100 Years in White: Architecture of the First Congregational Church

 

100 Years in White: Architecture of the First Congregational Church 

What do shirt collars and the current building of the First Congregational Church have in common?  How did Williams College create the circumstances making it necessary to redesign our building?  Some of this information is common knowledge in Williamstown, but you may be surprised by some information that has newly been connected to this story.  Moira Jones ties new information with the old in this exhibit to tell the whole story of why the 1869 Neo-Romanesque building was renovated before its 50th birthday.

Exhibit curator, Moira Jones, is Moderator of the First Congregational Church (for more information on what a “Moderator” is, visit FirstChurchWilliamstown.org).  A native of California, who was born in a town which celebrated its bicentennial the year after our nation, Moira has lived in Williamstown, and been interested in our community history for more than 30 years.  She is indebted to the research of Carl A. Westerdahl (1937-2013) for much of the information that was in this presentation.

 To view a video of this lecture click here:   “100 Years in White:  Architecture of the First Congregational Church”

Biennial Historical House Tour ~ Sunday, May 17th, 12:30-4:30 pm

Biennial Historical House Tour

<style=”text-align: center;”>Sunday, May 17th, 12:30-4:30 pm
The saying goes, “If walls could talk what stories they could tell.” Every other year, the Williamstown Historical Museum arranges for these stories to be told on the Historical House Tour. Tickets for this year’s tour are available until Saturday afternoon at the locations listed below. There is also link to the online form to buy tickets at the bottom of this page, and please thank the following businesses who have been graciously helping us to distribute tickets:

Where tickets will be sold:

  • The Library Antiques

 

  • Where’d You Get That?!

 

  • Milne Public Library Circulation Desk

 

  • Wild Oats

 

  • Williams Inn

 

 

Tickets are also available online here!

 

Please say “Thank You!” to our sponsor for this year’s Historic House Tour: r.k. MILES logo 5747 High Res

Here are some of the special houses on the tour:

1753House

The 1753 House

in the Rotary

WHMIde Phillips

Ide/Phillips house (102 Ide Road)

WHMQuinn house center

Reverend Seth Swift House (630 Water Street)

Pine-cobble

Cluett Estate/Pine Cobble School (163 Gale Road)

Photo Preservation Workshop for Members and Friends at the WHM

Photo Preservation Workshop

with Collections Curator, Laura Staneff, MA

Saturday, May 9th,  11 am at the WHM

Laura can help tell us when this photo was taken and how we can best preserve it! Bring a photo to our workshop to learn what you can do to preserve your photos too!
Laura can help tell us when this photo was taken and how we can best preserve it!
Bring a photo to our workshop to learn what you can do to preserve your photos too!

Do you have a collection of old family photos that are fading fast?  What can you do to protect them?  Should you tape photos into your scrapbooks?  Our freelance collections curator, Laura Downey Staneff, will answer your questions.  In this workshop Laura will discuss different types of photographic processes, their mounts, and how they deteriorate as they age.  She’ll also discuss how photographs should be displayed and stored.  Did you know that displaying a high quality facsimile reproduction of your favorite family photo is a great way to preserve the original?  Workshop participants are invited to bring individual photographs and plenty of questions for discussion about how to preserve your precious photos.  Continue reading Photo Preservation Workshop for Members and Friends at the WHM