Category: Featured slider

“30 Years of Exoplanets: What Have We Learned?” Lecture and Stargazing with the Northern Berkshire Astronomical Society

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th, 2026 7:30PM

32 NEW ASHFORD ROAD, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA

Join us on Saturday, September 12th at 7:30pm at the Williamstown Historical Museum for an evening of astronomy with the Northern Berkshire Astronomical Society! Northern Berkshire Astronomical Society member Dr. Bob Donahue will present a lecture on the remarkable discoveries made over the past 30 years in the study of exoplanets: planets orbiting stars beyond our Solar System. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A and, weather permitting, a stargazing session.

Since the 1990s, astronomers have confirmed more than 6,000 exoplanets. What are these distant worlds like? Are any of them like Earth? Is our Solar System unusual? And what are we likely to learn next?

Come learn more about the worlds beyond our Solar System and join members of the Northern Berkshire Astronomical Society for an opportunity to explore the night sky.

Visit the Northern Berkshire Astronomical Society’s website for more information: https://nbasastro.org/articles/2026/08/nbas-public-observing-williamstown-historical-museum/

“Families & Freedom: Journeys in the Revolutionary Northeast” Prof. Christine DeLucia

SATURDAY, JULY 18th, 2026 11:00AM

32 NEW ASHFORD ROAD, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA

The American Revolutionary era and its aftermath presented tremendous challenges to families across the Northeast.  Members of diverse communities and sovereign nations contended with rapid upheavals, relocations, food and resource scarcity, and contested allegiances and visions of the future. This presentation illuminates the experiences of Native American, African American, and Euro-colonial families who strategized to protect their needs and goals.  Featuring the intertwined stories of Violet Freeman, Ruth Waukeet, and Mary Stiles, it explores how they envisioned and pursued wellbeing, material security, stability in cherished places, and other priorities.  For each, concepts like “freedom” and “independence” held distinct meanings.  These meanings profoundly shaped their pathways forward, across great distances and disparate forms of power and opportunity.  This presentation also considers methods for approaching Revolutionary stories that are only partially present in conventional written archives, but that invite close reckoning with other sources and forms of memory.

Williamstown Historical Museum Welcomes New Executive Director

The Williamstown Historical Museum is pleased to announce that Jess Hunsicker began serving as Executive Director in April 2026, bringing experience in librarianship, museum leadership, public history, and community-based cultural programming.

In this role, Hunsicker oversees the museum’s daily operations, exhibitions, educational programming, research initiatives, and community engagement. Drawing on her background in library and information science, she supports the museum’s work of collecting, cataloging, and preserving materials of historical significance while expanding access for research and public
education.

She works closely with the Board of Directors to advance the museum’s mission of promoting interest in the history of the Williamstown area through the preservation and interpretation of its material and documentary record, as well as through exhibitions, programs, events, research, and publications that deepen public understanding of the town’s past.

Hunsicker holds a Master of Library and Information Science from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Rochester, where she graduated cum laude with Highest Distinction and Honors in research. Her background in archival and information systems and historical research informs her work in strengthening collections, interpretation, and access to local history.

“I am honored to join the Williamstown Historical Museum at such an exciting moment for the organization,” said Hunsicker. “I look forward to working with the Board, volunteers, and community to deepen engagement with Williamstown’s unique history.”

Board President David Dewey added, “Our search included a deep pool of highly qualified candidates. Jess is our unanimous and ideal person to lead our Museum into its next exciting chapter. Her commitment to local history and building community is infectious. We are thrilled to welcome Jess to our educational and cultural mission.”

The museum looks forward to building on its strong foundation while finding new ways to connect residents and visitors with the stories that shape the region.