The Cary cider and vinegar works and workers, which operated from 1860 into the 1950s. Photo from the Colrain Historical Society collection.
The Colrain Historical Society will host a walking tour of Foundry Village led by Judith Roberts and Jonathan LaGreze Thursday, May 8, at 7:15 p.m. following a brief business meeting at 7.
Site of the first grist mill in Colrain, Foundry Village was a busy industrial center for 200 years. The Langstroth Moveable Frame Bee Hive, still in use by beekeepers today, was first manufactured here. Because of all the industry in this bustling little community, it was electrified by 1910, early for a rural town.
Participants will see and learn about the Smith covered bridge, the schoolhouse, the Baptist Church, sites of the foundry, grist mill, turning shop, blacksmith’s shop, and the butcher shop, ending up in the vinegar bottling room of the former Cary Cider Mill for discussion and refreshments. The walk will be only a few hundred yards, and the bottling room is wheelchair accessible.
Park at the Baptist Church for the meeting at 7 and the tour to follow. In the event of rain, the tour and meeting will be postponed until Thursday, May 15. To inquire about postponement, call Debby at 413-624-8800 or Belden at 413-625-2003.
