Longmeadow Historical Society

With our computer and cell phone-dominated lives, it may be hard to imagine someone using a piece of furniture like the Reverend Richard Salter Storrs’ cherrywood desk-and-bookcase. An imposing piece of furniture at over 98” tall, Storrs was certainly making a statement of his importance as a minister and the serious business of writing sermons. The top portion of the piece consists of shelves behind two “tombstone” carved doors.  The doors are decorated with a distinctive se

We’ve all been hearing about the Revolutionary War commemorations happening across the Commonwealth, including the pivotal battles at...

Among the many fascinating items in the Longmeadow Historical Society’s Cabinet of Curiosities, one stands out as being particularly...

Ask any woman you know, and she will confirm that someone has asked her to put something in her purse for them. Today’s purses can be...

Recently, a fellow researcher discovered and alerted me to a letter in our archives from Berkeley Taylor to his friend, James D. Booth of...

The Goldthwait family of Longmeadow had several talented and artistic members: Jonathan Hale Goldthwait (1811-1870) was an engraver,...

Charity Bush Ely Collection of the Longmeadow Historical Society Born in the Connecticut River Valley town of Whately, Massachusetts,...

We are all familiar with the story of Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley—perhaps from one of the many movies inspired by the book.  My...

The portrait, an oil on poplar board, is of an older lady with glasses, identified as "Harriet Ford Bull Lawton, 1700." Seems pretty...

Many of our readers will remember enjoying a toy from our childhoods—the View-Master! Circular wheels with tiny photos were inserted into...

The Longmeadow Historical Society, like many other historical organizations, has a variety of objects with stories attached. Sometimes...

During this season of thanksgiving, the Longmeadow Historical Society would like to reflect on what we are grateful for. This kind of...

Silhouette, like daguerreotype, is a word I always pause over when writing. No surprise that both terms were named after...

The dolls of the Storrs House Museum were thrilled to receive a visit this week from the most celebrated doll in the land right now …...

Like I've said before, we love tales of discovery, and re-discovery. This is a tale of Mary Newell Montague and her husband Obed...

Faithful readers will be familiar with the name Goldthwait from previous History Notes, including a recent one about the return of a...

The exciting news in 2023 is the return of a firearm missing from the Longmeadow Historical Society Collections since 1970! The story...

Barney & Berry Ice Skates Longmeadow Historical Society Collection Next week, local historian and friend of the Longmeadow Historical...

In honor of Groundhog Day, this author thought our readers might like to don their beaver silk top hats like this c. 1890-1905 one in our...

Do you remember the thrill of a new snowfall, a snow day, and your parents saying "let's go sledding?" This author remembers dragging a...