New Video Series! A Brief Introduction to Williamstown
For everyone interested in learning more about Williamstown’s history the Williamstown Historical Museum is offering a video series that introduces students to the history of Williamstown.
Read MoreWilliamstown and Williams College Book Signing
Click the “Read More” tab to view a video of Dustin Griffin’s discussion of his new book Williamstown and Williams College: Explorations in Local History at the WHM on October 20, 2018.
Read MoreFirst 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 …
Read MoreTake the Trolley
Thanks to our neighbors at Willinet, we have been able to capture this talk, and bring it to you online: John Hyde speaking about Northern Berkshire Trolley lines, January 25, 2014 at 11 am:
Read MoreBig Days in a Small Town
One of the leading features of small town life is that on several occasions during the year a substantial part of the population, young and old, gathers at some central place for a townwide meeting, a parade, or holiday festivities. These events are a means to bring everybody together and to reaffirm their participation in a small community. Community celebrations will be the topic of both our new exhibition curated by Dusty Griffin. These townwide events are a prominent part of the Williamstown’s annual calendar, and have been going on for a long time. Some events — Town Meeting,...
Read MoreThe Trail of a Williamstown Founding Family
On April 19th at 11 am, we will explore the reasons for America’s mobile nature, by looking at one local family’s migration away and back to Williamstown. The search for arable land–and adventure–drove many early “settlers” to keep moving on. The family of Nehemiah Smedley, whose 1772 House still stands on the eastern end of Main Street, is a perfect example. First settling ca. 1639 in Concord MA, each of the next four Smedley generations relocated. Although Nehemiah’s son, Elijah, did stay put in Williamstown on land contiguous to his father’s (known later...
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