The Watkinson Library is home to some 2,000 linear feet of manuscript material, dating roughly from the beginning of the 17th century to the present. Most manuscript collections are American, with the greatest concentration in the 19th and early 20th century.

Collecting Strengths

The emphasis is on local and cultural history, with manuscripts complementing the Library’s rich printed holdings in Americana. Among the largest collections are the papers of writer Charles Dudley Warner (1829-1900), educator Henry Barnard (1811-1900), Hartford musician Nathan H. Allen (1848-1925), and the Watkinson family (1757-1873).

The Manuscript collections may be searched through finding aids at the ArchivesSpace platform.