The Museum is temporarily closed due to the pandemic.  We will reopen as soon as we can do that safely.  Our reopening plans will be announced here and on our Facebook page as soon as they are finalized.

The 65th Anniversary of the Flood of 1955

Think back to the early hours of Friday August 19, 1955 and try to picture how the residents of Unionville and Farmington must have felt on that fateful day sixty-five years ago. 

Travel back with us.  Learn about the tragedy of that day; what caused the flood, the damage it did, the memories of those who lived through it, and when it was over the resilience of our community.

Each year 8th grade students at Irving A. Robbins Middle School participate in Project Paideia.  In this program students are required to research and execute a project of historical significance and create a 3-D display, online exhibit or video.

These projects, focused on the Flood of '55, were done during the 2019-20 school year and scheduled to be exhibited at the Museum beginning at the end of March.  That exhibit didn't happen due to the Governor's "Stay Safe, Stay Home" guidance.  Since we have yet to reopen we are sharing them here.

Watch this slideshow of the students' Paideia projects to see what they learned about the Flood of 1955 and it's impact on Unionville and Farmington.  We think you will agree they did an outstanding job.
We also want to recognize the Irving A. Robbins students whose Paideia projects were displayed at the Museum during our first exhibit of the year:  Pauline Antinew, Owen Bott, Brooke Eselunas, Isabella George, Sarah Harris, Garrett Legner, Akshara Malepati, Brooke Moeremans, Marissa Nadeau and Samantha Wisniewski.  That exhibit was open from January 16th to March 8th.
More on the Flood of '55:​

First person accounts with photographs.  
  • Memories and Recollections, by Patty LeBouthillier, is a story of the night of the flood and the early days of recovery.  Patty was a high school student at the time of the flood. Her family's home at the corner of Railroad Avenue and South Main Street didn't survive the flood.
  • The Flood of '55  Farmington Avenue and Union School  by John McManama is his journal of recovery efforts after the flood.  At that time he was the Principal of Union School and lived on hard hit Farmington Avenue.

If you are doing research on the flood and would like to access to materials we have in our collection,  please contact us.  If you have photographs from the flood you would like to share or a story to tell, please let us know.