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Riley Klein
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Cathy Hoffman Miller, whose parents opened House of Books 50 years ago, holds pictures of her family.
D.H. Callahan
A packed House of Books in Kent celebrates its 50th anniversary Saturday, June 14, with a birthday bash, refreshments and books. D.H. Callahan
Among the attendees was Cathy Hoffman Miller, daughter of John and Carol Hoffman the original owners. Cathy wasn’t even a teen yet when the family settled down in Kent, after years of bouncing from boarding school to boarding school.
While she was happy to establish roots in the quintessentially quaint New England town, it quickly became apparent that this new business was going to be a family affair. Cathy and her sisters were put to work keeping the wire racks full of noir and wester paperbacks, and the shelves stacked with new releases. The sisters would soon enlist their friends to help out with the annual new year’s day inventory counts in exchange for free pizza from the Kent Pizza Garden, one of a handful of businesses still open today.
With a thriving art community in the area, famed mid-century painter, Eric Sloane utilized the store as a base for distributing his art books, often coming into the store to sign copies which House of Books would ship all over the country. They even converted the back of the store into an art gallery for a time, setting the stage, in a way, for today’s Kent Barns galleries.
The House of Books was clearly more than just a store. Kent residents would treat the shop as a place to hang out, taking their time to socialize and fraternize while leafing through pages. Buying something seemed like a secondary priority to gathering together to shoot the breeze. That was just fine with the House of Books.
The Hoffman Family founded the House of Books.D.H. Callahan
Of course, this was all long before the fatal one-two blows of Big Box bookstores, and the online onslaught from Amazon. When the House of Books opened 50 years ago, there were an estimated 10,000 bookstores operating in the United States. In 2019, there were fewer than 2,000.
But manager Ben Rybeck believes the pendulum is swinging back in favor of the little guy. Rybeck was hired as the manager of the House of Books in April of 2020, a time when the whole world was shut down, and in-person shopping was a thing of the past. He witnessed first hand how the community rallied together to support the store that had been there for them over the decades.
Using online tools made more available to small businesses, customers were able to shop the House of Books inventory, sending their purchases directly to their homes, or picking them up outside the store. It was a great chance for the community to be there for House of Books, who had been there for the community for 50 years.
The next 50 years may be hard to predict, but Rybeck seems to be right about one thing. The pendulum is indeed swinging back. Since the pandemic, the number of small, independent bookstores across the country has nearly doubled. That fact, just like 50 years of this beloved store, is truly something to celebrate.
Ford Farm on Route 44 in East Canaan offers a variety of highway-side farm products.
Alec Linden
When she noticed the gap between local consumers and producers, Reeve took matters into her own hands by launching NOCA Exchange, an online platform connecting farm producers and clean eaters across the region.
Just weeks old, the platform is still in its experimental phase, she said, but she’s looking forward to its future as more consumers and farmers join.
The website currently features a map and directory of farm stands and farmers markets across the region. Through an accompanying Facebook group, Reeve, local farmers and community members share updates about what products are in season and available for purchase.
As of June 12, Reeve said NOCA Exchange, named after her home town of North Canaan, had about 17 farms on board, ranging from flowers to beef and beyond, plus a Facebook audience of more than 70.
The end goal, she said, is hopefully “a little resource for somebody who might want to go for a cruise on a Sunday afternoon and hit a back road” in search of wholesome goods. “Because who knew that there are turkey and quail eggs for sale in East Canaan, just off of 44!” she exclaimed.
Ultimately, Reeve hopes the Facebook group will promote connections between farmers and buyers, but she’s letting the community steer.
“We’ll see where it goes!” she said.
NOCA Exchange not only features small farm stands but also established, popular farm-sourced markets like Freund's Farm Market & Bakery in East Canaan.Alec Linden
Reeve recalled that the idea had an unlikely genesis: a conversation at a CrossFit Gym.
“It took months before I realized that a member of the gym’s wife owned Beavertides Farm in Falls Village, and they did beef and lamb and beeswax,” she said. “It just spurred some curiosity.”
After learning another acquaintance happened to own Howling Flats Farm in North Canaan, Reeve said she realized that there was a gap between the wealth of farm-produced foods and buyers in the region.
“Maybe some people know,” she said, “but I think a lot of other people don't, so this is just bringing awareness to that.”
Reeve said the core of her interest comes down to her own family’s values of “making smarter choices, trying to support the community, and prioritizing grassroots movements wherever we can,” and that she believes others in the region feel the same.
Part of the appeal of buying local is seeing where your food comes from, an increasing rarity in a world dominated by global food markets.
“I can go to the stand and largely see the field where the item was grown,” she said, “and there's just something kind of magical about that.”
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Reenactors raise a massive flag on the liberty pole Saturday, June 13, commemorating the patriotic demonstration that took place in Canaan before the Revolutionary War.
Ruth Epstein
The patriotic celebration extended beyond the ceremony with a community picnic called “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Appleness” at Bunny McGuire Park. American favorites like hot dogs and apple pie were served.
Kathy Keane, the chair of the town’s 250th Anniversary Committee, addressed a crowd that gathered on the grassy corner of Routes 44 and 7, near where the original flag raising took place in 1774.
“What will it be like 250 years from now?” Keane asked, reflecting on future generations. “Our greatest resources are our kids. We need to celebrate our past and our future.”
First Selectman Jesse Bunce welcomed attendees. He had cut down the tree, which was donated by a descendant of one of the town’s first settlers, Isaac Lawrence, and formed it into the pole, placing it 10 feet into the ground to ensure its stability.
Historian Tim Abbott gave a synopsis of the pole’s history. In June 1774, the Port of Boston was closed by the British in retaliation for the Boston Tea Party. The closure was part of the Intolerable Acts imposed upon the colonists, which included restrictions on property rights and the honoring of bills of credit.
“Connecticut folks began saying that if it can happen in Boston, it can happen here,” Abbott said. “In August 1774, Canaan decided to show its dissent.”
He said details of the Canaan liberty pole were gleaned from the Connecticut Courant. It was described as being 78-feet tall and 15-feet wide, dimensions replicated in the current pole. It was scarlet in color, with the words “LIBERTY and PROPERTY” printed in large capital letters.
Young "militia men" line up at Saturday's flag raising on the liberty pole in North Canaan. Ruth Epstein
Abbott said many colonists believed their ability to govern their own affairs was being undermined by British authorities. The liberty pole served as a way of signaling that local residents felt neglected and opposed policies being imposed from afar.
“We know it was put up around this spot,” Abbott said. “It’s also known that after the flag was raised, those involved went to a local tavern to toast their deed and then they went peaceably home.”
Abbott also described the involvement of several Canaan residents in storming the court house in Great Barrington in August 1774. The court was overseen by British-appointed Judge David Ingersoll, who was dragged to the Canaan pole, forced to recant his support for the King and later imprisoned in Hartford. The courts in Great Barrington remained closed for six years.
North Canaan resident Christian Allyn spoke about the Canaan Exchange Club, which is celebrating its 100th year, and was one of the sponsors of the liberty pole installation. The club’s motto is “Unity and service for patriotism.”
Other sponsors were the Canaan History Center, the 250th Anniversary Committee and the town.
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