Community members digitize family history in New Haven

Dixwell 'Q' House hosts scanning event to preserve local history

Jan. 31, 2026 at 9:55pm

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Community members in New Haven, Connecticut gathered at the Dixwell 'Q' House on Saturday to digitize family photos, flyers, newsletters, and other keepsakes as part of an effort to preserve local history, especially for the Black community, at the start of Black History Month.

Why it matters

The event aimed to capture and preserve the stories, memories, and lived experiences of New Haven families that may otherwise be lost over time. Digitizing these historical materials helps ensure they can be shared and accessed for generations to come.

The details

The Dixwell 'Q' House, a community organization, hosted the scanning event and invited local families to bring in their personal items to be digitized. Organizers said the goal was to display and preserve the history of the community, which can be easily lost if the stories are not actively documented and shared.

  • The event took place on Saturday, February 1, 2026.

The players

Dixwell 'Q' House

A community organization in New Haven that hosted the family history digitization event.

Eileen Williams Esdaile

A New Haven resident who participated in the event to preserve her family's history.

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What they’re saying

“It's a way to display our history and to preserve our history, because a lot of people growing up now, if you don't tell the story, you won't know the story, and that will die off with our ancestors and with us if we don't preserve it now.”

— Eileen Williams Esdaile, New Haven resident

The takeaway

This community-driven effort to digitize family histories in New Haven highlights the importance of preserving local stories and experiences, especially for underrepresented groups, to ensure they are not lost over time.