasm for the incredible history of Norwich has made a very significant contribution to this community."

The Society of the Founders and the city historical society obtained $800,000 in federal, state and local grants to renovate the Greenleaf House as a handicapped-accessible events space.

“She has really done a phenomenal job,” said Eric Beit, historical society president. “She helped grow the organization into what it is, finding and winning grants. All the funding that we have right now, we couldn’t have gotten that without her.”

Amanda Keenan of Norwich, who has experience in historic interpretation, museum membership and administration at the Mystic Seaport, will serve as the interim part-time executive director for the historical society.

She will be busy from the start. The Lathrop schoolhouse will open on weekends starting this Saturday running through October. The schoolhouse will convert from a free visitors’ center to a paid-admission museum with entry at $5 for adults and free for children under age 15.

Staffed by college students, Navy moms and high school students, the schoolhouse will have exhibits, a period classroom with reenactors as school masters. The museum will host events, such as a Benedict Arnold scavenger hunt and an Aug. 22 program to mark the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to Norwich.

Once a month, the historic crafts demonstration squad, the Dirty Blue Shirts, will run programs at the schoolhouse. The first is scheduled for June 15 and is called Summer Fun in the Federal Era with outdoor games of the late 18th century.

Last Thursday, more than 20 people joined Miner and alderwoman and NAACP past president Shiela Hayes for a downtown walking tour of sites on the Norwich Freedom Trail. The route is one of six Walk Norwich tours the historical society developed using state, local and private foundation grants. More information is available at walknorwich.org.

Thursday’s tour was part of Otis Library’s 14th annual Harris Sisters Month to honor Sarah and Mary Harris, two Black girls from Norwich who attended Prudence Crandall’s school in Canterbury.

Participants applauded when Harris Sisters Month organizer Elanah Sherman introduced Miner and announced her departure.

“She has embraced this and other initiatives that celebrate histories that are often hidden and should not be hidden,” Sherman said. “I want to thank you for all you have done to support this initiative and to support history in Norwich.”

c.bessette@theday.com