Historic Northampton

2 Williams Street, Williamsburg, Mass. Frances Kidder's paintings of the Mill River Disaster will be on exhibit at the Neil Hammer Gallery at Meekins Library. Living beside the Mill River in Williamsburg, Kidder was moved to create artwork as "an elegy to those who suffered." ​ Gallery Talk by Frances Kidder ​Meekins Libary Haydenville Boarding House by Frances Kidder Artwork and Poetry Exhibit ​by Dunphy School 3rd Graders Curated by Nancy Meagher

Artifacts pulled from the Mill River after the 1874 Flood inspired ten third graders in Nicole Derby’s classroom at Anne T. Dunphy School to learn about local history.  Their research and the artwork and writing they created helped them to further understand the  Mill River’s history, and its connection to the production of silk thread, brass faucets, buttons, and more.  Enjoy an exhibit of their artwork and writing at the Meekins Library during the month of May. Artwork by Grade 3, Anne T. Dunp

Located along Northampton’s western border, the Mineral Hills are underlain by bedrock that contains some carbonate-rich minerals. As these minerals weather out, soils are formed that are more fertile than in many areas of Northampton, including the nearby Sawmill Hills. The soil’s chemistry has a profound influence on the species of plants that grow here. In early May, the slopes of the Mineral Hills include an impressive variety of spring wildflowers that depend on these slightly limey soils,

Shepherd Barn at ​Historic Northampton, 66 Bridge Street, Northampton Dance Artist Andrea Olsen Dancing Your Age is a group performance that explores the lives of six dancers and the world-music of percussionist Tony Vacca.  Each dancer draws on their own embodied memories and kinesthetic imagination to explore all the years of their lives through movement. Performances are individual, held within the rhythms of Tony Vacca's music, and accompanied by the other dancers: Chris Aiken, Angie Hauser,

In April 1842 (180 years ago), a group of radical abolitionists formed the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, a utopian community they sustained for four-and-a-half years. How did their activism contribute to the campaign against slavery?  What did they learn about living in community?  And although the Association itself broke up in 1846, how did its members help found the village of Florence that still thrives today? This event is co-presented by Northampton Neighbors, Historic

In the midst of an otherwise built-up landscape, cracks in the sidewalk, roadside edges, and other "neglected" patches are places where a variety of plant species--grasses, wildflowers and trees--have taken hold.  Although usually dismissed as "weeds," these plants have fascinating life histories (many come from other parts of the world) and when considered up-close, their flowers and features are beautiful. What's more, larger, untended patches often support a variety of butterflies, bees, ants

Northampton was one of the first cities in the nation to convert a portion of its abandoned railroad bed into a linear park. Now nearing its fortieth year, that three-mile section, which is located between King Street and Look Park, is named the Ryan Bikeway, but commonly referred to as “the bike path.” Over the decades, this section has become a favorite route for walkers and bicyclists of all ages. On this walking tour, Craig Della Penna, a bike path expert and local historian, will share some

33 Hawley Street, Northampton (Lower Level) Friends of Northampton Trails and Greenways (FNTG) and Historic Northampton invite you to a presentation by Lorenz Finison. In the late 1800’s, the popularity of bicycles increased exponentially.  By 1900, the bicycling craze faded. Within the next few decades, automobiles became commonplace and roads were refashioned to serve cars first. Bicycling then experienced a renaissance in the 1970s as concerns over physical and environmental health coalesced.

Photo by Justin Kennick Dr. Margaret Bruchac will describe the lives and work of several 19th century Indigenous healers, including Rhoda Rhoades (1751-1841), who treated people in Northampton and other western Massachusetts locales. Rhoades doctored people at her home in “Indian Hollow,” a section of Huntington later destroyed by the construction of the Knightville Dam. She cured illnesses using special diets and traditional medicines made with boneset, Joe Pye weed, wake robin, and other indig

Exploring Northampton: The Northampton State Hospital and its grounds A Walking Tour with co-directors Elizabeth Sharpe and Laurie Sanders Expansive fields associated with the former Northampton State Hospital grounds and now managed by Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School Join co-directors Elizabeth Sharpe and Laurie Sanders on a two-hour exploration of the former Northampton State hospital and its grounds to learn more about its human and natural history. A CDC-approved face mask is req

Since the 1650s, Northampton’s Main Street has been a crossroads, marketplace, town center, and public square. The first store opened in 1769 where Thornes Marketplace is now. It was across the street from the meetinghouse and tavern. The Victorian Main Street we see today was mostly built between 1865 and 1900 with a self-consciousness about “how we look” as a town. As we walk from Historic Northampton to the Academy of Music, we will discuss the history of architecture and underlying ideas abo

​4 North Main Street, Williamsburg, Mass. Mill River Flood historian Eric Weber will give a public lecture on the 150th anniversary of the Mill River disaster. For decades, Weber has searched archives and libraries to locate all photographic stereoscopic cards made of the destruction. Over 450 different stereoviews were marketed to the American public, which was eager for news of the catastrophe. Based upon the photographic record, Weber has a detailed knowledge of the path of the flood. James'

Grow Food Northampton Community Farm, Florence, Mass. John Sinton and Gaby Immerman of the Mill River Greenway will lead a discussion on the natural and human-driven hydrologic cycles of life on a floodplain farm.  From the era of Glacial Lake Hitchcock through 10,000 years of Indigenous land stewardship, to the colonial era, and to our current period of global warming, attendees will reflect on the natural cycle of flooding along the Mill River. The Mill River flowing under the bridge on Mulber

​4 North Main Street, Williamsburg, Mass. The program will feature new musical compositions by Nick Reid and Louise Mosrie, the “May 16th, 1874” ballad by Lynne Bertrand and Penny Schultz, with cellist Stephen Katz, and the story of the disaster in the words of witnesses (arranged by Elizabeth Sharpe) with a reading of the victims’ names. A re-enactment of dam keeper George Cheney’s frantic horseback ride to warn the village will follow on North Main Street. Two trees will be planted at the chur

There will be a recounting of Myron Day’s heroic ride warning Leeds, a reading of the names of the 51 Leeds victims, and the performance of an original song by John Daniel. River-inspired art pieces by Leeds artists, original illustrations from Millicent and The Day it Rained Buttons by Nancy Meagher, and an art piece made by the Leeds After School Enrichment River Arts Club will be on display. A memorial tree will be planted to honor Myron Day. View of the destruction in Leeds from a stereoscop

Hampshire County Courthouse, Main Street Photo by Rob Weir Geologist John Brady will lead a walk on Main Street and describe the geologic origins of the building stones used to construct some of downtown Northampton's most iconic structures--from the Court House and First Churches to City Hall and beyond. This walk will expand your view of Northampton's architecture and give you a new appreciation for some of the 400 million years of earth's history that the building stones reveal. Meet at Histo

Reading the Hadley Deed of 1660: A Primary Source Excursion An Interactive Workshop by Alice Nash, Associate Professor of History, University of Massachusetts Amherst A Map of New-England from William Hubbard’s Narratives of the Troubles with Indians . . . (Boston, 1677).  Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, Boston Public Library “Indian deeds” are English documents that record land transactions between English colonists and Indigenous peoples in New England. They can be problematic and difficult to

During the last twenty years, the City of Northampton has protected more than 100 acres in the Parsons Brook Greenway. This landscape is underlain by outwash plains that were deposited 16,000-13,000 years ago, when braided glacial streams, choked with sands and sediments, flowed into Glacial Lake Hitchcock. Today, this area includes a mix of habitats, nearly all of which have been highly manipulated by people during the last fifty years. Join co-director and naturalist Laurie Sanders on a two-ho

Noted big tree hunter and expert Bob Leverett will lead participants on a 3-hour guided walk of notable trees found in and around Look Park.  In addition to pointing out individual trees, Bob will share information about the species’ life history and ecology and also include information about the park’s history and earlier uses. Registration limited to 20. $8 members and donors | $12 non-members Firefighters of Northampton: Present Day Firefighting  & Book Release by Peter Norman Tuesday, May 14

Registration is full.  Please email [email protected] to be placed on the waitlist. Join co-director and naturalist Laurie Sanders on a natural history walk through one of her favorite sections of the nearly 1,000-acre Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area. This part of the conservation area lies near the Hatfield line and includes a mix of upland woods, perched swamps, rocky outcrops, and a beautiful stretch of Broad Brook. This outing will include walking on uneven ground, on and off tr

Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area Photograph by Laurie Sanders Explore a portion of the 50+ acres of the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area that experienced a brush fire in November 2024 to see first-hand how the herbaceous layer is recovering. How damaging are brush fires of this size and intensity? What are the short and long-term effects of fire on a woodland ecosystem? How might this fire resemble those set by the Nonotuck? Important: You must be able to walk for 2 miles and over uneven groun

Join co-director Elizabeth Sharpe on a hike to the ruins of the Williamsburg reservoir dam in Williamsburg, Massachusetts.  On May 16, 1874, the 42-foot tall earthen dam suddenly burst, unleashing one hundred acres of water onto the valley below. Within an hour, the flood devastated the villages of Williamsburg, Skinnerville, Haydenville and Leeds; 139 persons were dead.  It was the first major dam disaster in US history. Dr. Sharpe will discuss the dam's siting, construction, the flood itself,