The Stamford Historical Society was founded in 1901 and incorporated in 1909. In 1984 the Historical Society moved to the Martha Hoyt School, a vacant 1914 fieldstone schoolhouse, owned by the City of Stamford. in 2016, the City of Stamford moved the Hoyt-Barnum House -- built circa 1699 and the oldest extant house in the city of Stamford -- to the Historical Society's North Stamford campus.
The Costume and Textiles Collection comprises thousands of examples of clothing, accessories, quilts, coverlets, samplers, rugs and many other items dating from the 1700's to the last decades of the 20th century. In 1979 the Society was named principal beneficiary of the notable Cruikshank Collectionof period furniture
As an exhibit-oriented and educational institution which collects, preserves, conserves and interprets materials relating to the history of Stamford and Connecticut between the 17th and 20th centuries, The Society reflects the diversity and change that this region has experienced.
Credit: Overview from museum website