Sunday, October 20, 2019 | 8:30 - 10:00 am
350 Years in 90 Minutes: Historical Walking Tour of Downtown Northampton
A Walking Tour with Elizabeth Sharpe of Historic Northampton
Composite Photograph of the South Side of Main Street
Elizabeth Sharpe, co-director of Historic Northampton and historian, will lead a walking tour of downtown Northampton in conjunction with the exhibit, Making it on Main Street.
Sponsored by Joe's Cafe
Registration:
Pre-registration required.  Limited to 15.

Fee:
$8 members & donors
$12 non-members

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Event Archive: Past Programs 2019
Sunday, October 13, 2019 | 4:30 pm
Native American Life during the Early Archaic Period: A View from Northampton
A Public Talk by David Leslie, Senior Archaeologist
An excavation site in Northampton has revealed two separate early archaic period encampments dating to
approximately 9,500 to 8,000 years ago.
Last fall, in accordance with state and federal regulations, the MA Department of Transportation hired Dave Leslie, a lead archaeologist with Archeological and Historical Services, Inc., to conduct a preliminary assessment of an area in Northampton where a new roadway construction project is planned.  His investigation included digging a series of small test pits, some of which uncovered Native American artifacts dating to the Early Archaic Period. This September Leslie returned to the site to conduct a more thorough excavation.  In conjunction with Massachusetts Archaeology Month, Leslie will present his findings and explain what this site reveals about Native Americans during this time period.   
This public talk is held in partnership with Forbes Library
Sponsored by Mass Humanities
Admission:
$5 Members of Historic Northampton, Friends of Forbes Library and students with valid ID
$10 all others

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Saturday, October 12, 2019 | 9:00 to 10:30 am
Architectural Geology: Building Stones of Northampton
A Walking Tour with Geologist John Brady
Join John Brady, recently retired geologist from Smith College, on a 90-minute tour of downtown Northampton. Learn about the geologic origins of the stone blocks used to build some of the City's most iconic downtown buildings, from the Court House and First Churches to City Hall and beyond. On this tour, John will expand your view of Northampton and reveal connections to more than 400 million years of earth history.
Sponsored by D.A. Sullivan & Sons, Northampton, MA
Registration:
Pre-registration required.  Limited to 15.

Fee:
$8 members and donors
$12 all others

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Saturday, September 28, 2019 | 4:30 pm
Furniture Making in 1700s Northampton: Making a Replica of the Sarah Strong Chest
A Presentation and Demonstration by Sharon Mehrman
Replica of the Sarah Strong Chest
by furniture maker Sharon Mehrmann
Professional woodworker Sharon Mehrman will describe how she painstakingly constructed a 7/8 scale replica of a circa 1700 Hadley-type chest.  Mehrman will demonstrate some of the historic woodworking techniques she used, and discuss what she has learned about early American joinery by making the replica.
Seating:
First come, first served.

Admission:
$5 members and donors | $10 all others

Sponsor:
Sugar Maple Trailside Inn

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Saturday, September 21, 2019 | 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Living History Series:  Celebrating the Work of Janet Adler, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, and Nancy Stark Smith and the 45 Year Heritage of Contact Quarterly
Nancy Stark Smith and group in Helsinki, Finland
Join us for a conversation of “Why Here, Why Then?” with renowned body movement teachers and performers Janet Adler, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, and Nancy Stark Smith as they explain the role that Northampton played on shaping and launching their careers.
Registration:
Pre-registration recommended.

Cost:
Fee: $15 / $12 students

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Tuesday, September 17, 2019 | 6 to 8 pm
Historic Court Cases of Hampshire County, 1654 - present
A Presentation by retired Judge Mike Ryan
Picture
Hampshire County Courthouse and Court Procession
Detail from the Model of Northampton, 1847
Amherst Railway Society
Join Mike Ryan, former Hampshire County District Attorney and retired judge, for a review of some of the most significant cases in Hampshire County's 400-year history -- from witch trials and executions to historic cases involving fashion, frauds, civil rights and protests.
Registration:
Reservations strongly recommended. Limited to 35. 
Register by email at hcba@crocker.com.

Admission:
$10

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Indigenous Northampton in the 19th Century:
Revisiting the History of Sally Maminash
Saturday, September 14, 2019 | 4:30 pm
Gravestones of Warham Clapp, Sophia Clapp and
Sally Maminash in the Bridge Street Cemetery
in Northampton.
Photo by Margaret Bruchac
Saturday, September 14, 2019 | 4:30 pm

Indigenous Northampton in the 19th Century: Revisiting the History of Sally Maminash
by Dr. Margaret Bruchac

One of the most intriguing gravestones in Northampton’s Bridge Street Cemetery belongs to Sally Maminash (1765-1853), a Mohegan/Nonotuck woman identified as “The last of the Indians here. A niece of Occum. A Christian.”  Stories from the newspaper recount cryptically tragic details: her mother Elizabeth murdered; her father’s gravestone stolen; and Sally trapped in a lonely corner of the room, reading her Bible.  Dr. Margaret Bruchac revisits the writings of local town historians to show how seemingly “unknown” Indigenous histories can often be recovered by dismantling the romantic stereotypes that situated Native peoples in distant times and locales.

This event has reached full registration.
$5 members, donors & students with valid ID
$10 all others

Sponsored by Mass Humanities

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350 Years in 90 Minutes:
Historical Walking Tour of Downtown Northampton
Saturday, September 14, 2019 | 8:30 to 10 am
Saturday, September 14, 2019 | 8:30 to 10 am

350 Years in 90 Minutes: Historical Walking Tour of Downtown Northampton

Elizabeth Sharpe, co-director of Historic Northampton and historian, will lead a walking tour of downtown Northampton in conjunction with the exhibit, Making it on Main Street.

Pre-registration required.  Limited to 15.
Fee: $8 members & donors; $12 non-members.

Sponsored by Greenfield Savings Bank.

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Exploring Look Park with an Eye on History & Nature
with Laurie Sanders of Historic Northampton
Wednesday, September 11, 2019 | 1 to 3 pm
Wednesday, September 11, 2019 | 1 to 3 pm

Exploring Look Park with an Eye on History & Nature with Laurie Sanders of Historic Northampton

During the last 150 years, the 130-acres that make up Look Park have undergone a series of transformations–from farm fields and pasture to golf course to park. Historic Northampton co-director and naturalist Laurie Sanders will help reveal the park’s history and how it has shaped the landscape and plants and animals we see today.

Advance Tickets Required.  Purchase by September 6th.
Limited to 25 |Fee: $10

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Nature in Downtown Northampton
with Laurie Sanders of Historic Northampton
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 | 12 noon to 1:30 pm
Ebony spleenwort in the mortar between the stones
of two of the city's downtown bridge abutments.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 | 12 noon to 1:30 pm

Nature in Downtown Northampton
with Laurie Sanders of Historic Northampton

We'll look for every plant or animal species that survives in downtown, from the mosses and ants living in the cracks and margins to the larger plants and creatures that are able to survive in the wilder and untended pockets that occur in and around the heart of the city.

Pre-registration Required.  Limited to 15.
Fee: $8 members & donors; $12 non-members.

Sponsored by Joe's Cafe.

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Saturday, August 24, 2019 | 10 to 11:30 am

Sylvester Graham Olympics - A Family Program

Embrace your inner Graham-ite - compete in a Graham cracker toss, build a Graham cracker tower, and challenge your Graham cracker-wielding dexterity. Learn about Sylvester Graham and how his philosophy influences the food on our plates, then participate in brain teasing events to put that knowledge to the test!

Outside on Parsons Lawn, Historic Northampton

Kids are free - $5 per adult or $10 per family
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 |12 to 1 pm

Collections Spotlight - Main Street Undressed
with Kelsy Sinelnikov, Collections Manager

Historic Northampton Collections Manager Kelsy Sinelnikov will highlight some of the items that were common on Main Street during the 1800s, but
hidden from view. Join her for a close up look at the corsets, stays, stockings and other undergarments worn and sold on Northampton’s Main Street and
part of Historic Northampton’s remarkable clothing collection.

Cost: $5 members & donors; $8 others
Saturday, August 10, 2019 | 10 to 11:30 am

Hydro History - A Family Program

Splash your way through history as you make your own water-powered devices! Discover how water has shaped the history of Northampton by creating your own miniature water wheels, participating in a bucket brigade, and looking at 1800s Fire Department gear.
 
Outside on Parsons Lawn at Historic Northampton
 
Kids are free - $5 per adult or $10 per family
Tuesday, August 6, 2019 | 12 to 1 pm

Nature in Northampton:
A Walking Tour with Laurie Sanders

We'll look for every plant or animal species that survives in downtown, from the mosses and ants living in the cracks and margins to the larger plants and creatures that are able to survive in the wilder and untended pockets that occur in and around the heart of the city.

Registration is required.  Space is limited to 20.
$5 for members and donors
$8 for non-members

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Saturday, August 3, 2019 | 7 to 9 pm

Parsons Lawn Concert Series
StompBox Trio

StompBox Trio is the creative intersection between Evelyn Harris’s singular & magical voice, John Cabán’s haunting dobro & stompbox and David Rodriguez’s deep wood bass & foot tambourine... blending classic 20th-century American blues, funk & soul with some 21st-century mojo to create a soulful, foot stomping, hip shaking sound, not to be missed!

Caravan Kitchen food truck will be on hand serving paninis.
The lawn opens a 6 pm for picnicking.
Music 7-9 pm

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Saturday, July 27, 2019 | 7 to 9 pm

Parsons Lawn Concert Series
The O-Tones

The O-Tones have been swinging around New England since 1993. With their soulful sound, they play Jazz standards, Motown hits, Blues tunes, Latin rhythms and Soul music for fun listening and dancing. From Ella Fitzgerald to Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra to Smokey Robinson, their luscious sound will entertain and inspire!

Caravan Kitchen food truck will be on hand serving paninis.
The lawn opens at 6 pm for picnicking.
Music 7 - 9 pm
 
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Saturday, July 20, 2019 | 7 to 9 pm

Parsons Lawn Concert Series
New City Opry

The New City Opry plays bluegrass, country classics and Western swing.  This will be an evening of fun and family friendly entertainment.  Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and listen to live music! 

Ginger Love Cafe food truck will be on site.
The lawn opens at 6 pm for picnicking.
Music 7 - 9 pm

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Saturday, July 20, 2019 | 10 - 11:30 am

Silk Saturday at Historic Northampton

Touch, observe, sketch, and learn about lives of three of our native silk moth caterpillars -- lunas, prometheas and cecropias. They are related to Chinese silkmoths, which provided the raw material for Northampton's 19th century silk industry and are the source of silk clothing today.

We'll meet in Historic Northampton’s garden and then visit the exhibit to see a special display of clothing and objects related to the 19th century silk industry in Northampton.

Unravel a cocoon while unraveling the past!

Ages 3+
Thursday, July 18, 2019 | 10 - 11:30 am

Paper Zoo at Historic Northampton

Who says historical figures have to be human?

Create a paper version of some of Northampton’s most important (and furriest) residents while learning about how they shaped our history.

Children and their caretakers will also search for animals in the exhibit, and do hands on activities.
 
Wednesday, July 17, 2019 | 12 to 1 pm

Nature in Northampton:
A Walking Tour with Laurie Sanders

We'll look for every plant or animal species that survives in downtown, from the mosses and ants living in the cracks and margins to the larger plants and creatures that are able to survive in the wilder and untended pockets that occur in and around the heart of the city.

Registration is required.  Space is limited to 20.
$5 for members and donors
$8 for non-members

Learn More
Saturday, July 13, 2019 | 7 to 9 pm

Parsons Lawn Concert Series
Tim Eriksen: Local music, Local history

Drawing on materials discovered in Historic Northampton’s collection, local junk shops, church basements and old newspapers, Eriksen’s performance will include murder ballads, fiddle tunes, shape-note harmony and haunting originals about time, place, identity and mystery.
 
The lawn opens at 6 pm for picnicking & Little Truc serving creative southeast Asian food on site.

Music 7-9 pm

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Saturday, July 13, 2019 | 8:30 to 10:00 am

350 Years in 90 Minutes:
A Walking Tour of Downtown Northampton

Elizabeth Sharpe, co-director of Historic Northampton and historian, will lead a walking tour of downtown Northampton.

Registration is required.  Space is limited to 20.
$8 for members and donors
$12 for non-members

Learn More
Saturday, July 6, 2019 | 7 to 9 pm

Parsons Lawn Concert Series
Sessa - Brazilian Folk-Pop

A long-time fixture of both the US and Brazil’s music scenes, Sessa debuts his solo work for the first time in 2019. His songs are sung in a laidback Portuguese recalling Caetano Veloso, with a visceral longing that is universally accessible. His simple yet lush arrangements are transcendent and dramatic.

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Paradise City Dragon Boat
Tuesday, July 2, 2019 | 5:30 to 7:30 pm

Exploring Northampton Series:
From Northampton to the Boundary Waters
(or at least the boundary with Hatfield)

Paddle with Historic Northampton & Paradise City Dragon Boat from the former New Haven-Northampton Canal to the Hatfield boundary.  Take in the beauty of the Connecticut River in a dragon boat and learn about our rich natural and cultural history at the same time.

Registration required.  Space is limited to 32.
$25 for members and donors | $35 for non-members

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Wednesday, June 26, 2019 | 5:30 to 7:30 pm

Exploring Northampton Series:
Mineral Hills and Turkey Hill Road Quarry

Join local experts Mark Carmien, Paul Foster-Moore & Laurie Sanders for a tour of the Turkey Hill Road Quarry. Learn the story of how this area was protected and its natural history.

Registration is required.  Space is limited to 20.
$8 for members and donors
$12 for non-members

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Grand Opening of Making it on Main Street
Saturday, June 22, 2019 | 1 to 4 pm

Grand Public Opening of Making it on Main Street

Enjoy live oxen demonstrations featuring Rock & Star and Bluedog Forestry, a cartooning lesson by New York Times best-selling children’s author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka, a performance by the A2Z yo-yo team as well as music by the Expandable Brass Band, free Herrell’s ice cream and more!  Rain or Shine. Free.

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Exploring Northampton Series:
Big Trees of Look Park with Bob Leverett

Thursday, May 23, 2019 | 10 am to 1 pm

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

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Firefighters of Northampton: Present Day Firefighting  & Book Release by Peter Norman  

Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at 7 pm
Northampton Fire Station, 26 Carlon Drive

Three Northampton firefighters—Tim McQuestion, Natalie Stollmeyer and Daryl Springman-- will discuss Northampton Fire Rescue. Local author and photographer Peter Norman will introduce his new book Northampton Fire Rescue and show some of the images he took while "camped out" at the Northampton Fired department.  

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Stories of Bicycling History and Activism
A Public Talk by Lorenz J. Finison

Saturday, May 11, 2019 | 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
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.

Finison traces the activities of cycling environmental and social justice activists, and features topics of racing, touring, commuting, rails-to-trails, and how this history shapes our lives.  His talk will introduce for the first time the Pedal Against Pollution of 1972 as it passed through Northampton, and the ill-fated Tour de Trump stage race which rolled through Northampton in 1990. 

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A group shot kept by Dr. Starbuck in a personal photo album shows gay and lesbian couples holding hands outside the Big House, Middlefield, MA, circa 1930.
Stories of Our LGBTQ Ancestors:
Dr. Amber Starbuck and Mabel Stevens and the Big House 
A Presentation by the Sexual Minorities Archives

Friday, May 3, 2019 at 7 pm
Flex Space, 33 Hawley Street
​
The Sexual Minorities Archives of Holyoke will present a new history talk about Dr. Amber Starbuck and Mabel Stevens of Middlefield. The two women were an out lesbian couple who ran a wellness resort called the Big House in Middlefield from the 1920s to 1960s.

Co-sponsored by Historic Northampton in partnership with the Northampton Center for the Arts

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James L. Long and his cousin Johnnie O'Brien,
​Market Street, Northampton, MA, 1912.
Photograph by Lewis Hine | Library of Congress
Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | 7 pm| Public Talk

Tracking Down the Stories of Child Laborers
A Public Talk by Joe Manning

For the past 13 years, author, historian and Florence resident Joe Manning has been tracking down and interviewing the descendants of children photographed by Lewis Hine for the National Child Labor Committee.  Using the interviews and his own research, Manning tells us how the lives of these children turned out, what they were like, and how they are remembered by their families.

Forbes Library, Calvin Coolidge Museum

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Wednesday, April 3, 2019 | 5-7 pm | Walking Tour

Exploring Northampton Series:
A Sunset Amble in the Northampton Meadows
 
Join co-director and naturalist Laurie Sanders for a walk down Hockanum Road to the site of the former Hockanum Ferry on the Connecticut River. The return leg will coincide with the sunset, which is one of the most beautiful times to be in the Meadows and view the Holyoke Range.

Pre-registration required. Limited to 20.
$8 members & donors; $12 all others.

Learn More & Register
Saturday, March 23, 2019 | 5-7 pm | Walking Tour

Exploring Northampton Series:
A Sunset Amble in the Northampton Meadows
 
Join co-director and naturalist Laurie Sanders for a walk down Hockanum Road to the site of the former Hockanum Ferry on the Connecticut River. The return leg will coincide with the sunset, which is one of the most beautiful times to be in the Meadows and view the Holyoke Range.

Pre-registration required. Limited to 20.
$8 members & donors; $12 all others.

This walk is filled to capacity.
Thursday, March 21, 2019 | 7 pm |Public Talk

Amy Goodman on what can one person do?
A talk in honor of Frances Crowe

Award-winning independent journalist and host of the daily news program Democracy Now! Amy Goodman will give a talk in honor of Frances Crowe on her 100th birthday.  Sponsored by Smith College's Special Collections, Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History, which holds Frances' papers.

John M. Greene Hall, Smith College
​Northampton, MA

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Saturday, March 16, 2019 | 1 pm

Celebrate the Struggle: 100 Signs for 100 Years

Participants are invited to make a sign about an issue that concerns them or one that particularly concerns Frances.  The group will march from 33 Hawley Street in Northampton, up Main Street to City Hall and back again, led by the Expandable Brass Band. Indoors we will break bread together and have brief statements from Frances, her family & friends.

Center for the Arts
33 Hawley Street, Northampton

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 Saturday, February 23, 2019 | Film Screening

An Art That Nature Makes:
The Work of Photographer Rosamond Purcell
Reception with Rosamond Purcell
Film, Conversation and Book Signing
33 Hawley Street, The Arts Trust Building in Northampton, MA

Finding unexpected beauty in the discarded and decayed, photographer Rosamond Purcell has developed a body of work that has garnered international acclaim, graced the pages of National Geographic and over 20 published books.  This film details Purcell’s fascination with the natural world – from a mastodon tooth to a hydrocephalic skull – offering insight into her unique way of recontextualizing objects both ordinary and strange into sometimes disturbing but always breathtaking imagery.

6 pm: Reception with hearty appetizers | $20 ($5 students)
7 pm: Film, conversation and book signing |$10

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Friday, February 22, 2019 | 7 pm | Public Talk

Sleuthing & Serendipity: The “Discovered” Adventure of Two Intrepid Women Naturalists Who Helped Inspire Congress To Preserve The White Mountains.
33 Hawley Street, The Arts Trust Building in Northampton, MA

An Illustrated Talk and Booksigning with
Valley Authors Allison Bell and Maida Goodwin

Valley authors Allison Bell & Maida Goodwin will describe three remarkable stories: (1) how three independent research projects reunited long-separated photographs and letters (some with secret code) that (2) tell the story of a 1902 hike in the White Mountains of two women naturalists, who subsequently took leading roles in the successful effort to protect the White Mountains of New Hampshire and (3) the region’s extraordinary alpine habitats and hiking trails.

Co-Sponsored by the Berkshire Appalachian Mountain Club

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Thursday, February 21, 2019 | 7 pm | Public Talk
​
The Search for Lickingwater and the Making of Northampton
A Public Talk and Book Signing by John Sinton
33 Hawley Street, The Arts Trust Building in Northampton, MA
 
John Sinton will talk about the physical creation of the Connecticut River Valley and of Nonotuck village.  How did Northampton come to occupy primary of place in the Valley for its first one hundred fifty years?  The central section of the presentation will focus on the Mill River itself, its major diversions in 1710 and 1940, and the role the river played in the formation and development of Northampton.

Suggested donation: $5-$10 at the door.

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Tuesday, January 15, 2019 | 7 pm | Film Screening
Monday, January 21, 2019 | 7 pm | Film Screening
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Community & Creativity: The Arts in Northampton
Then, Now & Going Forward
at the Northampton Community Arts Trust building
 
This special program will take a closer look at Northampton's arts scene -- from the 1970s on into the future and include the public premiere of Vision of Thornes, a 13-minute documentary about Gordon Thornes' philosophy about the arts and his experience in Northampton.  

Suggested donation: $5-$10 at the door.

Limited seating.  First come, first served or reserve a seat by emailing info@historicnorthampton.org.

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​Wednesday, January 16, 2019 | 1 - 4 pm | Tea & Talk

Afternoon Tea & A Talk
Northampton Parks: An Unexpected History
Sponsored by Look Park & Historic Northampton
at the Look Park Garden House

Join Historic Northampton and co-host Look Park for afternoon tea in the Garden House and an illustrated talk about Northampton's parks by Laurie Sanders, Historic Northampton's co-director.

During this presentation, Laurie will place Northampton's (Look, Chi​lds, Pulaski and others) within the context of American history and share their individual stories--from the parks that were proposed and never created to those that we enjoy today, all of which were controversial. 

Reservations Required.
$10 for afternoon tea & talk.
Call 413-584-5457 to make your reservation. 

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