Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 1/5/2022
BLANDFORD – Arcadia Publishing has announced that “The White Church of Blandford,” the first book written by Westfield State University Dean of History Nicholas J. Aieta of Westfield, with a foreword by Pliny “Chips” Norcross III of the Blandford Historical Society, will be released on Jan. 24 by the publishing firm.
Norcross wrote in his foreword that when the Historical Society began its search for someone who would be able and willing to author the book, the society “was delighted that Prof. Nicholas Aieta, Ph.D., chair of the Westfield State University History Department and a specialist in early American history, enthusiastically accepted the writing challenge. Professor Aieta’s familiarity with Arcadia Publishing’s process was an enormous help in structuring this project.”
Both Aieta and Norcross are excited about the release of the book, which is a month earlier than anticipated, and will kick off the 200th anniversary of the historic church’s construction in 1822 by prominent 19th century architect Isaac Damon of Northampton. Damon also built the First Congregational Church in Southwick, the Westhampton Congregational Church, and the Old First Church in Springfield.
Damon also built the church that occupied the current First Churches location in Northampton, which burned down in the 1870s, taking out two or three other Damon buildings on that block. Isaac Damon’s home now houses the Northampton Historical Society, whose members helped Aieta with the book.
The White Church of Blandford is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is owned by the Historical Society, which bought the building for one dollar in 2006 from the church congregation when it could no longer afford to support the building and the extensive renovations that were still needed. The congregation had also built a second “winter” church in town in the early 1900s, and only used the White Church during the summers.
The book is as much about the history of the church, its congregation and architect Isaac Damon, as it is about the efforts to preserve the historic building, begun in the 1990s by the congregation, and then resumed by the Historical Society. The White Church, as it is currently known, remains a symbol on the town seal, a historic landmark, and a center for town activity, even if it no longer houses an active congregation.
Aieta said he was familiar with the White Church, having come up frequently to Blandford to give talks at the Blandford Historical Society on the War of 1812 during its bicentennial, on the Civil War and on World War I. “The fun thing is that everybody always knows more than I do,” Aieta said about his talks.
When Norcross asked him to consider putting together the book, Aieta reached out to Arcadia Press to see if the company would be interested. He said the press could have gone in two directions with the book, in the Images of America direction, which required a lot of photos, or in the more narrative direction.
Aieta said there wasn’t enough to write about for the narrative form – no crimes or intrigues to relate, for example. The Historical Society had done a lot of the initial work, including documenting the initial restoration that had begun in the 1990s by the congregation, which raised a quarter of a million dollars before it ran out of money. During that time, the church remained on girders three feet off the foundation for three years, which also sparked community interest in raising funds for the building’s restoration.
The Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival started with the purpose during its first five years of raising money for the restoration of the church. Aieta said they found a whole other set of images associated with those early years of restoration and fundraising that they were able to incorporate into the book.
Peter Hamm, who started the restoration of the church in the 1990s when he was just out of Kenyon College, is currently leading a major two-year interior and exterior restoration of the building. Hamm is now a well-known restorer in New England who has worked on the Emily Dickinson House and the Melville House in Pittsfield.
“He did a fabulous job,” Norcross said of Hamm. “It is 95 percent finished, and due to be finished on Memorial Day.” Norcross said all of the windows are being completely restored and taken, out four at a time. “Currently, the four in the front of the church are being worked on,” he added.
The Holyoke Caledonia Pipe Band, which participated in the first year of the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival, will lead the parade marking the 200th anniversary of the church during the week-long observation this fall leading up to Labor Day weekend of Sept. 2, 3 and 4, in conjunction with the Blandford Fair and an ecumenical service at the White Church on Sept. 3.
Some of the events being planned for the week leading up to Labor Day include an art show at the Blandford Country Club on Aug. 27 and 28 with a blueberry tea sponsored by the Historical Society, a Saturday afternoon Bel Canto Opera, a Mennonite sing, a reunion of surviving students at the Historical Society’s schoolhouse, and a reunion of the Wyman family.
“We hope to sell a lot of books,” Aieta said.
“The book came out early. Initially, when I contacted the press, we thought the best-case scenario was a February 2022 release,” Aieta said, adding that the press told them the quick turnaround was due to their quick response time of two or three days to questions.
The book will also be on sale at the Historical Society once it’s released. Norcross said the society is meeting on Jan. 20 and will plan a book launch in Blandford.
Aieta said he will also do something on campus when the book comes out, and is also hoping to host an event at the Blue Umbrella in Westfield.