COLRAIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
P. O. BOX 45
COLRAIN, MA 01340
January, 2018
Dear Members and Friends,
It's been a busy year at the Pitt House, and looks to be more so in 2018. Throughout our 2016-2017 season, on the second Thursday of each month, May through October, we hosted a well-attended series of programs. These included, among others:
- “Elder Edward Davenport: Travels of a Colrain Missionary”
- "The Narrow Escape of Angelina Palmer," an indentured African American child who was rescued from being sold into slavery and grew up in Colrain
- “The History and Unique Joinery of the Christian Hill Church,” presented in the old church, which dates from 1778.
Plans for the coming season are in process, including a program on the wonderful red wooden covered wagon in our collection, from which butcher Ross Purrington (1880-1957) peddled meat and vegetables around the community in the early 20th century.
The curatorial committee continues to inventory the nearly 2,000 artifacts, photos, maps, and Colrain memorabilia which the Historical Society has been collecting since our founding in 1957. This collection is the material history of Colrain, which we are preserving for its residents and for posterity. Last fall we started to inventory the contents of the Pitt House.
As you may have heard, the Historical Society is at a critical point now, with expensive repairs required for the preservation of our historic house and outbuildings. The town, which owns the property under the will of G. William Pitt, is doing its best to help, but has limited resources. We would like to help the town as much as we possibly can. For this we ask your help.
Like most small-town historical societies, we rely on a small cadre of active members to plan programs, raise funds and maintain the Pitt House and the collection. Pitch in with us, and bring friends who enjoy history and social interaction with a purpose. For this also we ask your help!
With the goal of expanding active membership we will be holding small gatherings during this winter to look at some of the Colrain art, military and business memorabilia in our collection and to talk about how you'd like to see the Historical Society develop and what you can do to help. If you would like to be contacted for one of these gatherings, please contact Belden Merims (belden37@verizon.net, 413-625-2003) or Debby Wheeler (deborahjeanwheeler@gmail.com, 413-624-8800).
Thank you,
Belden Merims
Chair, CHS Board of Directors
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I support the efforts of the Colrain Historical Society!
Non-member friends who contribute $50.00 or more will become life members.
Name: ____________________
Address: ____________________
E-mail: ____________________
Phone: ____________________
Please accept my donation of ( ) $50 ( ) $100 ( ) $250 ( ) $500 Other: $ _____
Please make check payable to The Colrain Historical Society. Thank you!
Note: The CHS is a 501 (3) (C) charitable organization, so all your donations are deductible to the extent of state and federal tax regulations.
Open a PDF copy of the letter in Google Drive to print the donation form:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NpWwbFdZlWyHXZUK45w7EIJTqKaqIHJN/view?usp=sharing
The Greenfield Recorder published an article about the Pitt House on their website on October 1, 2017, and in their print edition on October 2, 2017.
Colrain Pitt House renovations sought
by Diane Broncaccio
http://www.recorder.com/Pitt-House-needs-business-plan-12749405
