Introduction

Learning about American history has been no more than a few steps away for the students of the Abraham Pierson School.  With the school centrally located in the Clinton Village Historic District, students need only to walk out the door to find themselves following the same footsteps as those first colonists who settled in Clinton in the 1600s.  The early citizens were leaders in every way:  they were courageous and well-educated, and while they were community-oriented, the impact of their lives of ten extended far beyond this small New England town's borders.  Learning about the "hisstories and herstories" of Clinton is a never-ending journey that especially comes alive when one walks the streets of this community.

Each year, teachers at the Abraham Pierson School, along with members of the Clinton Historical Society, teach our students about the town's history through, in part, docent lectures at the Historical Society Museum, open houses at the Stanton House, walking tours by the Yale Marker, and tours and lectures at the Old Brick.  Over the years, the students in my Integrated Day 4-5 class have written reports and created presentations about the famous citizens and historic buildings of our town.  We, however, had always wanted to share the knowledge we gained with other students and that's why we thought about creating this coloring book.

The Team Avino Integrated Day Class of 2003-04 spent a great deal of time fulfilling our curriculum objectives through connections with our community.  The class learned about plants from members of the Historical Society at the Old Brick, including the significance of witch hazel and herbs.  On our walking tours, we learned about the early colonial days and about local citizens who helped define our nation through peace and war.  The students maintained writing journals that were supplemented by photographs that they took of the buildings that were encountered on our walks.  It was with these photographs that, under the direction of Abraham Pierson's art teacher, Mrs. Marlu Kirby, the students created architectural drawings and 3-dimensional clay models.  And thanks to Jennine Avino, my daughter and former graduate of the Clinton School System, the renderings of these models are what you will find in this coloring book.

 

Diana Proto Avino
Abraham Pierson School
Clinton, Connecticut

 

1 ... The Andrews Memorial Town Hal l

 

2 ... The 1630 House

 

3 ... First Church of Christ Congregational Church

 

4 ... The Academy

 

5 ... The Eliot House

 

6 ... The Milestone House

 

7 ... The Stanton House

 

8 ... Abraham Pierson School

 

9 ... The  Vece Family Gazebo

 

10 ... The Holy Advent Episcopal Church

 

11 ... Lemuel Wellman House

 

12  ...Josiah Kelsey House

 

13  ...The Williams House

 

14  ...The Horatio Wright House

 

15  ...The Wright House

 

16  ...The Old Brick

 

17  ...Wellman's General Store

 

18 ... The 1710 House

 

19 ... The Arsenal

 

20 ... The Cow Hill School