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The Forgotten Ledge of Fort Massachusetts

Program for Children and Families!

Saturday, September 24, 11 am

Milne Public Library

Wendy Champney will led the audience on a journey through hits where they followed the clues as to reveal the location of Indian Ledge and uncover its vibrant, lost history.

View the video here: The Forgotten Ledge of Fort Massachusetts

Audience members also discovered the significance of the relationship between the ledge and the 1746 attack on Fort Massachusetts located in present-day North Adams. Wendy is author of the book The Forgotten Ledge of Fort Massachusetts and the coloring book Colorful History of Fort Massachusetts. This program is perfect for families hoping to learn more about our local history dating to the earliest days of settlement when North Adams was the westernmost outpost of Massachusetts.

Mrs. Champney is a lifelong resident of North Adams and is a retired McCann Technical School teacher. She hopes to inspire curiosity about local history in students throughout the Berkshires. She serves on the Historical Commission in North Adams and is a member of the Friends of Fort Massachusetts. The home on the Ledge which inspired her book has been in her family since the 1960s. Wendy’s book and coloring book will be available at the lecture for you to enjoy.

First Church & Williamstown: 250 Years Together ~ on exhibit through Autumn, 2016

It is no coincidence that First Congregational Church, Williamstown, and the town itself share a birthdate. In 1750 Massachusetts General Assembly passed legislation requiring a “settled and learned pastor” in order to incorporate a town. So, no matter what the religious fervor of the town in those early days, forming a Congregational Church (this is Massachusetts) was necessary for them to claim their land. So the story of the Church is the story of the town. Come hear about the significant events in the Church’s history, which show what was happening in town along the way.

Moira Jones has been Moderator of the First Congregational Church since February 2013. In this last fall of her term as Moderator, she has been researching the Church History, and really looks forward to sharing it with you.

Tour of exhibit May 18th 6 pm

Moira Jones would like to encourage you to see this exhibit on Wednesday, May 18th, and is offering to conduct a tour of the exhibit for you on that day at 6 pm. Please mark this on your calendars, and get this personal tour from the person who put together the exhibit, before she leaves town at the end of this month. Moira looks forward to seeing you on the 18th!

If you missed this talk in November, you can see it online here:

Before & After; The Story of a Small Town’s Artifacts & Their Conservation

We hope you will join us!
Saturday, October 3rd, 11 am
at the Williamstown Historical Museum
for the opening of our exhibit:
Before and After; The Story of a Small Town’s Artifacts
and Their Conservation

This exhibit was created by you and for you. Williamstown residents and friends donated the artifacts in this exhibit, voted at the 2014 Annual Town Meeting to have these artifacts conserved, and your interaction with these objects makes them meaningful. Materials donated over the years helped us build a narrative for the objects that allowed us to tell some of the stories of the people and places of our little town. You are an important part of that story. We hope you’ll come admire some of your work. The exhibit focuses on the objects that were conserved at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center using CPC funds. The Pine Cobble Seventh Graders (now eighth graders) contributed descriptive paragraphs detailing some of the objects. This exhibit couldn’t have been done without you. Thank you!

We will have delicious treats for you upon your arrival. We look forward to seeing you next Saturday!

For questions please email sarah@williamstownhistoricalmuseum.org or call 413.458.2160.