Wilton Town Hall may have historical significance of its own, but a new display in the foyer invites visitors to revisit America’s revolutionary era — with a royal twist and a family tie to Wilton First Selectman Toni Boucher.
The temporary exhibit is kicking off a series of events in Wilton leading up to the America 250 celebration next year. July 4, 2026 will be the 250th — or semiquincentennial — anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Boucher Protégeé’s Craft
The new display is a historically accurate, hand-sewn replica of a dress worn by Britain’s Queen Charlotte in the 1700s. The elaborate costume was created by First Selectman Boucher’s daughter Marie Boucher, who has spent years honing her sewing skills and interest in historical fashion.
Though she started sewing as a young girl, Boucher said she first became interested in historical costume-making when she found herself living in a rural part of North Carolina with time to devote to a hobby. Over the years, she crafted pieces for renaissance fairs and even the walking tours she offered when she moved to the city of Charlotte.
That’s where she happened to see a statue of Queen Charlotte — for whom the city was named — and was immediately enamored with the elaborate dress in which she was cast. Boucher was inspired to take on a replica of the dress as her next project.
“I was looking for a challenge,” she said, after having completed several costumes from the Victorian and other eras, “And that was fun, but I wanted something with a lot of structure. I’d never done anything like that. So I was looking for a challenge.”
And indeed it was a challenge, taking a full five years to complete, starting with historical research and construction of the dress under-layers which use “stays” made of reeds to frame the bodice, and hoop-like “panniers” that give the skirt its distinctive billowing shape.
“It’s almost like architecture,” Boucher said.
Boucher delights in the many details of the dress, even some of its more practical elements, such as the hidden, roomy pockets in which the queen could unobtrusively carry keys, a fan or other items.
Even at that time, Boucher said, women were smart about how their clothes needed to function.
“Women were really thinking,” she said, whether it was about how careful construction could make the dress most comfortable or accommodate the items they wanted to carry.
“That’s why you don’t see a lot of purses back then,” Boucher explained, noting purses only came into vogue after dress silhouettes narrowed and no longer accommodated take-along items.
Boucher has actually worn the costume at historical festivals and at Dragon Con, the annual costume extravaganza in Atlanta.
Taking Comfort in History
So what makes the display of Boucher’s masterpiece a fitting one for a celebration of American independence from the crown? Boucher says the silk fabric from which the dress would have been made was heavily taxed by Britain — and boycotted by colonists, like the infamous tea, as a protest of British rule.
She noted the naming of the city of Charlotte after the queen was a “last-ditch effort” by some loyalists to show fealty to British rulers. Ultimately, Boucher sees the dress as symbolic of the tensions that fueled the fight for independence.
For Boucher, the sense of history woven into her dress still has a clear connection to the present: while fashion may change with the times, humanity does not.
“It’s so important, especially during uncertain times,” she said. “I really take a lot of comfort in the fact that people really haven’t changed… our personalities haven’t and our psychology hasn’t changed at all.”
Special Events To Come
As part of the national celebration, Governor Ned Lamont established a commission responsible for the America 250 Celebration in Connecticut, which will include “civic, cultural, and historical education events and programming” in cities and towns throughout the year.
In Wilton, the Board of Selectmen designated Parks and Recreation Department Director Steve Pierce to be the Town’s liaison for scheduling activities. Planning is already in the works for a July Fourth parade — which would be in addition to Wilton’s usual Memorial Day parade, according to First Selectman Boucher — and an extra-special fireworks event.
Boucher said she is hopeful that many local organizations — such as the Wilton Historical Society, the Wilton Playshop, Wilton Congregational Church, other nonprofits and businesses — will also announce plans and events to celebrate the special occasion.
For now, Boucher’s daughter Marie is focused on a new project: a historic house in Albany built in 1851, where she is setting up — perhaps no surprise — a sewing room.