Author Joseph M. DiRienzo and Derby Mayor Joseph DiMartino.
DERBY – A new history book published to celebrate the city’s 350th birthday next year has already sold out but more copies should be hitting the presses soon.
The book, “350 Years of Derby History,” was authored by Derby native Joseph M. DiRienzo in partnership with the Derby Historical Society and The Valley Community Foundation.
Proceeds from the $28 book benefit the Derby Historical Society.
The 200 page, eight chapter book tells Derby’s story through the families, places and events culled from a period of three centuries.
Derby Historical Society Vice-President Jim Gildea says it’s a great read.
“The book provides an up-close look at the families who built Derby into what it is today,” Gildea said in an email. “You will learn about the homes of the era, early businesses, our educational history and Derby’s role in America’s military success.”
The book debuted on Sept. 14 at a book signing and discussion held at the Derby Public Library.
One story that hit close to home for Gildea was the part about the Mansion House, built in 1783, that served as a hotel, tavern and restaurant.
“I remember as a little boy, my grandfather retelling the story of how he worked at the Mansion House when it was a restaurant in the 1960s,” Gildea said. The building was demolished years ago, but seeing photos brought back memories, Gildea said.
DiRienzo, 74, grew up on Chapel Street in east Derby. He now lives outside Philadelphia. He holds a doctorate degree in microbiology and was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania for 40 years.
His interest in his hometown’s history took hold about 10 years ago when he started reading existing Derby history books and old Derby postcards. He said those works were heavy on photos. He wanted a deeper dive into the families that settled in Derby and started businesses such as Howe Manufacturing Co., the first mass producer of common straight pins.
DiRienzo had already been posting brief write ups about Derby history on Facebook for the historical society, where he serves on the board. Over about a two-year span, DiRienzo posted about 200 Facebook articles about Derby’s history.
A book to mark Derby’s 350th anniversary (May 13, 2025) seemed like a natural next step.
“I thought all these articles I wrote would be great in a book, and with Derby’s 350th anniversary approaching, I put two and two together,” DiRienzo said.
For the book he began reading anything he could get his hands on about Derby, culling information from books, local newspapers, the U.S. Census, digital resources and directories.
DiRienzo spent about eight months writing the book, drawing upon his past articles and organizing them into eight chapters ranging from “Birmingham Borough,” now known as downtown Derby to “Trains & Trolleys.”
“I start off with background talking about Derby’s settlement and how plantation farmers came from Milford and moved here, where the Housatonic meets the Naugatuck,” DiRienzo said.
DiRienzo also talks about “Old Town,” now known as east Derby (Academy Hill, Sentinel Hill), which was the first area to be colonized. He talks about downtown Derby, originally known as Birmingham Borough, where Shelton Smith and Anson Green Phelps (who later went on to found neighboring Ansonia) worked to transform Derby from a farming community to a thriving industrial town.
The book also explores some of Derby’s businesses, including the Sterling Piano Company, along with historical figures such as Ebeneezer Don Carlos Bassett, the first Black U.S. diplomat.
Kellie Santiago, society executive director, said DiRienzo put in extensive research in writing the book, and the society helped provide some photos, acted as proofreaders, and helped get the book published with help from a grant from the Valley Community Foundation.
Keep checking the Derby Historical Society’s website for information on when the book will be available again.
