Every second Sunday in 2026, step back in time and experience 250 years of Greenwich’s history!
Each month features family-friendly tours at 11:00, 1:00, 2:00, & 3:00, along with an accompanying hands-on activity in our classroom for visitors of all ages.
In honor of the back-to-school season, join us in the classroom to create your own marbled paper notebook! Marbled paper has had a long and surprising history. It likely originated in Asia as early as the 1200s and reached Europe centuries later, becoming especially popular in the 1700s. Marbled paper was a popular choice of bookbinders to decorate and beautify the covers of their books without the expense of leather. Benjamin Franklin also imagined that marbled paper could be used on currency as an anti-counterfeiting measure. In one 1775 printing of Continental currency, marbling was included on the border of the $20 bill. Even more importantly, Franklin used marbled paper to protect the French promissory notes that financed the Revolutionary War. Who knew that marbled paper played a role in our country’s founding?
While marbling paper was a complex and difficult process in the eighteenth century, our modern version using shaving cream is suitable for even the littlest of learners. Use your beautifully marbled paper to make a charming card or for the cover of a notebook. Conclude your visit with a tour of the Bush-Holley House and see if you can spot the marbled paper ledgers in David Bush’s Counting Room.
