WINDSOR, Conn. — [June 22, 2026] — As communities across the nation prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States this July 4, Windsor Historical Society is proud to announce the donation of a family Bible once owned by Windsor native Oliver Ellsworth, member of the Continental Congress, framer of the United States Constitution, United States senator, and third Chief Justice of the United States.
The Bible’s return to Windsor is a meaningful homecoming for an object connected to one of the town’s most nationally significant figures. Born in Windsor in 1745, Ellsworth helped shape the early republic through service in the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention, the first United States Senate, and the nation’s highest court. On one page of the 1769 Bible, Ellsworth wrote his own name, his wife Abigail’s name, their marriage date, and the names and birthdates of all their children—an intimate family record that brings the Founding era into vivid, personal focus.
“This remarkable gift brings a piece of America’s founding-era history back to the community where Oliver Ellsworth’s story began, right here in Windsor,” said Carrie Taylor, executive director of Windsor Historical Society. “As America marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, this donation gives Windsor residents and visitors a tangible connection to a family that helped shape the nation in its earliest years.”
“Objects like this Bible help us tell history in a deeply personal way,” said Michelle Tom, Windsor Historical Society Archivist/Assistant Director. “They remind us that national history is also local history—and that Windsor’s story has always been part of a larger American story.”
The donation also underscores Windsor Historical Society’s role as a trusted repository for the community’s diverse history. From Indigenous presence and early settlement to the American Revolution, abolition, immigration, industry, civic life, and family stories, the Society collects and shares the many strands that make up Windsor’s evolving history.
The Ellsworth family Bible is now part of the Society’s collections, where it will be preserved for future study and interpretation. Its arrival comes as WindsorCT250, Windsor’s local commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, brings residents together through events and programs designed for “the common good.” One upcoming event is a joint program of Windsor Historical Society, the Oliver Ellsworth Homestead, and the Town of Windsor on July 10 — “The Story of Oliver Ellsworth” talk by biographer Michael Toth.
Windsor Historical Society invites the public to join in celebrating this extraordinary homecoming, attend WindsorCT250 events throughout the summer, and explore the collections, programs, and stories that illuminate Windsor’s place in the nation’s past, present, and future. For information about the townwide commemoration and event schedule, visit WindsorCT250.org.