Our Museum & History
Our Mission
The mission of the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is to preserve, interpret, and champion Noah Webster’s legacy & birthplace, as well as the evolving history of West Hartford.
Our History
The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is located in the Webster homestead (b. 1747) and is the birthplace of Noah Webster, author of the first American dictionary & the “Blue Back Speller.” He was a teacher, a lawyer, and an early abolitionist. The home was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and restored by the Noah Webster Foundation, a private 501(c)(3) organization. In 1970, the West Hartford Historical Society merged with the Foundation.
The museum includes the historic house, the Jodik Education Center/Hamilton Gallery, the Tracey M. Wilson West Hartford History Center, & The West Hartford Gift Shop. Education programs are enhanced with a working reproduction open hearth, two exhibition galleries, and a newly interpreted orientation gallery. A percentage of the museum’s collection will be available online beginning in 2026, a diverse collection of decorative arts, manuscripts, books, and ephemeral artifacts related to Noah Webster as well as to the local community.
The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society continues Webster’s commitment to education, serving thousands of school children and general visitors from around the world each year.
