To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the General William Hart House, the Old Saybrook Historical Society is featuring a new exhibit, "A House for the Ages," which opens to the public on June 25, 2017 from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. Through archival images, the exhibit showcases a retrospective of the Society's preservation efforts since acquiring the Hart House in 1974. It asks visitors to consider, "Why is preserving old places important?" and especially, "Why is preserving the General William Hart House important?" The exhibit highlights a few of the inhabitants who have called this property their home and the momentous times in which they lived. It also gives visitors a glimpse into 18th-century craftsmanship and the dramatic changes in style that this house underwent over the years, most notably a conversion to Victorian taste.

Since 1974, the Society's efforts to restore the house to reflect the era of its original owner, General Hart, have also involved the cultivation of the surrounding landscape, including the creation of an award-winning herb garden that is highlighted in the exhibit. With the support of its members and friends, the Hart House & Garden has become the headquarters for the Society's events, programs, and collections. In celebrating this history, the exhibit also showcases the Society's current philosophy of preservation, in which an appreciation for the past is fused with a vision of the future to ensure that this "House for the Ages" continues to serve the community of Old Saybrook for the next 250 years.