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Hays-Heighe House

CONTACT

Hays-Heighe House
Phone: 443-412-2539
Email: haysheighe@harford.edu
OPEN HOURS
Tuesdays: 1:00-3:00 PM
Thursdays: 3:00-5:00 PM
Fridays: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 PM
[Admission is free]

Unless otherwise noted, all events and programs are held in the Hays-Heighe House and require a reservation. We cannot guarantee seating for walk-in attendees. The Hays-Heighe House is wheelchair accessible. Guests who require other arrangements should contact Linda Anthony at 443-412-2539 at least two weeks prior to the event they plan to attend. The Hays-Heighe House follows all weather and/or emergency-related opening & closing decisions of Harford Community College.

HISTORY

Picture of a large stone house.

Click HERE or on the picture to learn more about the history of the Hays-Heighe House.

HAYS-HEIGHE HOUSE EVENTS & EXHIBITS

Blending modern with historic, the Hays-Heighe House connects the past to the present, and the future.

Come for an exhibit or an event, stay for the architecture! The rooms encourage more familiarity and intimacy than a lecture hall, and the fine historical structure provides more gravitas than a classroom. Peer up the old staircase, find the half-moon windows, and count the fireplaces. Imagine life a century ago, when the house became headquarters for a thoroughbred horse breeding and training operation, or two centuries ago, when a large family-and the enslaved people they held—lived and worked here. The architecture and the way people lived in it are part of Harford County’s history and culture, and we welcome you to experience it.

We offer a variety of events each semester to complement our current exhibit. Program types often include teas, living history portrayals, book discussions, debates, musical performances. We also hold lectures on a wide range of topics, including art, history, ethics, literature, technology, medicine, the environment, political movements, and journalism. These events are all free, unless otherwise noted.

Pre-registration required for all events.
To reserve your seat today, or to be added to our mailing list, call 443-412-2539 or email haysheighe@harford.edu.


EXHIBIT

ELECTION! 1824, 1924, and Today

Elections look very different today than when the Hays-Heighe House was first built. There have been big changes to who votes, where we vote, and how we vote.

Learn what election day would have been like for the Hays family in the 1820s and for the Heighes in the 1920s. Two hundred years ago, Andrew Jackson, who believed the presidential election had been stolen from him, named the result “the corrupt bargain.” A century later, the Democrats went through more than 100 rounds of voting at their convention before selecting their official presidential candidate. Although election season can be contentious, it is also a hopeful time when we can talk about big ideas and get a chance to participate in civic life. Come celebrate election season with a look at its history!

September 3 – November 15, 2024


Tuesday, September 3 - EXHIBIT OPENING

11:00am-3:00pm

Refreshments served

Two months to go before Election Day, and our exhibit is open! Walk through and learn about changes to the voting process, what elections would have been like locally, and how issues that arose in earlier eras remain important today.

CURATOR WALK

12:30pm

In this guided tour through the exhibit, our curator provides backstory and context, and highlights some of the best items on display. Hear stories that didn’t make it to the exhibit panels.

Free event. Reservation not required.


Pre-registration required for all events.
To reserve your seat today, or to be added to our mailing list, call 443-412-2539 or email haysheighe@harford.edu.

INTERACTIVE | Contested Convention

Moderated by Julie Mancine, HHH Coordinator & Exhibit Curator

What happens when a party’s chosen candidate is not a foregone conclusion before the convention? Since President Biden stepped away from the candidacy, a contested convention has become part of the national discussion. In 1924, it took Democrats 109 rounds of voting to select their candidate (who promptly lost the general election).Come to this interactive reenactment and see if we can do better.

Thursday, September 5 | 6 - 7:30 PM

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance:HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

TALK: Storytelling & Myth Making

TALK: Storytelling & Myth Making in Presidential Campaigns

The frontrunner, the outsider, the self-made man, the anointed heir, the man-of-the-people, the military hero, the dark horse – since Andrew Jackson’s 1824 presidential campaign, popular narratives surrounding the candidates have played a role in our elections. This talk will review some of the most well-known examples, tell some less known stories, and evaluate their success.


Thursday, September 12 | 6:15-7:15 PM

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance:HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

CONSTITUTION DAY & NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY

INTERACTIVE | Who Votes?

Would you have been allowed to vote 100 years ago? How about 200 years ago? Learn how politicians have justified limiting voter eligibility throughout history and what has occasionally pushed them to broaden it. Discussion will include a review of who remains deprived of the right to vote.


Tuesday, September 17 | 11:10am-12:30pm

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance: HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

PRESENTATION

PRESENTATION | The Importance of Knowing What You Don’t Know

6:00-7:00pm

Presentation by Professor Stephanie Hallock for the AAUW

How do we cut through the nasty partisan rhetoric to have thoughtful conversations with family, neighbors and friends? The Founding Fathers knew that a free press and freedom of speech were essential in order to maintain a citizen-led representative democracy. We no longer trust our media sources, and free speech now seems to include intentional lies. Learn about Ground News, an excellent resource for understanding media bias and uncovering our own blind spots.

Wednesday, September 18 | 6 - 7 PM

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

TEA at the Hays-Heighe House

At one time, the political arena used to be a popular source of recreation and entertainment, with torchlit processions, float-filled parades, pole-raisings, and barbecues. These teas will be a non-partisan celebration of American political life. Learn what campaigning and voting were like a century or two ago, and how and why they have changed. Let’s bring back the ballyhoo!

Thursday, September 19 & 26

12:30-1:30 PM

ADVANCED TICKET PURCHASE REQUIRED.

Tickets tend to sell out quickly!

COST: $20 per person, or free with HCC student ID

(443) 412-2539 or HaysHeighe@harford.edu

PRESENTATION | Symbolism in Politcal Cartoons

Just like memes today, political cartoons have always relied on a shared understanding of cultural symbols. But how has this visual shorthand developed? We’ll talk about some common characteristics and how they work, and also explore some classic examples (the donkey, the elephant, and Uncle Sam) and their origins. Discussion may include the impact of humor on mis/dis-information.


Tuesday, October 1 | 12:30-1:30 PM

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance: HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

OLD-TIME POLITICAL RALLY

Come over and celebrate American political life with us! Political activities used to be a popular source of recreation and entertainment. This historical rally will include a brass band and a patriotic costume contest. Bring your own favorite historical memorabilia (patriotic or political) to our “show & tell” tables. Enjoy live music and free food, and be sure to stop in the House to see the exhibit.

Wednesday, October 9 | 12:00-2:00 PM

Refreshments Served. Free event. Limited seating.

Please reserve your spot in advance:HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

TALK | Communicating with Voters

Early Radio to Modern Podcasts

Now presidential candidates share memes, tweet directly to the masses and appear on influencer podcasts, but in early American history, they did not speak on their own behalf, even to defend themselves. How did they get their message out to the public back then, and how did we evolve from there to here? This talk will especially consider the 1920s emergence of radio – that ancestor of today’s livestream influencers.


Tuesday, October 15 | 12:30-1:30 PM

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance: HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

TEA at the Hays-Heighe House

At one time, the political arena used to be a popular source of recreation and entertainment, with torchlit processions, float-filled parades, pole-raisings, and barbecues. These teas will be a non-partisan celebration of American political life. Learn what campaigning and voting were like a century or two ago, and how and why they have changed. Let’s bring back the ballyhoo!

Thursday, October 17 | 12:30-1:30 PM

ADVANCED TICKET PURCHASE REQUIRED. Tickets tend to sell out quickly!

COST: $20 per person, or free with HCC student ID

(443) 412-2539 or HaysHeighe@harford.edu

DEBATE | The Electoral College

Undemocratic Relic, or Still Useful?

Moderated by Julie Mancine, HHH Coordinator & Exhibit Curator

Nowadays, our representatives, senators, and governors are all popularly elected, but our chief executive – the president – is still selected by the Electoral College, as mandated in the Constitution. What is the point of having this select group intercede between the American public and the leader of the country?Learn the history and issues surrounding the electoral college by watching and participating in a spirited debate on the matter.


Wednesday, October 23 | 6 - 7 PM

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance: HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

TEA at the Hays-Heighe House

At one time, the political arena used to be a popular source of recreation and entertainment, with torchlit processions, float-filled parades, pole-raisings, and barbecues. These teas will be a non-partisan celebration of American political life. Learn what campaigning and voting were like a century or two ago, and how and why they have changed. Let’s bring back the ballyhoo!

Thursday, October 24 | 12:30 - 1:30 PM

ADVANCED TICKET PURCHASE REQUIRED. Tickets tend to sell out quickly!

COST: $20 per person, or free with HCC student ID

(443) 412-2539 or HaysHeighe@harford.edu

TALK | And the Winner Is…?

Presentation by Professor Andrew Kellett

When the loser of the 2020 election termed it “stolen,” it was just the most recent presidential election with a controversial outcome. Five times in our history (including 2016), the eventual winner in the Electoral College had failed to capture a majority of the popular vote. Already by the election of 1800—only the second contested election in American history, since George Washington ran unopposed—controversy surrounded the results.


Tuesday, October 29 | 12:30-1:30pm

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance:HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

Curator Walk | Spooky, or Politics-as-Usual?

In this guided tour through the exhibit, our curator provides backstory and context and highlights some of the best items on display. Hear stories that didn’t make it to the exhibit panels.

Thursday, October 31 | 12:30-1:30pm

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance:HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

Election Day (Not an Hays-Heighe House Event)

Tuesday, November 5 ELECTION DAY!

Polling places near you open at 7:00am and stay open until 8:00pm.Get out and vote!

The Hays-Heighe House is not a polling place. This is not a Hays-Heighe event.

INTERACTIVE | Gerrymandering

Politicians picking their voters, instead of voters electing their politicians? Maryland is one of the most gerrymandered states in the country. How did gerrymandered election districts come to be, and what can be done about it? After election day, folks whose candidates lost or issues failed begin to search for reasons, and gerrymandering is often part of the discussion. Can we create district boundaries more fairly?


Wednesday, November 6 | 12:30-1:30 PM

Free event. Limited seating. Please reserve your spot in advance:HaysHeighe@harford.edu or (443) 412-2539

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