Past Programs 2023

Past Programs 2023

Echoes of the Future Past: An Antique Concert on Pyne Street Reimagined

Saturday, November 18, 2023 | 5 pm
BOMBYX Center for Arts and Equity, Florence, MA

During the recent renovations of the Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity in Florence, a crumpled 1873 playbill was found, announcing an ‘Antique Concerte on Pyne Street.” What was this?

Conveniently, such concerts are the subject of a PhD dissertation by Tim Eriksen, a local and noted musicologist and a good friend of Historic Northampton and Bombyx. Also conveniently, the music involved was great, making this thoroughly local, 19th century variety of entertainment ripe for reimagining by the Bombyx/“Pyne Street” community 150 years later. Come join the fun!

Presented in collaboration with Historic Northampton, Northampton Arts Council, Mass Cultural Council, Florence Congregational Church, Beit Ahavah, and the David Ruggles Center.

Drawing on Fashion: A Workshop by Artist Betsy Stone

Saturday, November 18, 2023 | 2 to 4 pm
Historic Northampton, In-person

Historic Northampton’s clothing and accessories collection of 7,500 items is considered one of the premiere collections in the United States. In addition to garments, it includes shoes, hats, purses, canes, and other accessories, mostly from local people.

In this special drawing workshop, participants will get a chance to sketch articles from Historic Northampton’s collection that have rarely—if ever—been on display. Artist Betsy Stone will provide guidance on how to render details like a garment’s drape, fold, and form. She will explain the special features that make each dress representative of its period.

Charcoal, paper, and pencil will be provided.
Ages 14+. All levels of experience.

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Limited to 15.
Sliding scale: $12-$25.

Learn More

Best Bib & Tucker: Dressing for Tea, 1800 to Today

A Talk by Lynne Zacek Bassett

Saturday, November 11, 2023 | 2 pm
Historic Northampton, In-person and live-streamed

Historic Northampton’s costume collection includes a remarkable FIVE tea gowns—a garment developed during the Aesthetic Movement in the latter decades of the 19th century not for wearing out to a tea party, but for “artistic” women to wear in relaxed situations in the home. In a PowerPoint presentation featuring extant garments and period images, fashion historian Lynne Bassett will explain the etiquette of dressing for tea in public and in private, the history of the tea gown, and how social issues of the day—nationalism, social climbing, industrialization, colonial revival nostalgia and women’s rights—affected tea drinkers’ wardrobe options. Historic Northampton’s tea gowns will be on display, dressed on mannequins, for further discussion.

Tea (of course!) and light refreshments will follow.

Preservation assessment of the Historic Northampton Clothing Collection is funded by the Northampton Community Preservation Act.

Pre-registration is encouraged.

Sliding scale: $10-$25.
Seating is limited to 35.

Live-streamed:

Sliding scale: $5-$10.
Register for the link

Learn More

Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore

A Public Talk and Book Signing by Kiki Smith

Saturday, November 4, 2023 | 2 pm

Historic Northampton, In-person and live-streamed

Author and Professor of Theatre Kiki Smith will discuss her new book, Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore.
The book focuses on a neglected subject: the everyday clothing of ordinary American women.

In her illustrated talk, Smith will show garments and accessories from the collections of Smith College and Historic Northampton and describe how the clothing reveals information about the era and the women who made, bought, and wore them.

For those attending in person, clothing from Historic Northampton’s collection will also be on display.

A book signing will follow the talk.

Pre-registration is required.

In-person talk:

Sliding scale: $10-$25.
Seating is limited to 35.

Live-streamed:

Sliding scale: $5-$10.
Register for the link.

Learn More

In partnership with Broadside Bookshop and Smith College’s Theatre Department.

Rail Trails Across Massachusetts:
A Zoom Presentation with Craig Della Penna

Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | 7 pm

In this zoom presentation, Rails-to-Trails expert and Florence resident Craig Della Penna will explain the 40+ year effort to convert 100+ miles of former steam railroad line between Boston and Northampton into a rail trail. Known as the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) the corridor passes through dozens of towns, intersects 18+ other developing rail trails, and is now close to completion. Della Penna will detail the history of rail lines in New England, and describe some of the highlights and opportunities for communities and trail users along the MCRT.

Register for the Zoom link.
Sliding scale admission: $5 to $20.
Student Admission: Free of charge

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Making Cordage from Natural Materials:
A Hands-On Workshop with Fred Morrison

Saturday, October 14, 2023 |1 to 2 pm or 2:30 to 3:30 pm

Make your own cordage
with educator and naturalist Fred Morrison.

For thousands of years, cultures around the world have made cordage with natural materials, especially plant fibers. In this hands-on workshop, naturalist Fred Morrison will demonstrate a technique for manually processing the native plant known commonly as Indian Hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) into cordage. All participants will have the opportunity to make their own cordage and bring home extra materials to continue at home.

Ages 10 and up.
Limit 20 people per session.

Child with parent/guardian: $15
Family: $20
Adults: Sliding scale $10-$25

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Paradise East Open Stage
Shepherd Barn, 66 Bridge Street

Friday, October 13, 2023 | 6 to 8 pm

Join us for an acoustic open stage in the historic Shepherd Barn at 66 Bridge Street on the Historic Northampton campus. The talent will come from our community — so think open mic night, minus the microphones. All are welcome to perform.

Musicians, poets, story-tellers, writers, dancers…. Come share your talent.

Performers: plan on about 5 minutes.

Free and open to the public.

Learn More

Reading Bridge Street Cemetery: A Walking Tour with Jamie Mastrogiacomo

Sunday October 15, 2023 | 9:30 to 11 am

This tour is filled to capacity.

Join us on this walking tour of the Bridge Street Cemetery, where we will travel through centuries of Northampton history.

By learning to “read” gravestones, we can better understand the lives of those who walked before us — in our case, solemn Puritans, hopeful citizens of the new republic, and sentimental Victorians.

Tour guide Jamie Mastrogiacomo is a master’s student in Public History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She graduated from Smith College in 2022 with a degree in English and American Studies. This past summer, she was a research intern at Historic Northampton, where she now works as the visitor services assistant on Sundays.

Limited to 18.
Sliding scale admission: $15-25.

Music at the Museum:
Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra in the Shepherd Barn

Sunday, September 10, 2023 | 5 to 6:30 pm (no intermission)
At the newly renovated 1805 Shepherd Barn at Historic Northampton

Music at the Museum is a Chamber Music Concert to benefit the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra and Historic Northampton.

Please join us in the 1805 Shepherd Barn or settle in on the nearby lawn to enjoy a concert of chamber music with musicians from the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra.

Come early to explore the exhibits in Historic Northampton's main gallery (12-5 pm) and in the barn (4-5 pm).

Seats inside the barn are first come, first served. RSVP to reserve your place.

Donations benefit both the Pioneer Valley Symphony and Historic Northampton. Both organizations are 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations.

Learn More

Inaugural Shepherd Barn Dance

Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 7 pm
At the newly renovated 1805 Shepherd Barn at Historic Northampton

$15-$25 sliding scale admission | Limited to 45. Reserve your place.

It's a great American tradition to celebrate the building of a new barn with a dance. In honor of this tradition, we'll mark the restoration of the Shepherd Barn with a contra dance. Steve Howland will call a variety of circle, square and contra dances, and the band will feature long-time valley contra dance musicians: Annika Amstutz and George Wilson on fiddles, Becky Hollingsworth on piano, and Joe Blumenthal on bass.

Paradise East Open Mic Night
Arts Night Out | Friday, September 8, 2023 | 6 to 8 pm | Free Event
At the newly renovated 1805 Shepherd Barn and on the lawn of Historic Northampton

Paradise East Open Mic Night

Please join us on Friday, September 8, 2023 for Paradise East Open Mic Night.

Enjoy Northampton's Arts Night Out and then come to Historic Northampton to enjoy a relaxing evening of performances by your friends and Valley neighbors. Music, poetry, comedy, dance ... name your talent and please share it! September's Open Mic Night will take place in the newly renovated 1805 Shepherd Barn and on the lawn.

Each performance will be about 5 minutes long. Children and teens encouraged; all welcome. Performers take note: Microphones, full sound system, and sound engineer on-site.

Paradise East Open Mic Night is held in partnership with

Downtown Northampton Association
Fiddle Orchestra of Western Massachusetts
Graves Avenue Association

Northampton Neighbors

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association
Northampton Community Music School

Pulling at the Roots

Three Plays about Northampton History

August 24 - September 3, 2023 at the Barn at Historic Northampton

Pulling at the Roots is a series of three site-specific plays that move the audience through three centuries of Northampton history.

Set in the 1670s, Circling Suspicion by playwright Talya Kingston, brings us into the home and mind of Mary Bliss Parsons as she struggles with accusations of witchcraft.

Rose, by Jasmine Rochelle Goodspeed, explores a moment in 1750 between famous minister Jonathan Edwards and Rose, who is enslaved by Edwards, as they face being forced to leave Northampton.

Finally, The Optimist's Razor by Patrick Gabridge, shows abolitionists David and Lydia Maria Child in 1842 as they confront a situation that threatens their careers and marriage.

Staged in the recently restored historic barn and on the grounds of Historic Northampton, the dramas of Pulling at the Roots examine two important historical themes: the meaning of home and women's search for autonomy.

Content Advisory: The plays contain themes of child loss and slavery and are recommended for adult audiences.

Grand Opening to Celebrate
the Restoration and Re-opening of the Shepherd Barn

Saturday, August 19, 2023 | 2 to 4 pm

Explore the Barn ~ Meet our Experts ~ Amazing Artifacts
Cool History ~ Fun Activities for Kids

Free Herrell's ice cream, watermelon & cold drinks
All welcome! Rain or Shine.

Parking Information
Only limited handicap-accessible parking is available at Historic Northampton.
Guests may park along Bridge Street and in the lots for the Bridge Street School.

Learn More

Paradise East Open Mic Night
Arts Night Out | Friday, August 11, 2023 | 6 to 8 pm | Free Event
On the Grounds of Historic Northampton

Christopher Sparks reads a poem at the
Paradise East Open Mic Night in 2022

Please join us on Friday, August 11, 2023 for Paradise East Open Mic Night.

Take advantage of Arts Night Out and then come to the grounds of Historic Northampton to enjoy a relaxing evening of performances by your friends and Valley neighbors.

Music, poetry, comedy, dance ... name your talent and please share it!

Bring a chair, blanket and picnic to Historic Northampton's grounds.

Each performance will be about 5 minutes long. Children and teens encouraged; all welcome.

Performers take note: Microphones, full sound system, and sound engineer on-site.

Open Mic Night is held in partnership with

Downtown Northampton Association
Fiddle Orchestra of Western Massachusetts
Graves Avenue Association
Northampton Neighbors

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association
Northampton Community Music School

Learn More

Les Boulevardiers at Historic Northampton

Friday, July 28, 2023 | 4:30 to 6 pm
A Free Outdoor Concert on the Grounds of Historic Northampton

Join us for a fun, jazzy evening of music.

Les Boulevardiers, an ensemble with diverse musical backgrounds, is united by a shared love of swinging vintage jazz, sultry tango, and fresh arrangements of the great American songs.

The cabaret and café-concert instrumentation is accordion, clarinet, cello, piano, guitar, mandolin, string bass, and percussion. Les Boulevardiers often collaborate with singers and dancers to create unforgettable events. Les Boulevardiers are based in Massachusetts.

Les Boulevardiers will offer a concert on the grounds of Historic Northampton on July 28, 2023
as part of the Parsons Family Association 100th Family Reunion.

Zikina: A Concert at Historic Northampton

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 6:30 to 8 pm
A Free Concert on the Grounds of Historic Northampton

Back by popular demand and playing songs from their new album, Awaken!

Composed of musicians from across continents and cultures, Zikina creates new and beautiful music that will get you dancing, clapping, and connecting with the people around you.

The group is led by Uganda native Gideon Ampeire, who will draw you in with a variety of traditional East African instruments, including enanga (zither), adungu (harp), and kalimba (thumb piano) - all of which he builds himself. Joining Ampeire is Northampton’s Mike Cardozo on guitar, Roston Kirk on bass and Kurt Eisele-Dyrli on drums. Together, the four weave a sonic landscape that flows seamlessly from intense grooves to joyous dance beats with dreamy textures. Gideon's vocals cut powerfully through the fabric or float lightly above. It all adds up to something completely unique, yet immediately accessible.

Growing Gardeners
A benefit fundraiser for the Bridge Street School Sprouts Gardens at Historic Northampton

Sunday, June 4, 2023 | 11 am to 2 pm

Come to Historic Northampton for hours of family fun, including great music, children’s activities, free plants, refreshments, and more!

This event will help raise funds to create all new garden spaces and a brand new, beautiful garden shed for the Bridge Street School’s Sprouts gardens, which are located on the grounds of Historic Northampton.

Free. Donations encouraged.

On the Grounds of Historic Northampton

Rain date: Sunday, June 11, 2023

In partnership with the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association
and the Meadow City Conservation Coalition.

Exploring Northampton Series
Less Travelled Areas in the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
with Historic Northampton Co-director Laurie Sanders

Wednesday, May 24, 2023 | 9 to 11 am & 5 to 7 pm
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 trails, and may include muddy conditions.

In partnership with the Broad Brook Coalition.

Pre-registration is required.
Limited to 12 participants.
Sliding scale admission: $15 to $25 per person.

Learn More

Exploring Northampton
A Walking Tour of Main Street
with Historic Northampton Co-director Elizabeth Sharpe

Tuesday, May 16, 2023 | 9 am
Registration is full. Please email [email protected] to be placed on the waitlist.

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 about social order, civic pride, preservation, and the importance of public gathering spaces.

Pre-registration is required.
Limited to 18 participants.
Sliding scale admission: $10 to $25 per person.

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Kinney Shoes and Ann August Clothing Store,
Main Street, Northampton, MA, circa 1974.
Photographed by Harvey Finison.

Exploring Northampton Series
Exploring the Mineral Hills, with a Special Focus on Spring Wildflowers
with Historic Northampton Co-director Laurie Sanders

Friday, May 5, 2023| 9 to 11 am & 5 to 7 pm

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, including yellow violets, wild columbine, pale corydalis, early saxifrage, and many others.

On this two-hour ramble, co-director and naturalist Laurie Sanders will provide information about both the natural and human history of this part of the conservation area, with a special focus on the rocky, wooded hills.

Pre-registration is required.
Limited to 12 participants.
Sliding scale admission: $15 to $25 per person.

Learn More

The History of the Rail Trail in Florence
A Walking Tour with Craig Della Penna

Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | 6 to 7:30 pm

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 of the remarkable railroad and industrial history that exists in the one-mile stretch between downtown Florence and Look Park.

Co-sponsored by the Friends of Northampton Trails and the Norwottuck Network.

Pre-registration is required.
Limited to 25 participants.
Sliding scale admission: $10 to $25 per person.

Learn More

Craig Della Penna, a bike path expert and local historian, will share some of the remarkable railroad and industrial history that exists in the one-mile stretch between downtown Florence and Look Park.

Life in Florence's Utopian Community, 1843-1846: The Stetson Family Letters

A Zoom Presentation by Dr. Christopher Clark
Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Connecticut

Thursday, April 27, 2023 | 7 pm

In 1842, radical abolitionists opposed to slavery founded a utopian community called The Northampton Association of Education and Industry in Florence. Their goal was to create a society in which “the rights of all are equal without distinction of sex, color or condition, sect or religion.”

The Stetson family from Brooklyn, Connecticut, joined the association in 1843. Their letters (now at Historic Northampton) contain rich details and personal thoughts of community life, work, education and reform. The letters offer glimpses of the life of Sojourner Truth, David Ruggles, and other leading figures of the Community. Dr. Clark’s presentation will include the live “voices” of Dolly Stetson (read by Mary Beth Brooker) and her teenage daughter Almira Stetson.

Register for the Zoom link.
Sliding scale admission: $5 to $25.
Students: Free of charge.

Learn More | Register

Exploring Northampton
A Walking Tour of Main Street
with Historic Northampton Co-director Elizabeth Sharpe

Saturday, April 15, 2023 | 9 am

Pre-registration is required.
Limited to 18 participants.
Sliding scale admission: $10 to $25 per person.

Learn More

Composite image, designed by Helen Riegle, of Main Street featuring a carte-de-visite card photograph circa 1865 by the Ingraham Brothers and a 2019 photograph depicting the same view by photographer Paul Shoul.

A History of Women’s Basketball and Northampton’s Early Role in the Sport
A Zoom Presentation by Dr. Rita Liberti

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 7 pm

When the nation’s top two women’s intercollegiate basketball teams compete for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship on April 2, 2023, it will mark 130 years since the first women’s college game was played. On March 22, 1893, Smith College Physical Education Director, Senda Berenson introduced her students to the new game of “basket-ball.” Immediately, student athletes and fans on the Northampton campus were drawn to the game that became a centerpiece of campus life.

Sport historian Rita Liberti will describe the early history of women’s basketball, from its beginning in Northampton to its spread across the nation. During the first few decades of the twentieth century, girls and women’s basketball teams were sponsored by schools, churches, playground associations, and factories. She will explore how the history of women’s basketball sheds light on larger social and cultural issues in the United States, including gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and class.

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Northampton High School Girls Basketball Team, 1939.

Identified on reverse by an unconventional numbering system: Arlene Staples, Anne Reed, Patsy Bachand, Sylvia Mangall, Alice Ryan, Lochardes Remas, Mildred Stowe, Mary Ames, May O'Brien, Winnie M. Stewart, Gloria Bisaillon, coach. Photography by Hoffman Studio, Northampton, MA.
1987.64.7: Gift of William C. Ames and Frederick Ames.

It's Time for a Barn Raising
On the Grounds of Historic Northampton

Sunday, March 26, 2023 | 1 - 5 pm

Stop by Historic Northampton to watch as timber framer Alicia Spence and her volunteer crew hand raise the second timber frame addition onto the 1805 Shepherd Barn.

The structural timbers for this one-story addition have
been sized, planed, and joinery cut.

It's time for pike poles and people power to raise the frame onto the rear of the barn.

The work will take place all afternoon.

Timber framers Alicia Spence and Miles Herter work with volunteers to raise the frame of the ell addition
to the 1805 Shepherd Barn.
February 19, 2023

Exploring Northampton: A Sunset Walk in the Meadows
A Walking Tour led by Co-director & Naturalist Laurie Sanders

Saturday, March 18, 2023 | 5:30 - 7:30 pm

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. We will view the Holyoke Range and appreciate the broad floodplain that shaped so much of Northampton's history.

To and from the river, we'll hope for flocks of migrating Canada geese and ducks ... and possibly an aerial performance by a woodcock (or two).

Pre-registration is required.
Limited to 25.
Sliding scale admission: $10-25.

The Northampton Meadows
Photograph by Laurie Sanders

Making History Manifest: Photography in the Archives
A Zoom Presentation by Photographer and Scholar Wendel White
(with response and Q&A from Ousmane Power-Greene)

Co-sponsored by the David Ruggles Center and A.P.E. Gallery

Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 3 pm

Throughout his career, photographer and scholar Wendel White has sought to “excavate Black history through material culture” by exploring the history and lived experience of African American communities through objects, images, and documents found in archives and historical collections.

During March 2023, White will be one of three artists featured in After Archives, a contemporary art exhibition curated by Amy Halliday at Northampton's A.P.E. Gallery. In this presentation, White will discuss the role of archives and museum collections in his own work (and particularly in the ongoing project, Manifest), his interest in examining the impulses and motivations to preserve history and record memory, and his belief that remnants of material culture are imbued with the power to help challenge our preconceived ideas. Clark University Associate Professor of History, Ousmane Power-Greene, will respond to Wendel White's presentation, and lead a brief Q&A.

Wendel White, Door Knob, Maye St Julien,
Eatonville Historic Preservation, Eatonville, FL,
pigment inkjet print, from the series Manifest

Co-sponsored by the David Ruggles Center and A.P.E. Gallery.

This presentation is part of the After Archives exhibition at A.P.E. Gallery, 126 Main Street, Northampton
(March 3-30, 2023), which was made possible in part through support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

From Nonotuck to Northampton: Recovering Indigenous Histories
A Zoom Presentation with Margaret M. Bruchac
Associate Professor of Anthropology, Associate Faculty in Cultural Heritage, and Coordinator of Native American
and Indigenous Studies at the University of Pennsylvania

Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 7 pm

Historic Northampton’s newly launched “Indigenous Histories” (access here on our website) features the scholarship of Dr. Margaret M. Bruchac. The centerpiece is a resource-rich and extended essay titled “From Nonotuck to Northampton: Recovering Indigenous Histories,” which re-examines colonial era encounters between Nonotuck and settlers, offers Indigenous perspectives, and gives readers the tools to better understand the historical record. The website also includes a visual history, maps, links to relevant historical publications and documents, and more.

Join Dr. Bruchac for a presentation about her research, followed by a question and answer period.

Please note: This Zoom presentation will not be recorded.

Margaret M. Bruchac, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, with Native steatite cooking pot from an unidentified site in Quaboag territory in Brookfield, MA. This pot, one of many collected by Amherst College, is now housed in the Historic Northampton collection.
Photo courtesy of Margaret M. Bruchac.

It's Time for a Barn Raising!

Sunday, February 19, 2023 | 12 noon to 4 pm
On the Grounds of Historic Northampton

Stop by Historic Northampton this Sunday, February 19th from 12 noon - 4 pm to watch and learn as timber framer Alicia Spence and her volunteer crew use traditional methods to hand raise a new timber frame addition onto the Shepherd Barn.

Free hot cocoa. So many nice people to meet and talk with. Wooden pegs for the barn available for sale.

Timber Framer Alicia Spence

Religion and Slavery in Colonial New England
A Zoom Presentation by Dr. Kenneth Minkema

Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 7 pm

From 1729 until 1750, Northampton’s minister was Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), an internationally known philosopher, theologian, and leader of the Great Awakening spiritual revival. While in Northampton, he enslaved three people—Venus, Leah, and Rose. After his move to Stockbridge in 1751, he enslaved three others—a married couple named Joseph and Sue, and a boy named Titus. In his writings and from the pulpit, Edwards defended the practice of slavery. How and why could a minister uphold the ownership of people and deny basic human rights?

In this presentation, Dr. Kenneth Minkema will examine some of the theological and religious justifications for, and critiques of, slavery and the slave trade, as they were expressed from the colonial incursion in the early seventeenth century to the eighteenth century when Jonathan Edwards and his followers were active.

Register for the Zoom link.
Sliding scale admission: $5-25.

Learn More

Jonathan Edwards by Joseph Badger
Courtesy of the Yale University Art Gallery

Crows & Connecticut Valley's Crow Roost: A Spectacular Winter Event
Sunday, February 5, 2023 with Naturalist Patti Steinman

Zoom Presentation | 2-3 pm

Field Trip to the Roost in Springfield | 4:45 pm

In colonial America, crows were considered pests and a serious nuisance to crops. Northampton’s first crow bounty was in 1735, and bounties continued in the nineteenth century. Through the World War II era, crows were poisoned and hunted, and their roosts were bombed.

Recent new research about their intelligence and complex social behavior has led to a new understanding and appreciation for crows and their impressive fall and winter roosts. For the last two decades, Patti Steinman, a naturalist at MassAudubon, has been studying crows and the City of Springfield’s Crow Roost, one of the largest in the state. At this time of year, it is the nightly gathering spot for about 10,000 crows—including all the crows that you see in Northampton during the day.

Steinman’s program will include two components, an informational zoom presentation about crows--from the complex ways that different cultures and traditions have treated them to their natural history—followed by a field trip (limited to 20) to the Springfield Roost to observe crows.

Pre-registration is required.

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Black Bears in Massachusetts
A Zoom presentation by Dave Wattles, Black Bear and Furbearer Biologist for Mass Wildlife

Thursday, February 2, 2023 at 7 pm

Dave Wattles will describe the history of the black bear population in Massachusetts and its remarkable recovery during the last fifty years. In addition to bear ecology, he will discuss the results of fifteen years of radio and GPS collaring research, some of it conducted in Northampton. The collar data has revealed information on reproduction, survival, causes of mortality, habitat use, and movement. Wattles will also talk about coexisting with bears.

In partnership with the Broad Brook Coalition and the Rowe Park Commission, Rowe, Massachusetts.

Register for the Zoom link.
Sliding scale admission: $5-25.

Learn More

Historic Northampton and the Northampton Center for the Arts present

Live Music in (and Around) Northampton: A Presentation & Panel Discussion

Sunday, January 29, 2023 at 2 pm
In Person in the Flex at 33 Hawley Street, Northampton
Please note: Masks are required for this in-person event.

Inspired by Steve Waksman’s recent book, Live Music in America, this panel discussion will focus on the past few decades of Northampton’s live music scene and the city’s musical life more broadly. A panel of local music insiders will reflect on the scene’s history since the 1970s, its present, and where it might go next. Preceding the panel discussion will be a brief presentation by Dylan Gaffney of Forbes Library, who will share archival photos and other materials to illustrate some of the venues and events that have defined Northampton music through the years.

The panel will be moderated by Steve Waksman, Smith College Professor of Music, and will feature:

Beth Caurant, founder and guitarist, Lilith
Joan Holliday, Program Director and afternoon drive host on WRSI, 93.9 The River
Neal Robinson, Iron Horse Music Hall|Race Street Live
Glenn Siegel, founder, Magic Triangle Jazz Series and co-founder, Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares

Tizzy playing at the Bay State Hotel in October 2000. Seth Kaye Photography.

Pre-registration is strongly recommended to reserve a seat.
Sliding scale admission: $5-20.
Students: free of charge

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Pull the Barn BACK: A Free Community Event

Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 1 pm

On the Grounds of Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA

Aerial View of the Barn Pull, November 2022
Photograph by Max Lauff

We need your muscle and cheers to move the historic Shepherd Barn back onto its original footprint now that a new foundation has been installed.

Once again, timber framer Alicia Spence will direct volunteers to slowly and carefully pull the barn back along the specially made track.

Register ahead to volunteer to pull the ropes or sign up at the event.

All are welcome to watch and cheer on the volunteers.

Historic Northampton and the Northampton Center for the Arts present

Live Music in America: A History from Jenny Lind to Beyoncé
A book talk by Steve Waksman, Smith College Professor of Music

Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 2 pm

Eli's Room (Lower Level Studio)
Northampton Center for the Arts,
33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA

Smith College Professor of Music Steve Waksman will discuss his new book, Live Music in America: A History from Jenny Lind to Beyoncé. Starting with Jenny Lind's fabled U.S. tour (she performed to large crowds in Northampton in 1851 and 1852) and winding all the way into the twenty-first century, Live Music in America is the first book to consider the history of live music in the U.S. across genres and time periods. It draws upon previously unstudied archival materials to shed new light on the origins of jazz, the emergence of rock 'n' roll, and the rise of the modern music festival. Dr. Waksman's presentation will be illustrated with photos from his research along with music and video clips.

Slavery in Northampton, 1654 to 1783
A Zoom Presentation with Emma Winter Zeig and Shara Denson

Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 7 pm

In the 129 years from the English settlement of Northampton in 1654 to the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts in 1783, fifty or more men, women, and children were enslaved in Northampton. Their stories illuminate how enslavers in Northampton exerted power over the lives of the people they enslaved, but also the ways that enslaved people took back control over their lives, gaining their freedom, starting families, managing careers, and amassing property.

For three years (2019-2021), the Slavery Research Project consisted of a team of staff, interns, and scholars who combed through every available record to identify those who were enslaved and to learn as much as possible about their lives and the lives of their children. Shara Denson will introduce the Project, and Emma Winter Zeig will highlight stories of people who this project shed new light on, describe the challenges of researching slavery, and introduce the web portal where the results of the study are available. You can access it here. Historic Northampton Slavery Research Project

Register for the Zoom link.
Sliding scale admission: $5-25.
Students: Free