A Museum, Library, & Exhibit Gallery
The Old Mystic History Center (formerly the Indian and Colonial Research Center) is a non-profit organization founded in 1965 to preserve the historical research of Eva Lutz Butler.
She was a woman who was passionate about history at a time when a woman's place was NOT leading archaeological digs, conducting anthropological interviews, or writing academic articles.
Are you passionate about history too? Our special research collections will help you find your roots and learn about your history.
In addition, we have accurate information for academic researchers, educators, archaeologists, students, and others to help you add to your story. We are a museum, library, and exhibit gallery located in the historic 1856 Mystic Bank building on Route 27 in Old Mystic, Connecticut.
Volunteer Spotlight: Pablo Armijo
OMHC is very fortunate to have outstanding volunteers who donate their time, effort and enthusiasm. Let's meet one of them!
Pablo holds a B.S. in Marine Sciences from the University of Connecticut, with a minor in History. He has a deep interest in American History. As Pablo puts it, “I’ve always been interested in American History, and I hope to learn about the history of Connecticut and the native tribes that live here.” An avid reader, Pablo also enjoys repairing and tinkering with technology. Currently, as an OMHC volunteer, he is entering articles from our numerous scrapbooks into our PastPerfect database, making local history more accessible to many others.
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This photograph, dating back to the 1920s, features members of the Union Baptist Church of Mystic and was recently donated to the Old Mystic History Center. Along with the photo, we also received a scrapbook containing articles written by Anna Slocum Coit for the Westerly Sun. These articles capture the everyday life of Old Mystic residents from 1898 to 1904. A heartfelt thank you to B. M. for this generous donation!
The names of the people in the photograph are as follows: First row (L to R) Mrs. Dan Pugh, Agnes Austin, Gertrude Beckwith, Anna Williams, Genieve Elliot, Florabelle Ingram Shipler, Linnie Packer, Mattie Burdick, Daisy Robinson. Second row, Mrs. Staplins, Mrs. Massey, Mrs. Lida Coit (black hat fur collar), Emily Holmes. Third row, Mand Lawrence, Clara Watrous, Mrs. Flora Ingram, Anna Caswell. Fourth row, Mrs. Tom Robinson, Mrs. Ida Norman Eldridge, Ruth Williams, Lizzie Chesbro, Margret Williams. Fifth row, Herbert Coit (white coat), George Robinson, Frank Williams, Raymond Pugh (visitor), wife of Raymond Pugh (visitor), Richard Pugh (visitor), Clarence Beckwith, Horace Williams, Amos Gallup, James H. Lawrence, Orris Norman.
Continuing the Legacy
For more than thirty years, members of the Indian & Colonial Research Center's Board of Directors have discussed updating the identity of the Center.
In January 2020, after a two-year deliberative process, the Board made the decision to rebrand the “Indian & Colonial Research Center” with the “Old Mystic History Center” to reflect the growth in our collections. Over the past 50 years, our archival collection has expanded to include many fine manuscripts, publications, photographs, and physical objects connected to the rich and varied history of our area.
While Indigenous and colonial materials are still a large part of our collection’s strengths, our responsibility as the governing board is to care for and promote all the items under our stewardship. We need our research center to maintain relevance, visibility, and viability in the changing world of the 21st Century. The change in our name attempts to address these issues in a realistic community-centered way.
