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Date: 1/2/2024
AMHERST — Community members joined with town officials on Dec. 21 to witness the unveiling of a new street sign at the corner of Hazel Avenue and Northampton Road, to celebrate the town of Amherst’s Westside National Historic District.
Outgoing District 4 Councilor and Ancestral Bridges Founder Anika Lopes, whose grandfather Dudley Bridges was instrumental in the creation of the Westside District, led the ceremony and was one of many community leaders to read the official proclamation honoring the site.
“I appreciate the efforts of the town of Amherst to recognize and celebrate the historical part of town where my Black and Indigenous ancestors were relegated to live,” Lopes said.
The 40-acre site, home to Amherst’s Black residents for centuries, was initiated by Bridges in 1996, officially proposed as a National Historic District in 1998 and included in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
The district borders include Northampton Road, Hazel Avenue, Snell Street, Baker Street and run along the railroad tracks.
Community member Debora Bridges, who serves as the curator and guide for the Civil War Tablets said “Hazel Avenue was all family, always watching each other’s children as they played. The family musicians played in the summer nights and loved just being together.”
The reading of the official proclamation took place in front of the home of Perry Roberts, who was born enslaved and later built the Hazel Avenue home in 1896.
Lopes noted the significance of the neighborhood’s heritage.
“This neighborhood is one of the few places in Amherst where Blacks and Indigenous people could live and own homes during a period of time marked by slavery and systemic racist practices, including redlining, exclusionary zoning, inequitable GI bills and housing segregation," Lopes said. “It’s a living history that embodies the strength, resilience, and determination of Black and Indigenous people who established a vibrant and enduring community in downtown Amherst despite horrific challenges.”
In the proclamation, read by officials and member of the town’s African American community, “the residents of Amherst are encouraged to explore and appreciate the rich history of the Westside Historic District, and to continue fostering a community that celebrates diversity and inclusion.”