Historic Northampton

Exploring Northampton: Bike Trail Botanizing: The Rocky Hill Greenway A Walking Tour led by Laurie Sanders, Co-director and Naturalist Take a walk along the shoreline of glacial lake Hitchcock and see plants that 12,000 years later are influenced by our region's glacial history. This walk will be a 1 mile loop.  The meeting location will be provided by email prior to the walk. In partnership with Friends of Northampton Trails. Limit 15.  Sliding scale admission: $5 - $20.

For centuries, it has been among the most popular walks in Northampton. Registration is required. Each walk is limited to 20 participants. Sliding scale admission: $10-20. A Hike to the Ruins of the Williamsburg Dam with co-director and author Elizabeth Sharpe

All the Light Here Comes from Above: The Life and Legacy of Edward Hitchcock Robert T. McMaster, Author and Ecologist Robert McMaster will speak about his new book, the first full-length biography of Edward Hitchcock (1793-1864).  Hitchcock was one of the brightest stars in American science and philosophy in the nineteenth century. The son of a hatter and farmer of Deerfield, Massachusetts, Hitchcock was expected to pursue a farmer's life, but early on he developed a "strong relish" for science.

Knives Out: Pen Knives, Jackknives and Other Fixed Blade and Folding Knives of New England & Beyond A Presentation & Demonstration by Bob LaPalme In the past, almost everyone carried a pocket knife.  That's because knives were critical tools, with designs developed for specific purposes. Their usefulness went well beyond sharpening a writing quill or whittling a stick. In fact, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, no matter what your trade -- ferrrier, gardener, carpenter, sailor, seamstress ..

Visit more of Bridge Street Cemetery’s “residents” as we read aloud from their letters and diaries. We will think about how they are commemorated as we hear them describe in their own words the Northampton they left behind. Registration is required. Each walk is limited to 20 participants. Sliding scale admission: $10-20. A Walking Tour of Bridge Street Cemetery with Emma Winter Zeig of Historic Northampton

Exploring Northampton: Focusing on the Mill River, Smith College to Federal Street A Walking Tour led by John Sinton and Gaby Immerman Mill River near Smith College The Mill River has played a fundamental role in the history of Northampton.  To highlight its significance, this summer Historic Northampton and the Mill River Greenway Initiative will offer a series of walks that highlight three important stretches in Northampton. The walks will be led by John Sinton and Gaby Immerman, co-founders o

Get to know your historical neighbors in a walking tour of Bridge Street Cemetery. We will "meet" some Northampton residents--like Revolutionary War patriot Joseph Hawley, Samuel Bartlett of witchcraft accusation fame, Indigenous spinner and weaver Sally Maminash, Sylvia Church, a woman who was enslaved in Northampton, and a family who were all killed in the Mill River Flood. Along the way, we will examine changing artisanry and symbolism of gravestone design. Registration is required. Each walk

The 1805 Shepherd Barn Join us for a Summer Barn Open House when you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the artifacts in the barn from Historic Northampton’s staff and attend special 30-minute programs (1 pm; 2 pm) about the history and restoration of the barn from lead timber framer Alicia Spence. A variety of activities for children and families will also be available, including a hands-on program with Chinese silk worms with Faith Deering. An expert on silkworms and many other insect

Human and Natural History Along the Northampton Bike Path in Leeds with Laurie Sanders, Co-director and Naturalist and Elizabeth Sharpe, Co-director Talk a stroll along the bike path in Leeds.  Elizabeth Sharpe, co-director, will show how this stretch of the path played a critical role during the Mill River Reservoir Disaster of 1874.  Laurie Sanders, co-director and naturalist, will highlight the plants that live along the border. In partnership with Leeds Civic Association and the Mill River G

Grand Public Opening of Making it on Main Street Enjoy live oxen demonstrations featuring Rock & Star and Bluedog Forestry, a cartooning lesson by New York Times best-selling children’s author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka, a performance by the A2Z yo-yo team as well as music by the Expandable Brass Band, free Herrell’s ice cream and more!  Rain or Shine. Free. Exploring Northampton Series: Big Trees of Look Park with Bob Leverett

During the last twenty years, the City of Northampton has protected more than 100 acres in the Parsons Brook Greenway. This landscape is underlain by outwash plains that were deposited 16,000-13,000 years ago, when braided glacial streams, choked with sands and sediments, flowed into Glacial Lake Hitchcock. Today, this area includes a mix of habitats, nearly all of which have been highly manipulated by people during the last fifty years. Join co-director and naturalist Laurie Sanders on a two-ho

Entangled Lives: Stories about the Working Women of Early Hadley and Northampton Marla R. Miller, Director of the Public History Program & Professor of History, University of Massachusetts Amherst Professor Miller will share stories uncovered in the writing of her latest book Entangled Lives: Labor, Livelihood, and Landscapes of Change in Early Massachusetts (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019). The records, artifacts, and homes of Valley families in the era of and after the American Revolutio

Exploring Northampton Series: Mineral Hills and Turkey Hill Road Quarry Join local experts Mark Carmien, Paul Foster-Moore & Laurie Sanders for a tour of the Turkey Hill Road Quarry. Learn the story of how this area was protected and its natural history. Registration is required.  Space is limited to 20. $8 for members and donors $12 for non-members Grand Opening of Making it on Main Street

Rain date: Sunday, June 30, 2024 Reading Frederick Douglass Together Reading Frederick Douglass Together brings people together to read aloud Frederick Douglass’s speech, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Smith College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton will give the opening and closing remarks for the 2024 Northampton event. Come to listen or come to read a passage.  Copies of Douglass’s speech will be distributed to all in attendance.  The public can take turns reading passages from it in

​A Free Concert on the Grounds of Historic Northampton Back by popular demand and playing songs from their new album, Awaken! Composed of musicians from across continents and cultures, Zikina creates new and beautiful music that will get you dancing, clapping, and connecting with the people around you. The group is led by Uganda native Gideon Ampeire, who will draw you in with a variety of traditional East African instruments, including enanga (zither), adungu (harp), and kalimba (thumb piano) -

Exploring Northampton Series: From Northampton to the Boundary Waters (or at least the boundary with Hatfield) Paddle with Historic Northampton & Paradise City Dragon Boat from the former New Haven-Northampton Canal to the Hatfield boundary.  Take in the beauty of the Connecticut River in a dragon boat and learn about our rich natural and cultural history at the same time. Registration required.  Space is limited to 32. $25 for members and donors | $35 for non-members

Reading Frederick Douglass Together brings people together to read aloud Frederick Douglass’s speech, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? The event will take place on Monday, July 5, 2021 at 11 am outdoors on the grounds of Historic Northampton.  Copies of Douglass’ speech will be distributed to all in attendance. The public can take turns reading passages from it in succession.  People may simply attend, attend and read, or watch from home, thanks to Northampton Open Media.  The event is f

Parsons Lawn Concert Series Sessa - Brazilian Folk-Pop A long-time fixture of both the US and Brazil’s music scenes, Sessa debuts his solo work for the first time in 2019. His songs are sung in a laidback Portuguese recalling Caetano Veloso, with a visceral longing that is universally accessible. His simple yet lush arrangements are transcendent and dramatic. Paradise City Dragon Boat

350 Years in 90 Minutes: A Walking Tour of Downtown Northampton Elizabeth Sharpe, co-director of Historic Northampton and historian, will lead a walking tour of downtown Northampton. Registration is required.  Space is limited to 20. $8 for members and donors $12 for non-members

Parsons Lawn Concert Series Tim Eriksen: Local music, Local history Drawing on materials discovered in Historic Northampton’s collection, local junk shops, church basements and old newspapers, Eriksen’s performance will include murder ballads, fiddle tunes, shape-note harmony and haunting originals about time, place, identity and mystery. The lawn opens at 6 pm for picnicking & Little Truc serving creative southeast Asian food on site. Music 7-9 pm

​On the Grounds of Historic Northampton Fiddle Orchestra of Western Massachusetts Historic Northampton and the Fiddle Orchestra of Western Massachusetts (FOWM) invite you to tap your toes, bob your head, and let your feet dance along with some Midsummer Melodies on the lawn. Our tunes bring the joy of old-time music into modern times. The repertoire includes music from the New England, American South, Celtic, Quebecois, and Scandinavian heritages, along with original compositions by contemporary

Nature in Northampton: A Walking Tour with Laurie Sanders We'll look for every plant or animal species that survives in downtown, from the mosses and ants living in the cracks and margins to the larger plants and creatures that are able to survive in the wilder and untended pockets that occur in and around the heart of the city. Registration is required.  Space is limited to 20. $5 for members and donors $8 for non-members

Who says historical figures have to be human? Create a paper version of some of Northampton’s most important (and furriest) residents while learning about how they shaped our history. Children and their caretakers will also search for animals in the exhibit, and do hands on activities.

Parsons Lawn Concert Series New City Opry The New City Opry plays bluegrass, country classics and Western swing.  This will be an evening of fun and family friendly entertainment.  Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and listen to live music! Ginger Love Cafe food truck will be on site. The lawn opens at 6 pm for picnicking. Music 7 - 9 pm

Touch, observe, sketch, and learn about lives of three of our native silk moth caterpillars -- lunas, prometheas and cecropias. They are related to Chinese silkmoths, which provided the raw material for Northampton's 19th century silk industry and are the source of silk clothing today. We'll meet in Historic Northampton’s garden and then visit the exhibit to see a special display of clothing and objects related to the 19th century silk industry in Northampton. Unravel a cocoon while unraveling t