About this Event
A sampler may look like decoration at first glance—but needlework historian Alexandra Peters argues it can be a primary source. On Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., Peters will present “History Revealed: Schoolgirl Samplers” for the at Mill Hill Historic Park – Town House (2 East Wall St., Norwalk). Admission is free; registration is required.
Peters, a sampler collector and curator, will explore how 19th-century schoolgirl samplers illuminate life before the Industrial Revolution from the “often surprising perspective of young women.” She describes samplers as “historical documents written by girls on silk and linen with needles,” preserving values, education, family life, and lived experience in thread.
The lecture is paired with a companion exhibition at the , featuring over a dozen samplers and needlework from the Norwalk Historical Society & Museum collection. For the March 7 program, selected pieces will also be displayed at Mill Hill during the lecture, offering attendees a rare chance to view these works up close.
This lecture is part of the Norwalk Historical Society’s public programs commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. The Norwalk Historical Society is an America 250|CT Affiliate.
📅 Saturday, March 7, 2026
🕑 2:00 – 3:00 PM (EST)
📍 Mill Hill Historic Park – Town House, 2 East Wall Street, Norwalk, CT
🎙️ Speaker: Alexandra Peters
About Alexandra Peters
Alexandra Lally Peters was born in Scotland and emigrated to the United States in 1959. She holds an MA in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and writes essays and novels. She is a historian of needlework and the lives of girls in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
About the Norwalk Historical Society
Incorporated in 1899, the Norwalk Historical Society preserves and shares Norwalk’s rich history through programs, exhibits, and events. The Society has two locations in Norwalk: (2 East Wall Street) and the (141 East Avenue).
The Norwalk Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
For more information:
norwalkhistoricalsociety.org | [email protected] |203-846-0525.
Photo1: Alexandra Peters
Photo2: Sampler, Amanda G. Smith, 1837, City of Norwalk
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Mill Hill Historic Park, 2 East Wall Street, Norwalk, United States
USD 0.00
