New England Civil War Museum The New England Civil War Museum was established in March 1994 . It is located within the Memorial Building , inside a former Grand Army of the Republic ( GAR ) Hall in Rockville , Connecticut . Thomas F . Burpee Post # 71 of the Grand Army of the Republic held their monthly meetings in the Grand Hall from 1890 until 1929 . Alden Skinner Camp # 45 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War , their direct heir have held their monthly meeting here from 1890 until the present , making it the oldest , continuously used GAR Hall in the entire country . After the Post disbanded in the mid - 1900s , its collection of relics , prints , paintings , lithographs , photos , and papers was turned over to Alden Skinner which used the original GAR collection to begin a museum . Since then the Camp has collected hundreds of new items related to both Connecticut Civil War soldiers and the GAR in Connecticut . Holdings and history . The museum encompasses the Hirst brothers ' collection ( 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry ) , the Thomas F . Burpee collection ( Colonel , 21st Connecticut Volunteer Infantry ) , Kilbourne Newell collection ( 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry ) and the Charles Weston collection ( musician , 5th & 7th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry ) . A lot of the museum ' s original collection was donated by members of Burpee Post . The Museum contains the O ' Connell - Chapman Library , which has over 1000 volumes of Civil War literature , in addition to original copies of the 128 volumes of " The War of the Rebellion : a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies . " This was compiled by the US War Department and originally published from 1880 - 1901 . The Library also owns the original Civil War map books that accompanies the Office Records and several photographs of local Civil War veterans . The building has the Grand Hall , an outer room , and a kitchen . The museum and library , along with the hall and its rooms , are the property of the Alden Skinner Camp # 45 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War . Fifteen years ago , the Museum acquired part of its original property from the town of Vernon . Once owned by the GAR , the property was annexed by the town and used as a jail cell . The room now houses the Ross S . Dent Reading Room . The Memorial Hall is also used for meetings by the Connecticut Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States ( MOLLUS ) . Notable Events Held in the GAR Hall . September 17 , 1909 - Reunion of the 14th Connecticut Volunteers Commanders of Burpee Post # 71 . This information is pulled from the minute book of Burpee Post , which today can be found inside the archives at the New England Civil War Museum . 1886 - E . B . Durfee ( 4th & 5th Massachusetts ) 1887 - E . B . Durfee ( 4th & 5th Massachusetts ) 1888 - William H . Loomis ( 10th Massachusetts ) 1889 - Julius Newell ( 11th Connecticut ) 1890 - Daniel Andrews ( 27th Massachusetts ) 1891 - Lester Phelps ( 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry ) 1892 - A . Park Hammond ( 14th Connecticut ) 1893 - E . B . Durfee ( 4th & 5th Massachusetts ) 1894 - Charles W . Woods ( US Navy ) 1895 - Charles W . Woods ( US Navy ) 1896 - William J . Noad ( 5th Connecticut ) 1897 - A . B . Parker ( 22nd Connecticut ) 1898 - Samuel K . Ellis ( 25th Connecticut ) 1899 - Thomas A . Lake ( 18th Connecticut ) 1900 - William D . Emerson ( 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery ) 1901 - Bela L . Burr ( 16th Connecticut ) 1902 - John A . Odgen ( 14th Connecticut ) 1903 - Thomas S . Pratt 1904 - James Baxter ( 22nd Connecticut ) 1905 - John Hirst ( 14th Connecticut ) 1906 - E . F . Loveland 1907 - E . F . Loveland 1908 - William H . Loomis ( 10th Massachusetts ) * Did not serve most of year due to bad health . Senior Vice Commander Samuel K . Ellis assumed command in his absence . 1909 - Egbert Dart ( 7th Connecticut ) 1910 - John D . Lovering 1911 - Harvey W . Davis ( 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry ) 1912 - Philo Talcott ( 21st Connecticut ) 1913 - Egbert Dart ( 7th Connecticut ) 1914 - John A . Ogden ( 14th Connecticut ) 1915 - Samuel K . Ellis ( 25th Connecticut ) 1916 - E . F . Loveland ( 49th Massachusetts ) 1917 - E . F . Loveland ( 49th Massachusetts ) 1918 - E . F . Loveland ( 49th Massachusetts ) 1919 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1920 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1921 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1922 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1923 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1924 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1925 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1926 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1927 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1928 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1929 - Kilbourne Newell ( 14th Connecticut ) 1934 - Leverett Charter ( 11th Connecticut )