2023 Events & Programs

With Historic Northampton

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.

With Artist Betsy Stone

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.

With Lynne Zacek Bassett

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.

With Kiki Smith

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.

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

With Craig Della Penna

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.

Craig Della Penna is the Board President of Norwottuck Network (NN)—a 20+ year old 501c3. He has given over 1,200 lectures in 21 states on various topics related to the conversion of former railroads into linear parks. He is also the author of five books and op-eds in numerous newspapers. He is the first realtor in the United States with a niche practice of selling houses near rail trails.  He and his wife Kathleen also operate an award-winning bed & breakfast, Sugar Maple Trailside Inn, that sits 8 feet from the rail trail in Northampton’s historic Civil War era industrial village of Florence.  

With Jamie Mastrogiacomo

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.

With 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.

With Historic Northampton

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.

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).

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

With Historic Northampton

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.

With Downtown Northampton Association, Fiddle Orchestra of Western Massachusetts, Graves Avenue Association, Northampton Neighbors, Ward 3 Neighborhood Association, and Northampton Community Music School

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.

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 and Northampton Community Music School.

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.

With Historic Northampton

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.

With 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.

With 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.

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

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.

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

With Historic Northampton Co-director Laurie Sanders

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.

With Historic Northampton Co-director Elizabeth Sharpe

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.

With Craig Della Penna

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.

With Historic Northampton Co-director Laurie Sanders

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.

A Zoom Presentation by Dr. Christopher Clark, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Connecticut. With Readings from the Stetson Family Letters by Mary Beth Brooker, Tahmie Der & Tom Goldscheider

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 came to Florence in 1843 — 180 years ago — to join the Northampton Association of Education and Industry. They wanted to live and work with people who shared their values of immediate emancipation of slavery and equal rights for all, “without distinction of sex, color or condition, sect or religion.” Their letters (now at Historic Northampton) contain rich details and personal thoughts of community life, work, education, and reform. The letters provide a close look at a single family before, during, and after their membership in an abolitionist, utopian community. Glimpses of Sojourner Truth, David Ruggles, and other leading figures of the community appear throughout the correspondence.

Historian Christopher Clark will discuss the Stetson family letters (now at Historic Northampton) written while they were members of the Northampton Association of Education and Industry. Selected excerpts from the letters will be read by Mary Beth Brooker as Dolly (the mother), Tahmie Der as Almira (the teenaged daughter), and Tom Goldscheider as James (the father).

With Dr. Rita Liberti

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.

With Alicia Spence

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.

With Co-director & Naturalist Laurie Sanders

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).

A Zoom Presentation by Photographer and Scholar Wendel White
(with response and Q&A from Ousmane Power-Greene) 

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.

In partnership with A.P.E. Gallery and the David Ruggles Center

 A Zoom Presentation by Margaret M. Bruchac

Historic Northampton’s newly launched “Indigenous Histories” 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.

Dr. Margaret Bruchac is an Associate Professor of Anthropology, Associate Faculty in Cultural Heritage, and Coordinator of Native American and Indigenous Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has long been a performer, ethnographer, historian, and consultant on Native American interpretation for northeastern museums, including Historic Northampton.

With Alicia Spence

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.

A Zoom Presentation by Dr. Kenneth Minkema
Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University and Editor, The Works of Jonathan Edwards. With an introduction by Gina Nortonsmith.

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.

Zoom Presentation and Field Trip to the Roost in Springfield with Naturalist Patti Steinman

Over time and across cultures, crows have been cast as figures in art, poetry, and storytelling. In some cultures, they have been recognized for their wit, curiosity, mischief-making, and playfulness. In others they’re viewed as bad omens and symbols of death and doom. 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.
 
Patti Steinman is the Education Coordinator of Mass Audubon’s Connecticut River Valley Sanctuaries and lives in Easthampton. She has worked in the environmental education field for over 30 years developing, teaching, and overseeing adult programs, day camps, nature preschools, and special events. Although interested in all aspects of natural history, at this time of year, on most evenings Patti can be found following the crows to their winter roost.

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

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.

Since 2016, Dave Wattles has been the Black Bear and Furbearer Biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (Mass Wildlife). While a graduate student at UMass Amherst, he studied the habitat use and movements of moose in the state before becoming involved with the black bear research. 

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

With Historic Northampton and the Northampton Center for the Arts

IInspired 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

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

A book talk by Steve Waksman, Smith College Professor of Music

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.

A Zoom Presentation with Emma Winter Zeig and Shara Denson

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.   Historic Northampton Slavery Research Project