HISTORIC NORTHAMPTON
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maKING IT ON MAIN STREET

Historic Northampton is closed temporarily
due to the coronavirus outbreak.


All indoor programs have been cancelled
 and will be rescheduled at a later date.
No on-site research appointments will take place.


Questions?  Email info@historicnorthampton.org

MAKING IT ON MAIN STREET
An Exhibit at Historic Northampton
June 22, 2019 - June 1, 2021

For 365 years, Main Street has been a crossroads, marketplace, town center, and public square.  In 1655, English settlers built their meeting house on a small hill at the center of their new village, near where the courthouse stands today. The wide rutted road in front of the meeting house became Main Street.
 
On the eve of the American Revolution, in 1769, the first store opened on what is now the corner of Main and Old South Streets, across from the meeting house and a tavern.  More stores followed.  By 1800, “Shop Row” was the place to shop for local goods and luxuries from London.  The wooden stores were replaced by brick commercial blocks, and by 1900, Main Street looked like it does today.

Picture
Picture
The history of Main Street is more than a changing parade of stores. “Making it on Main Street,” a stunning new exhibit at Historic Northampton, 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.  

The newly designed exhibition space displays a chronology in glass cases, with background murals drawn from descriptions of the historical landscape, prints and photographs drawn by local artist Nancy Haver. 

In addition to artifacts in exhibit cases, the Making it on Main Street exhibit, includes more than dozen hands-on activities for all ages. 
HISTORIC NORTHAMPTON
46 Bridge Street Northampton, Massachusetts 01060
info@historicnorthampton.org | 413-584-6011

Museum Hours
Historic Northampton is closed temporarily due to the coronavirus outbreak.
© COPYRIGHT 2015-2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • About
    • Visit
    • Board-Staff
    • Legal/Financial
    • Exhibits >
      • Main Street Exhibit
      • The Sarah Strong Chest
      • Wear It Reproduction Clothing
  • Programs
    • Program Calendar
  • Discover & Learn
    • Research & Reference
    • Educational Websites
    • Collections >
      • Online Collections Catalog
      • Howes Brothers Collection >
        • Howes Brothers Photographers
      • The Gare Collection
      • Properties >
        • Parsons House
        • Damon House
        • Shepherd House
        • Shepherd Barn 2020
        • The Bridge Street School Sprouts
    • Historic Highlights
  • History at Home
    • Videos
    • Interactive Witch Trial
    • Hidden Histories
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Coloring Pages
    • Brain Teasers
    • Peg Doll Hunts
    • Jonathan Edwards Prayer Requests
  • COVID-19 Stories
    • Submit Your COVID Story
    • Children React
    • Family and Neighborhood Fun
    • It's a New World
    • Hope and Togetherness
    • Images
    • How Illness Feels
    • Brings Forth Memory
    • Blessings and the New Busy
    • Fear and Worry
  • DONATE
    • Make a Donation
    • RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
    • Become a Member
    • Donate to the Collection
    • Volunteer