COMING IN 2026

Rigidity and Reckless Abandon:

Women’s Fashion from 1870 to the 1920s

During the Gilded Age, America transitioned from a rural country to an industrial world leader. This newfound power was centralized to a small fraction of the population, who accumulated a great deal of wealth, set styles in fashion and design, partied extravagantly, and lived lives of self-indulgence. In this exhibit, we explore how women’s fashions evolved from stiff satins controlled by rigid corsets and bustles to soft chiffons with flimsy undergarments.

 We will also explore how fashion decimated numerous animal populations so that people could display their wealth, using furs, tortoiseshell, ivory, and feathers to accessorize themselves.

Civic Ground: Governance and Gathering

In 1786, Woodstock was designated the shire town, or county seat, of Windsor County—a pivotal moment that shaped the town’s future. This distinction set Woodstock on a path toward becoming the social, political, and economic center of the county. Soon afterward, settler Israel Richardson donated land for the construction of a courthouse, along with an adjacent open space. Over time, this common ground evolved into the Green—the very heart of Woodstock Village.

New for the 2026 season, the Windsor County Court and the Woodstock History Center have collaborated to present a mini-exhibit titled Civic Ground: Governance & Gathering. This exhibit offers a concise look back over the past 240 years, highlighting the vital roles these two sites have played in the life of the community—from the courthouse serving as the seat of justice to stories of local lore, including vampire tales and gatherings on the Green.

A Glance Backward: 250 Years

When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, Woodstock was a fledgling frontier settlement, grappling with its own questions of sovereignty as it sought independence from both New York and New Hampshire.

A Glance Backward: 250 Years features Revolutionary War–era and early American artifacts donated to the Woodstock History Center by the DAR, alongside objects from the years that followed. Together, these pieces illustrate Vermont’s remarkable evolution—from disputed territory to independent republic, and ultimately to the 14th state of the United States.

This mini-exhibit is part of the Woodstock History Center’s Semiquincentennial Anniversary celebration.