ABOUT US
ABOUT US
Historic Northampton is a museum of local history for the city of Northampton, Massachusetts which includes the villages of Bay State, Florence and Leeds. The museum preserves historic artifacts and documents that illuminate the lives of past residents. We bring this history to life through exhibitions, public talks, walking tours and special events.
Historic Northampton is dedicated to preserving and interpreting all aspects of Northampton’s rich and complicated history.
Historic Northampton is a non-profit historical museum independent of city government. Our work is funded by contributions and by grants. While we are not a city-based agency, significant grants from Northampton’s Community Preservation Act have provided the foundation for the ongoing preservation of the historic houses, circa 1805 barn, and museum collections.
We welcome you to explore our website, visit the museum gallery, and join our mailing list to find out about public talks, concerts, and other events.
Historic Northampton is a non-profit historical museum independent of city government. Our work is funded by contributions and by grants. While we are not a city-based agency, significant grants from Northampton’s Community Preservation Act have provided the foundation for the ongoing preservation of the historic houses, circa 1805 barn, and museum collections.
We welcome you to explore our website, visit the museum gallery, and join our mailing list to find out about public talks, concerts, and other events.
Mission
The mission of Historic Northampton is to collect and preserve Northampton's past and to engage the community in the exploration of our natural, material, and social history.
Historic Properties
Historic Northampton is located at 46 Bridge Street, one block from downtown Northampton’s Main Street. The museum’s three historic houses - the Damon House, the Parsons House and the Shepherd House - stand side by side, all on their original sites. In the back of the property is the c. 1805 barn, which was moved to this location prior to 1853. The grounds themselves are part of an original 17th-century Northampton home lot granted to Joseph and Mary Bliss Parsons in 1654.
The Damon House (46 Bridge Street)
The Damon House (1813) was built by master builder and architect Isaac Damon as his own residence. He came to Northampton in the spring of 1811 to work on the fourth Northampton meetinghouse on Main Street. When his first wife died, he married a local woman, Sophia Strong; they raised eight children in this house. Damon sustained a long career as a builder of public buildings and bridges in Northampton, western Massachusetts, and beyond.
The Damon House contains Historic Northampton’s administrative offices and collections storage. A modern addition, the Damon Education Center, was built in 1985-1986 by students at Smith Vocational School in Northampton. It houses an exhibition gallery and space for public talks and film screenings. Click here to learn about our current exhibition.
The Parsons House (58 Bridge Street)
Next door is the Parsons House (1719). The earliest section of the house was originally built as the home of Nathaniel Parsons, a grandson of Cornet Joseph and Mary Bliss Parsons. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the original four-room house was expanded and its interior entirely remodeled. A study by architectural conservators found that the house preserves these building and remodeling changes to an unusual degree. It is currently closed to the public pending a historic structures examination.
The Shepherd House (66 Bridge Street)
The Shepherd House (1796) contains the offices of Mass Humanities, the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The house is believed to have been built in 1796-99, soon after Seth Russell purchased a portion of the neighboring Parsons property. In 1856, the house was purchased by Susan Munroe Shepherd in her own name. She lived there with her husband, Henry Shepherd and son, Thomas Munroe Shepherd. In 1914, Thomas married Edith Carpenter. When he died nine years later in 1923, he left his property toward the formation of a historical museum. Edith Carpenter Shepherd outlived her husband by 46 years and in the 1940s convinced both her neighbors - Anne Catherine Bliss, co-owner of the Parsons House and Jane Damon Smith, owner of the Damon House - to donate their houses to the society.
The Shepherd Barn was moved to this site by 1853 and used as a barn. Timber framer Jack Sobon suggests the structure may have originally been built as a warehouse c. 1805 and later moved to this location. The barn was recently renovated and will re-open in 2023 as a performance and exhibition space.
In 2001, the Parsons, Shepherd, and Damon houses were added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Damon House (46 Bridge Street)
The Damon House (1813) was built by master builder and architect Isaac Damon as his own residence. He came to Northampton in the spring of 1811 to work on the fourth Northampton meetinghouse on Main Street. When his first wife died, he married a local woman, Sophia Strong; they raised eight children in this house. Damon sustained a long career as a builder of public buildings and bridges in Northampton, western Massachusetts, and beyond.
The Damon House contains Historic Northampton’s administrative offices and collections storage. A modern addition, the Damon Education Center, was built in 1985-1986 by students at Smith Vocational School in Northampton. It houses an exhibition gallery and space for public talks and film screenings. Click here to learn about our current exhibition.
The Parsons House (58 Bridge Street)
Next door is the Parsons House (1719). The earliest section of the house was originally built as the home of Nathaniel Parsons, a grandson of Cornet Joseph and Mary Bliss Parsons. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the original four-room house was expanded and its interior entirely remodeled. A study by architectural conservators found that the house preserves these building and remodeling changes to an unusual degree. It is currently closed to the public pending a historic structures examination.
The Shepherd House (66 Bridge Street)
The Shepherd House (1796) contains the offices of Mass Humanities, the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The house is believed to have been built in 1796-99, soon after Seth Russell purchased a portion of the neighboring Parsons property. In 1856, the house was purchased by Susan Munroe Shepherd in her own name. She lived there with her husband, Henry Shepherd and son, Thomas Munroe Shepherd. In 1914, Thomas married Edith Carpenter. When he died nine years later in 1923, he left his property toward the formation of a historical museum. Edith Carpenter Shepherd outlived her husband by 46 years and in the 1940s convinced both her neighbors - Anne Catherine Bliss, co-owner of the Parsons House and Jane Damon Smith, owner of the Damon House - to donate their houses to the society.
The Shepherd Barn was moved to this site by 1853 and used as a barn. Timber framer Jack Sobon suggests the structure may have originally been built as a warehouse c. 1805 and later moved to this location. The barn was recently renovated and will re-open in 2023 as a performance and exhibition space.
In 2001, the Parsons, Shepherd, and Damon houses were added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Making it on Main Street
Our current exhibition is Making it on Main Street. This exhibition tells the story of the people who lived, worked, played, and celebrated on Main Street—how they earned a living, faced the challenges of changing times, treated their neighbors and outsiders, advocated for justice, and shaped the Main Street we walk today.
Our current exhibition is Making it on Main Street. This exhibition tells the story of the people who lived, worked, played, and celebrated on Main Street—how they earned a living, faced the challenges of changing times, treated their neighbors and outsiders, advocated for justice, and shaped the Main Street we walk today.
Non-Profit Information
The Northampton Historical Society was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1905. In 1989, the museum began doing business as Historic Northampton to avoid confusion with the Northampton Historical Commission, a city board established in 1973 to advocate for the preservation of Northampton’s historic buildings and resources. In 2012, the name was officially changed to Historic Northampton.
The Society is governed by a board of trustees. Daily operations are managed by staff members and volunteers.
The Northampton Historical Society was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1905. In 1989, the museum began doing business as Historic Northampton to avoid confusion with the Northampton Historical Commission, a city board established in 1973 to advocate for the preservation of Northampton’s historic buildings and resources. In 2012, the name was officially changed to Historic Northampton.
The Society is governed by a board of trustees. Daily operations are managed by staff members and volunteers.
Our Supporters
Northampton Community Preservation Committee
Northampton residents voted to approve the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act in 2005. Grants in 2009, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 have provided much-needed funds for the preservation and restoration of the historic buildings. Small grants of $3000 each have allowed the museum to purchase archival-quality storage supplies to improve collections care.
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation: For History, For Life
Generous grants from The William G. Pomeroy Foundation have served a variety of needs. The foundation underwrote staffing in 2015; funded the new website and building renovations to the Shepherd House and barn. Historic markers underwritten by the foundation recognize the Pomeroy Terrace Historic District and the Sojourner Truth Memorial Statue.
The Seth P. Holcombe and Lucy E. Holcombe Charitable Trust
Through their wills, Seth and Lucy Holcombe helped establish a new endowment fund for Historic Northampton.
The Beveridge Family Foundation
The Beveridge Family Foundation has provided grants to purchase professional-quality equipment to monitor the temperature and relative humidity of collections storage rooms. In 2022, the foundation awarded Historic Northampton a grant to for the Shepherd Barn Restoration Project.
Mass Cultural Council
With a technical and feasibility grant from the Mass Cultural Council, Historic Northampton developed a plan to restore and re-open the circa 1805 barn for public programming. In 2022, the Mass Cultural Council awarded a grant to rebuild the ell of the barn and add a one-story addition.
1772 Foundation Preservation Massachusetts
The 1772 Foundation provided funding for Historic Northampton to rebuild a replica of a balustrade on the roof of the Damon House.
The Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB)
The SHRAB program provided an assessment of Historic Northampton’s paper-based collections care. Subsequent grants have underwritten the purchase of archival quality storage boxes.
Foundation for Advancement in Conservation
The foundation accepted Historic Northampton to the 2020 Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program for a detailed collections and architectural assessment by A. Bruce MacLeish and Marilyn Kaplan.
The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts
A group of private donors offered Historic Northampton a membership challenge grant in 2015. Members contributed $25,000, allowing the museum to receive a matching grant of $25,000.
Mass Humanities
Mass Humanities project grants have funded community projects including the Historic Marker Series, A Journey to the 17th-Century: The Goody Parsons Witchcraft Trials educational website and the Parsons House Community Archaeological Dig in 2015.
Northampton Community Preservation Committee
Northampton residents voted to approve the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act in 2005. Grants in 2009, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 have provided much-needed funds for the preservation and restoration of the historic buildings. Small grants of $3000 each have allowed the museum to purchase archival-quality storage supplies to improve collections care.
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation: For History, For Life
Generous grants from The William G. Pomeroy Foundation have served a variety of needs. The foundation underwrote staffing in 2015; funded the new website and building renovations to the Shepherd House and barn. Historic markers underwritten by the foundation recognize the Pomeroy Terrace Historic District and the Sojourner Truth Memorial Statue.
The Seth P. Holcombe and Lucy E. Holcombe Charitable Trust
Through their wills, Seth and Lucy Holcombe helped establish a new endowment fund for Historic Northampton.
The Beveridge Family Foundation
The Beveridge Family Foundation has provided grants to purchase professional-quality equipment to monitor the temperature and relative humidity of collections storage rooms. In 2022, the foundation awarded Historic Northampton a grant to for the Shepherd Barn Restoration Project.
Mass Cultural Council
With a technical and feasibility grant from the Mass Cultural Council, Historic Northampton developed a plan to restore and re-open the circa 1805 barn for public programming. In 2022, the Mass Cultural Council awarded a grant to rebuild the ell of the barn and add a one-story addition.
1772 Foundation Preservation Massachusetts
The 1772 Foundation provided funding for Historic Northampton to rebuild a replica of a balustrade on the roof of the Damon House.
The Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB)
The SHRAB program provided an assessment of Historic Northampton’s paper-based collections care. Subsequent grants have underwritten the purchase of archival quality storage boxes.
Foundation for Advancement in Conservation
The foundation accepted Historic Northampton to the 2020 Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program for a detailed collections and architectural assessment by A. Bruce MacLeish and Marilyn Kaplan.
The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts
A group of private donors offered Historic Northampton a membership challenge grant in 2015. Members contributed $25,000, allowing the museum to receive a matching grant of $25,000.
Mass Humanities
Mass Humanities project grants have funded community projects including the Historic Marker Series, A Journey to the 17th-Century: The Goody Parsons Witchcraft Trials educational website and the Parsons House Community Archaeological Dig in 2015.
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For more information about us, see the following:
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Professor Sarah Lynn Patterson reads an excerpt from Frederick Douglass's 1852 speech What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? at the Reading Frederick Douglass Together event on July 3, 2022.
J. Michael Moore speaking with guests at the launch of his book Images of America: Northampton State Hospital, co-authored with Anna Schuleit Haber
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