Ridgefield Thrift Shop Awards Grant to Ridgefield Historical Society

The Ridgefield Thrift Shop and the Ridgefield Historical Society are cut from the same cloth — a cloth that values the past, gives it new life in the present, and thereby invests in the future.

The Thrift Shop deals in merchandise, clothing and accessories, furnishings, home items, and much much more. The Ridgefield Historical Society deals in history and heritage, from the earliest days of Ridgefield settlement to present day.  But the core activities of the two organizations are much the same: Collect. Preserve. Highlight. Share.  

The Ridgefield Thrift Shop and Historical Society also share a common architectural feature — a below-ground “archive” to store their respective collections. At the Thrift Shop Governor Street location, the lower level is filled with seasonal items and other donated treasures awaiting categorization, pricing, and display.

At the Scott House on Sunset Lane, the below-ground archive is filled with 10,000+ irreplaceable artifacts, documents, and items, all available to tell the centuries-long story of Ridgefield. 

Keeping the archive items safe and accessible is important to both organizations. And, thanks to a recent grant by the Ridgefield Thrift Shop, the Ridgefield Historical Society can do just that.  

Last month, as part of their annual grant tradition, the Ridgefield Thrift Shop awarded a grant to Ridgefield Historical Society, to support work to protect the Historical Society Collection.  

In recent years, heavy rains and a clogged drain have resulted in occasional seepage in the Scott House basement utility room, near where the collection is stored. While the RHS team has managed emergent needs, a permanent solution is needed. The Thrift Shop gift will support a large-scale project aimed to resolve water drainage issues, which could threaten the archive.  

“The history of our town is precious,” says Ridgefield Thrift Shop president, Jennifer Mitchell, “and offers perspective and enrichment to our current lives. The Thrift Shop is thrilled to support the work of the Ridgefield Historical Society and protect the items that represent and reflect our rich history and heritage.”   

With the Thrift Shop support, the Historical Society can begin work to address the root causes of the water issues and continue to protect the history of Ridgefield for centuries to come.  An invaluable gift indeed.