Jenny Simpson: Helping Madison Historical Society Ring in 100 Years
“You turn 100 once in a century, so you need to do big things,” says Jenny Simpson of Madison.
It’s true for people, too, but Jenny is talking about the Madison Historical Society (MHS). As the executive director of MHS, this year she’s overseeing the group’s centennial celebrations, along with an ambitious effort to raise $100,000 to support educational programs and more.
“Madison is a generous community and we’re already raised about $35,000 of the $100,000,” she says.
The group’s Centennial Committee, made up of board members along with members of the community, has been meeting for well over a year to plan the celebrations.
For the Fourth of July, “We wanted to take over the town,” says Jenny.
The group installed vintage images of the buildings along the Post Road in downtown businesses and MHS was even designated grand marshal of the Exchange Club’s parade.
Nancy Farnan of the Charlotte L. Evarts Memorial Archives and MHS Centennial Chair Nancy Smith selected the images for the downtown displays.
“The participation of the retailers along the Post Road was phenomenal,” Jenny says. “Everyone wanted to be in on this.
“There’s been such a great reaction from the community,” she continues. “We’ve see people walking along from shop to shop photographing them and reading them.”
Although the posters were only meant to be up for a week, the retailers overwhelming opted to keep them up for longer. MHS also has a rotating display: the pop-up exhibitions that passersby may notice in the Hull Building adjacent to the Scranton Library. The current exhibit is a display of vintage flags.
“It’s about bringing history to life,” Jenny says of MHS’s mission overall.
MHS is also working on another project: the Madison A — Z Project. In April, residents were polled about what is special and unique to Madison—one item for each letter of the alphabet.
“We had over 400 submissions,” Jenny reports.
After the winning entries are chosen, MHS will make a poster of the final selections with the help of local artists. There’s a fundraiser—a unique one—planned for September, too.
“It’s called Evening in White because all of the guests are asked to wear white,” Jenny says. “It’s a picnic dinner at a surprise location that’s only revealed a day or two before the event. There’s a lot of buildup.”
Though the location remains a secret, guests can expect a picnic-style meal and open air celebration; all the decorations will be white. The centennial culminates with a gala on Thursday, Oct. 19. Guests will dine, dance to Eight to the Bar, and bid at a silent auction. Alongside the A – Z poster, guests will have an opportunity to purchase a book that also represents the hard work of MHS’s volunteers.
“We’re creating a centennial book featuring objects from the collection,” says Jenny. “We’re hoping that will be done and ready for sale by the gala in October.”
Though Jenny plays a leading role at MHS, she’s quick to note that credit is due to others, too. Photographer Bob Gunderson has been digitizing MHS’s collection—which includes thousands of objects—and making it available on Flickr for all to see. His photos will feature in the centennial book.
“We have over 350 images up and we’ve had over 2 million views of our Flickr page,” Jenny notes.
Jenny became the director of MHS shortly after moving to town three years ago. Originally from Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, Jenny attended college at Pepperdine University in Southern California. There, she studied political science and international affairs—and gained a connection to Madison.
“One of my best friends grew up here,” she says. “After we graduated, I lived with her for about six or eight months before I went on to other things.”
Jenny worked in public relations in several places after that, including Washington, D.C., where she met her husband, Neil. She managed a high-end antiques cooperative in Stamford for more than a decade while living in New Haven. In 2014, she came back.
“It was the schools that brought us, but the community and charm and character of the town were also so very appealing to us,” says Jenny, who has two kids: Jack, 12, and Addy, 10. “We’re one of the few remaining towns in Connecticut that has really preserved the nature of that historic downtown.”
Being a part of the organization that makes that happen is fulfilling for Jenny.
“If we’re not here trying to make sure that important buildings or artifacts are preserved, then these things become lost and they could potentially be lost forever,” she says.
A past volunteer on the board of her children’s preschool in New Haven, she’s also a strong proponent of the volunteerism that enables groups like MHS.
“The Historical Society runs because of committed board members and volunteers who give their energy,” she says. “We play an important and vital role in the community. We work hard to make history relevant—make it exciting.”
The Madison Historical Society (MHS) Centennial Gala is on Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Madison Beach Hotel. The Evening in White takes place on Saturday, Sept. 9. For more information, visit www.madisonhistory.org. To view photos of objects from MHS’s extensive collection, visit www.flickr.com/photos/madisonhistory/albums.