About Us
The Belchertown Historical Association exists to preserve historical artifacts pertaining to the Town of Belchertown; to maintain the Stone House Museum; and to foster knowledge of and interest in the history of Belchertown by opening the Museum to the public and by offering educational programs, lectures and events.
The organization was founded in 1903 and is managed by a Board of Trustees, elected each Spring at the Association’s Annual meeting. The town of Belchertown has a long and rich history – a story worth learning about today and of preserving for generations to come.
The Belchertown Historical Association
The Board of Trustees
Annual Meeting
About Belchertown, MA
In Memoriam
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The Belchertown Historical Association
The BHA was founded during March, 1903, “for the preservation and exhibition of articles of historic interest on account of age or association with the past history of the town.” The first members set April 28th as the date for the annual meeting of the association, this being the date of the first legal town meeting in 1740. The association very soon secured the use of a room in the basement of the Clapp Memorial Library for exhibition of its rapidly growing collection. There was a great deal of interest in preserving the early records and historical artifacts of the town.
Mrs. Harriette Dwight Longley, one of the first Trustees, on her death in 1908 left her estate to furnish and maintain a permanent home for the Historical Association. This was used to purchase the Stone House which was occupied for that purpose in 1922. This home was originally built in 1827 by Jonathan Dwight as a wedding gift for his daughter Julia Diantha. Until it was acquired by the Association, it remained in related branches of the Dwight family for nearly a century.
The Ford Annex, which houses carriages and other horse-drawn vehicles, was built through the generosity of Henry Ford and dedicated in 1924. The printing office and equipment of Lewis Blackmer, editor, and publisher of the Belchertown Sentinel was added later to the grounds.
In 2016 we moved the last one-room schoolhouse in Belchertown, the Washington District School, from the south end of town to the museum property. The Association has been working on restoring the schoolhouse since then, and the exterior is almost buttoned up. There are still a few years worth of work before the schoolhouse can open for exhibit and as a place for lectures, workshops and other fun hands-on activities for kids and adults. Donations are welcome.
The Stone House Museum contains superb examples of furniture, china and decorative accessories made in the 1700s and 1800s. Its textile collection contains samplers, early crewelwork, linens, quilts and an extensive selection of period clothing. The archives contain a collection of early town and church documents, diaries, manuscripts, ledgers, genealogical records, military records, records of town organizations, early business establishments and a large collection of photographs. History lives in the records of the past. The Association still continues to pursue its original mission in collecting and preserving the history of Belchertown.
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The Board of Trustees 2023-2024
President: Thomas Stockton
Vice President: Denise Smith
Vice President: Erica Morrison-Brazitis
Secretary: Sally Shattuck
Treasurer: Maureen Austin
Other Members of the Board:
Mary Ann Brennan
Susan Cameron
Tish Poulter
Tony Trifone
Many thanks to ALL the dedicated members (current and past) who have served on the board!!
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The Annual Meeting of the BHA
The “Call to the Meeting” of the Belchertown Historical Association is held on the 28th day of April in each year, or as close to this date as possible, as determined by the Trustees. (The 28th day of April 1740 was the date of the first legal meeting ever held in Cold Spring.) At this meeting, members of the association elect Trustees and Offices of the Board; vote on any changes to the By-Laws and discuss any other business as is put forth on the agenda.
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Les Campbell – one of the museum’s most generous supporters – has captured scenes from Belchertown’s past and present. Click on this picture to go to his gallery.
About Belchertown, MA
A summary of the history of the Town of Belchertown originally written in 1960 by Kenneth A. Dorey was revised in 2005 by Shirley Bock, Doris Dickinson and Dan Fitzpatrick specifically for the Town of Belchertown web site. Included are the following sections:
I. THE BEGINNINGS
II. EARLY SETTLEMENT
III. THE EARLY DAYS
IV. THE TOWN GROWS
V. EARLY INDUSTRY
VI. MILITARY HISTORY
VII. NOTABLE PEOPLE
VIII HISTORIC HOMES
IX. PLACES OF INTEREST
X. EDUCATION THROUGH THE YEARS
XI. BELCHERTOWN STATE SCHOOL
XII. BELCHERTOWN WATER DISTRICT
XIII. BELCHERTOWN SEWER DISTRICT
XIV. NOTES
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Amelia “Millie” Harrington
6/30/22 – 1/12/20
Mid-January of 2020, the Belchertown Historical Association lost long-time member Amelia “Millie” Harrington at 97; a wonderful ambassador for the museum. For over 50 years, Millie was an active volunteer, making financial intellectual and physical contributions. Time-wise, she liberally offered her services two afternoons a week, each year.
One of her afternoon “special” times was when she hosted five Belchertown Historical Association members at her home. They included: Helen Towne, Phyllis Ferriter Ruthie Berard, Bev Jackson and Jenny Green. Her Christmas craft gathering was all in preparation for the Yuletide (then a two and a half day event). Year after year, these guests with common interests evolved into best friends. The result was fun, and fulfillment was added to her life.
The second volunteer afternoon consisted of many activities at the museum. There were always maintenance activities from cleaning and painting the house to making curtains. There were always inventory processing, hand-updating and managing files, and setting up the exhibit room. Millie and other members drew upon the skills they already had and drew upon them to benefit the greater community…the success of the Belchertown Historical Association.
Throughout the spring and summer, Millie saved her Sunday afternoons to create and maintain the Remembrance Garden on the museum grounds. Her skilled hands not only framed an inviting spot to sit and relax but paid tribute to the vision of the Remembrance Garden. She freely shared her knowledge with interested garden members.
Millie was present at most of the Belchertown Historical Association’s events. Among other things, she would meet, greet, tour, sell tickets and even bake. Her fruit cake was well-known by many! She created an atmosphere that visitors were likely to remember.
When asked why she gave so much time to the historical association, she responded quite quickly. She said she met the nicest people. It added new meaning and direction to her life. The ongoing skills of communication, teamwork, problem-solving, planning and organization challenged her. Indeed, Millie became a “vintage” volunteer.
Shirley A. Bock
5/22/36 – 2/3/18
Shirley Bock started to volunteer at the Stone House Museum in 1963. She was the assistant curator right up to her passing in 2018. She knew the collection like no one else and could tell you the backstory on everything and everyone Belchertown. Her memory was remarkable and while nothing was ever forgotten, she always edited her accounts to omit gossip. She worked tirelessly with the Museum Committee and the museum archivist. In the early 1990s, when the then curator was stealing items from our museum, it was Shirley’s connections with our visitors and her memory which brought the theft to the Board of Trustees’ attention after receiving a call from a visitor to the museum from 1963 who tipped her off. Shirley Bock was a Belchertown treasure.
Doris Mae (Hawkins) Dickinson
3/15/1925 – 2/20/15
Doris Dickinson did just about everything at one time or another at the Stone House Museum. If a job needed doing, she stepped in and did it, from buildings and grounds to painstaking research for special projects. In her later years she loved the documents and the archives, which the Trustees named in her honor when she moved; they are now the “Doris Dickinson Archives” at the Stone House Museum. Her enduring dedication to our Association, and her love for our town’s history and our museum have been an inspiration to me for as long as I can remember; through her tireless perseverance and diligence she left a lasting legacy that will endure for generations. Since her passing, every stone of the house and grounds and every picket of the fence seem to want to tell of some positive contribution she effected. We mourn her passing and remember and celebrate the difference she made in all our lives.
She did many good works in the different areas of the community that she was involved in, and really made a tangible, lasting, positive difference in the world around her. She will be sorely missed.
James W. Chevalier
11/24/1944 – 6/8/2013
Jim Chevalier was a valued long-time board member, past president, supporter, mentor and friend. His enduring dedication to our Association and his love for our town’s history and our museum have been an inspiration to many for as long as we can remember. Since his passing, every corner and stone of the house and grounds seem to want to tell of some positive contribution he effected. We mourn his passing and remember and celebrate the difference he made in all our lives.