The Sloane-Stanley Museum

“Eric Sloane (1905-1985), noted Connecticut artist, writer and tool collector, donated the fine early American tools on exhibit in this museum. The land and building were donated to the State of Connecticut by The Stanley Works to commemorate its 125th anniversary of manufacturing quality tools for the American craftsman.

“The tools were arranged by Mr. Sloane to present both an artistic and educational display. With the early settler’s reverence for wood and his skill in designing ingenious tools, the collection tells a valuable story about our forefathers and the great American heritage of craftsmanship. Many of the tools are handmade and reflect how carefully and beautifully the early craftsmen created things.

“The Diary of an Early American Boy is a small wood-backed, leather bound 1805 diary purported to be written by Noah Blake who had received the diary for his fifteenth birthday. Using the notations in the diary, Mr. Sloane built a small cabin next to the museum in 1974. The structure reflects the austere conditions of an early frontier cabin.

“The site of this museum was once alive with the activity of the Kent Iron Furnace. The furnace began productions of pig iron in 1826 and continued for almost 70 years. The ruins of the furnace with its granite blocks and Gothic arch can be seen just below the museum. The outbuildings and the millrace which once diverted water from the Housatonic River are now overgrown, but the clearing of the area and partial restoration of the furnace is part of the overall development plan for the site. In the lobby of the museum is a diorama of the Kent Iron Furnace as it appeared in the late nineteenth century. Also included are photographs depicting the operation of the blast furnace during the period of operation. overgrown, but the clearing of the area and partial restoration of the furnace is part of the overall development plan for the site. In the lobby of the museum is a diorama of the Kent Iron Furnace as it appeared in the late nineteenth century. Also included are photographs depicting the operation of the blast furnace during the period of operation.

“The museum also features a recreation of Sloane’s Warren, Connecticut studio.”