Culture
Museums that depict life in early New England from the 17th century to a reconstructed village of the early 1900’s, outdoor weekend activities are provided spring, summer and fall in several locations in Franklin County. Old Deerfield is a village gem, a mile-long main street with museum houses in a setting of local residents, farms and the bustle of students in two boarding schools. Take a walk on the mild side.
Other cultural offerings include video art, galleries, studio tours, theater, nostalgic parades, concerts and poetry readings, to name a few. Pack a picnic for an outdoor concert or stroll through Shelburne Falls, Greenfield or Turners Falls to hear the sounds of music and detect a roast coffee aroma wafting from doorways.
Arts & Crafts • Music • Theater • Museums • Historical Societies
Arts & Crafts
Deerfield
Old Deerfield Fairs
Memorial Street, PO Box 428, Deerfield, MA 01342, 413-774-7476, www.deerfield-craft.org
Greenfield
Artspace Community Arts Center of Franklin County
7 Franklin Street, PO Box 364, Greenfield, MA 01302, 413-772-6811, Annual Arts Council Pottery Seconds Show, www.franklyarts.org
Greenfield High School
Greenfield, MA 01302, 413-772-6811
Deerfield Valley Art Association
393 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301, 413-773-7771
Leverett
Leverett Crafts & Arts
Montague Road, Leverett, MA 01054, 413-548-9070
New Salem
1794 Meetinghouse, Inc.
New Salem Town Common, PO Box 8, 978-544-5200, www.1794meetinghouse.org
Northfield
Bolger Arts Center
Northfield Mount Hermon School, Northfield, MA 01360 413-498-3000
Shelburne Falls
Salmon Falls Artisans Showroom
Ashfield Street, Shelburne Falls, 413-625-9833
Music
Shelburne Falls
Mohawk Trail Concerts
75 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370, 413-625-9511, 888-MTC-MUSE, www.mohawktrailconcerts.org
Deerfield
Music in Deerfield
393 Main Street, PO Box 736, Greenfield, 413-774-4200, www.musicindeerfield.org
Greenfield
Artspace Community Arts Center
15 Mill Street, Greenfield, 413-772-6811, www.franklyarts.org
Guiding Star Grange
401 Chapman Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
The Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
91 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301, 413-773-3664, 800-681-7870, www.pvso.org
New Salem
1794 Meetinghouse, Inc.
On the Common, New Salem, 978-544-5200, www.1794meetinghouse.org
Theater
Ashfield
Double Edge Theatre
948 Conway Road, 413-628-0277, www.doubleedgetheatre.org
Northfield
The Country Players
PO Box 36, 413-863-2281, www.countryplayers.org
Turners Falls
The Shea Theater
71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, 413-863-2281, www.theshea.org
Greenfield
Arena Civic Theater
PO Box 744, Greenfield, 413-863-2281, www.arenacivictheater.org
Museums
Deerfield
Historic Deerfield
PO Box 321, Deerfield, MA 01342, 413-774-5581, www.historic-deerfield.org
Memorial Hall Museum
Memorial Street, Deerfield, MA 01342, 413-774-7476, www.deerfield-ma.org
Erving
Erving Historical Engine House
Main Street, Erving, MA 01344, 978-544-7422
Greenfield
The Museum of Our Industrial Heritage
Mead Street, Greenfield, MA 01301, 413-772-2355, Open by appointment
Old Greenfield Village
Route 2, 386 Mohawk Trail, Greenfield, MA 01301, 413-774-7138, Open May through October
Northfield
Dickinson Memorial Library
Main Street, Northfield, MA 01360, 413-498-2455
D. L. Moody Museum
Moody Street and Highland Avenue, Northfield, MA 01360, 413-498-3227
Northfield Historical Museum
13 Pine Street, Northfield, MA 01360, 413-498-5565
Shelburne Falls
Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum
14 Depot Street, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370, 413-625-9443, Open May to October
Shelburne Museum
Maple & Church Streets, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370, 413-625-2026
Turners Falls
Artifacts Loft
Carnegie Public Library, Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376, 413-863-3214
Hallmark Museum of Contemporary Photography
85 Avenue A, Turners Falls MA 01396, 413-863-0009, www.hallmark.edu
Whately
Whately Historical Museum
Chestnut Plain Road, Whately, MA 01093, 413-665-3609
Historical Societies
Ashfield
Ashfield Historical Society
Main Street, Ashfield, MA 01330. Ten rooms of Ashfield memorabilia. The main exhibition hall is a re-creation of a general store, circa 1850. Exhibits include more than 23,000 glass plate negatives taken between 1882 and 1907 by the well-known Howes brothers of Ashfield. There are also exhibits of early Ashfield industries, 19th century period rooms, children's room, military display and memorabilia of famous Ashfield residents. A barn houses many relics of early rural life. Open June through August, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Columbus Day weekend, during special events and by appointment. 413-628-4541
Bernardston
Bernardston Historical Society
Powers Institute, Church Street, Bernardston, MA 01337. The building once housed Powers Institute, which was founded in 1857 and includes memorabilia from the school. The collection also includes farm and household tools, textiles and a Lumen Nelson collection of small animals and birds. Open during summer months, Sundays, 2:30-4:30 pm., or by appointment. 413-648-9600
Buckland
Buckland Historical Society
Upper Street, Buckland, MA 01338. Displays include early kitchen furniture, tools and photographs of local school groups. Open first and third Sundays of July and August, first Sunday in September 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Also open by appointment. 413-625-6619 or 413-625-9763
Charlemont
Charlemont Historical Society
Town Hall, second floor, Main Street, Charlemont, MA 01339. Collection includes early household items, schoolbooks, desks, horse treadmill, microfilm of David Malcolm's publications Hilltown Neighbors, country store articles, records of the town, its churches and Deerfield Valley Agricultural Society. Open Saturdays July & August, or by appointment. 413-339-4947
Colrain
Colrain Historical Society
Main Street, Colrain, MA 01340. Collection illustrates a variety of life-styles from the many villages making up the town of Colrain. Also featured are books and papers on Colrain history. Open by appointment and during the Coleraine Village Fair (October). 413-624-3710
Conway
Conway Historical Society
Main Street, Conway, MA 01341. Features a notable collection of items from Conway's cutlery and tool factories, woolen mills and shoe factories. Open July through Labor Day weekend on Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. or by appointment. n.a.
Erving
Erving House Museum
Located in the old fire station, Route 2, Erving, MA 01344. The exhibits reflect the development of Erving as a major industrial town, large collection of photographs and scrapbooks in four rooms. There is an 1890-1900 kitchen, living room and parlor that reflects the life-style of the period. Open in July and August, one day a weeks, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. 978-544-6339 or 978-544-3705
Gill
Gill Historical Society
Located in the former Riverside School, Route 2, Gill, MA 01376. Consisting of two rooms, it features many reminders of the town's history, including photographs, ice cutting implements, farm implements, and old newspapers. Among the photographs is the famous shoot of the science building burning at Mount Hermon School while a football game is being played. Open by appointment. 413-863-2505
Greenfield
Historical Society of Greenfield
Corner of Church and Union Streets, PO Box 415, Greenfield, MA 01302. Lectures every third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm.; free and open to the public. 413-774-3663
Heath
Heath Historical Society
Heath, MA 01346. Located in two buildings in the center of town: the old townhouse and the old schoolhouse. The exhibits represent a broad range of Heath's past. Open by appointment. 413-337-4980
Leverett
Leverett Historical Society
Moore's Corner Schoolhouse, North Leverett Rd., Leverett, MA 01054. Open during summer months or by appointment. The first floor features a schoolhouse exhibit. There are also artifacts from the former mills and shops, and scrapbooks and photos from the childhood days of newspaper columnist Ruby Hemenway. 413-367-2800, 413-548-9082
Montague
Montague Historical Society
July's exhibit will feature Montague schools.... and that means the five villages - Turners Falls, Millers Falls, Montague City, Montague Center and Lake Pleasant. August will feature photos and slides of old homes.
New Salem
Swift River Valley Historical Society
40 Elm Street, New Salem, MA 01355. Photographs and memorabilia offer a look at the history of the four towns that were flooded to create the Quabbin Reservoir, as well as portions of New Salem that were lost. Displays include a fire truck, circa 1920, from the town of Dana and the New Salem guide post from the 1850s. The buildings housing the exhibits are historical structures. Open July and August, Wednesday and Sunday 2:00 - 4:00 pm.; September to mid-October, Sunday, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. 978-544-6882
Northfield
Northfield Historical Society
13 Pine Street, PO Box 131, Northfield, MA 01360. Displays three centuries of toys, art, textiles and other items owned by Northfield families. Special programs offered. Hours varied. Call for appointment. 413-498-4338
Orange
Orange Historical Society
41 North Main Street, Orange, MA 01364. Housed in a Victorian home and is furnished in that period. Included are a special children's room, military room and alumni room. Barn exhibits include a fire pumper, steam automobile (circa 1904) made in Orange by the Grout brothers and other industrial items. Open Sunday and Wednesday, 2:00 - 4:00 pm. 978-544-6286
Rowe
Kemp-McCarthy Memorial Museum of the Rowe Historical Society
Zoar Road, Rowe, MA 01367. There eight rooms of artifacts and memorabilia of Rowe from over 300 friends of the town. The collection includes Rowe's last horse-drawn hearse. Open Sundays, first Sunday of July through third Sunday of October from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Open by appointment at other times, contact Alan Bjork 413-339-4700. Special tours for groups of 10 or more can be arranged. 413-339-4700
Shelburne
Shelburne Historical Society
Arms Academy building, corner Maple & Church Streets. Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Collection dates from 1700's to present. There is also a library with a number of New England Genealogical volumes. Open second Sunday in July, August, September and October from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. 413-625-2026
or 413-625-6807
Warwick
Warwick Historical Society
Athol Road, Warwick, MA 01378. Collection includes picture albums, furniture, relics from local industries such as glass and boot factories, a "scythe tree" with a fascinating story, the diary or a Warwick minister from the 1700s and a pump log used in the early 1880s. Open July and August, Sundays from 2:00 - 4:00 pm, or by appointment. 978-544-3461 or 978-544-3628
Whately
Whately Historical Society
Located in former Center School, Chestnut Plain Road, Whately, MA 01093. The exhibits include memorabilia and crockery made by Whately residents in the 1800's. Open Sundays from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.
