Prudence Crandall Museum

Prudence Crandall Museum Museum is the site of the 1831-1834 Canterbury Female Boarding School; a National Historic Landmark & International Site of Conscience. "Crandall v.

The Prudence Crandall Museum is the site of the Canterbury Female Boarding School and a National Historic Landmark located in Canterbury, CT. In 1832, Crandall, the white principal of the Canterbury Female Boarding School, was approached by a young Black woman named Sarah Harris asking to attend the school. Encouraged by conversations with both Harris and Maria Davis, a Black woman who shared copi

es of the Abolitionist newspaper "The Liberator" with her, Crandall agreed to admit Harris. When residents protested the school’s integration and parents threatened to withdraw their students, Crandall closed her school and reopened in 1833 for non-white students. Students traveled from several states. Connecticut responded by passing the “Black Law,” which prevented out-of-state Black and Brown people from attending school in Connecticut towns without local town approval. Crandall was arrested, spent one night in jail, and faced three court trials before the case was dismissed. In September 1834, a nighttime mob attack closed the school. These events made national and international news in the 1830s and galvanized the burgeoning Abolitionist movement. Many of the students, such as Julia Williams, Mary Miles, and Mary Harris, went on to become educators, reformers, and leaders in their communities. Connecticut" impacted two U.S. Supreme Court decisions and laid the framework for the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Prudence Crandall Museum is a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. Owned by the State of Connecticut, the Museum is operated by the State Historic Preservation Office.

Happy Juneteenth! The Prudence Crandall Museum is open today for our regularly scheduled guided tours to share the histo...
06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth! The Prudence Crandall Museum is open today for our regularly scheduled guided tours to share the history of the Canterbury Female Boarding School and give space for conversation and reflection on this important day in history. We hope you can join us.

Recognizing Juneteenth during this Semiquincentennial year feels especially important as we work to acknowledge that the signing of the Declaration of Independence did not give freedom to everyone.

From our welcome banner:

"The Canterbury Female Boarding School is a National Historic Landmark and International Site of Conscience. The Black and Brown students and White teachers who lived and learned in this building experienced 17 months (527 days) of sustained harassment. This included attempted arson, a poisoned well, and a mob assault. They responded with bravery, intelligence, and peace.

Here is where we tell their story."

This exhibit follows the APA 7th edition style and grammar guidelines for inclusive, bias-free language.

The Prudence Crandall Museum is proudly participating in CT's Digital Backpack program for ALL Connecticut school staff-...
06/18/2026

The Prudence Crandall Museum is proudly participating in CT's Digital Backpack program for ALL Connecticut school staff--we once again offer 50% admission to anyone with a CT school employee ID June through September.

This summer, school staff from across CT can take advantage of dozens of discounts from Red Sox and Yankees games to museums, hotels, restaurants, and more!

To view a complete list of participating businesses and how to access discounts & opportunities, go to http://portal.ct.gov/digitalbackpack

The Prudence Crandall Museum is proud to be included in the America 250 | CT stories Passport! Below (in the comments) ...
06/15/2026

The Prudence Crandall Museum is proud to be included in the America 250 | CT stories Passport! Below (in the comments) is a link to the digital passport which you can access on-line and also download. Physical copies of the Passport will be available at the museum this summer.

06/14/2026
What visitors are saying: "Hearing the full history of the school and the students, teachers and founders was extremely ...
06/13/2026

What visitors are saying: "Hearing the full history of the school and the students, teachers and founders was extremely eye opening and appreciated. Learning about the struggles and bravery of those before me is powerful." --visited 10/30/25

The museum is open for two tours today: 11:30 am & 3:00 pm. We hope you can join us!

Yesterday docents from the Oliver Ellsworth Homestead toured the museum--Oliver Ellsworth was the father of William Wolc...
06/01/2026

Yesterday docents from the Oliver Ellsworth Homestead toured the museum--Oliver Ellsworth was the father of William Wolcott Ellsworth, Prudence Crandall's lead defense attorney.

The Prudence Crandall Museum will be closed Monday, 5/25, for Memorial Day.
05/25/2026

The Prudence Crandall Museum will be closed Monday, 5/25, for Memorial Day.

The Town of Canterbury will hold it's annual Memorial Day Ceremony.
05/22/2026

The Town of Canterbury will hold it's annual Memorial Day Ceremony.

Comic-Con International has nominated "Surrounded" for a Will Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work!!! Wishing Wilfr...
05/21/2026

Comic-Con International has nominated "Surrounded" for a Will Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work!!! Wishing Wilfrid Lupano, Stephane Fert, and NBM Graphic Novels best of luck!

Address

1 South Canterbury Road (Junctions Of Routes 14 & 169)
Canterbury, CT
06331

Telephone

(860) 546-7800

Website

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