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Date: 10/4/2023
WESTFIELD — The Pioneer Valley History Network will concentrate on Westfield, Southwick and Granville in its next installment of “History on the Go,” a series of five driving tours connecting local historical sites.
The Tri-Town History Trail will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. Visitors can stop at any or all of the five participating locations, in whatever order they choose: the Westfield Athenaeum, Dewey House and the Old Burying Ground in Westfield; the Southwick History Museum and the Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation in Granville.
“The idea is to get more people to visit those sites and see what each of them have to offer,” said PVHN Vice President Cliff McCarthy. “Each town has a different story and it’s a motivating way to get people out and visit their local history.”
PVHN is a consortium of historical institutions promoting and supporting collaboration among historical societies, sites and museums in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. With support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the History on the Go project brings together historical institutions in an area to create a trail on a coordinated day and time for history enthusiasts to follow as well as giving museums and historic sites an opportunity to open its doors to a larger audience.
The Westfield Athenaeum will feature the history exhibits in its Reed Room. This room includes an extensive exhibit covering the history of Westfield from its founding in 1669 to the present day, and a large exhibit on the history of military service in Westfield, featuring the stories of a number of local veterans. Both of these displays include many artifacts from the Athenaeum’s museum and archives collections.
The Athenaeum, at 6 Elm St., Westfield, will also open its newly renovated Smith Room, which features a recreation of a colonial kitchen, displays of Victorian era artifacts, and a display on the history of childhood in New England. There will be docents on hand to answer questions about the displays and activities for children.
“This event is an opportunity for families interested in the history of the region to sample the exhibits and historic sites that are part of the tri-town area,” said Athenaeum Executive Director Guy McLain.
The Dewey House at 87 S. Maple St., Westfield, will have costumed docents to take visitors through the house and explain life in the 1700s — along with serving cider and doughnut holes. Built around 1735, the Dewey House was owned by Joseph Dewey, who operated a sawmill on the Little River, just across the street. By visiting this house, visitors will be able to experience what it was like to live in an 18th century home.
Dewey House Trustees Chair Candy Pennington stated, “I think this is a wonderful way for people to learn about the historical places in Westfield and other areas in Western Mass. People should be impressed with Westfield and its place in history.”
The Southwick Historical Society will offer tours of both its buildings at 86 College Hwy., Southwick, the Joseph Moore House built in 1751 and the C.J. Gillett Cigar Factory and Warehouse, built in 1872. Docents will show many of the artifacts that the society has acquired since its founding in 1971. Children can participate in a scavenger hunt in both buildings.
“We’re delighted to be offered a chance to participate,” Historical Society Treasurer Patricia Odiorne said. “We hope to share the value of local history with a wider audience as a result of this project.”
Also on the tour is the Old Burying Ground at 45 Mechanic St. in Westfield. Activities at this site, the cemetery where many of Westfield’s original settlers and early town leaders are buried, are dependent on weather.
Previous history trails in August visited sites in the Hampshire and Franklin County Hilltowns and eastern suburbs of Springfield. Another history trail on Oct. 14 also visits the northern Hilltowns and Greenfield. This year’s fifth and final history trail, on Nov. 4, will connect four sites in West Springfield. PVHN is applying for funds to do more next year, perhaps trails centered on different themes.
“I’ve been a participant in visiting half a dozen of the locations on the previous trails this year,” McCarthy said. “Every time I go to a local museum, I learn something about that town’s history that I didn’t know before. It’s fun to learn something new and see objects that I had no idea existed. The Tri-Town History Trail will provide that same opportunity for lots of people.”
For more information, visit pioneervalleyhistorynetwork.org, or email pioneervalleyhistory@gmail.com.