Upcoming Events in 2021
We
plan to have a
full schedule of speakers for 2021. However, due to
the likely continuation of COVID-19 restrictions, we
expect that lectures in the 1st half 2021 will be held
remotely via ZOOM.
- The Durability of a Kennedy: JFK at War,
Phil Goduti
Wednesday May 26, 2021.
Please check our
event calendar and/or Facebook
page for additional details.
2020- Year in Review
The COVID-19 health crisis forced us to cancel Long
Meddowe Days in May and Ghosts in the Graveyard in
October. Despite this situation we have:
- Opened the Storrs House Museum to visitors in
January and February. We were closed to
visitors for the remainder of the year.
- Shared interesting research on Longmeadow homes
through our weekly “History Notes” Facebook posts
and email blasts
- Partnered with Storrs Library to bring speakers
to the public. Talks in the second half of the year
were virtual presentations via Zoom.
The Longmeadow Historical Society greatly
appreciates the co-sponsorship and assistance by
Storrs Library and its staff to allow the following talks to take place.
Speakers and
Presentations
- January – “Polio: History, Vaccine, and Near
Eradication” (Dr. Daniel Skiest)
- February – “Stories from the Census” (Beth Hoff)
- February - "Little Women Book Club” (Melissa
Cybulski)
- September – “The Connecticut River from the Air”
(Jerry Roberts)
- September – “Life in Longmeadow During the 1918
Flu” (Melissa Cybulski)
- October – “Longmeadow and the Suffrage Movement”
(Melissa Cybulski)
- October – “The History and Geology of the
Connecticut Valley Surrounding”
(Prof. Steve Winters)
- November – “The History of Radio” (John Ellsworth)
- December – “Entangled Lives: Women and Work in the
Connecticut Valley 1770–1820": (Marla Miller)
- December – “Finding Slavery in New England” (Ian
Delahanty)
2019- Year in Review
2019 was a year of both returning favorites and newly
expanded programming initiatives for the Longmeadow
Historical Society.
Throughout the year we have:
- Opened the Storrs House Museum to visitors at
least twice per month
- Shared interesting research on Longmeadow homes
through our weekly “Throw Back Thursday” Facebook
posts and email blasts
- Collaborated with Storrs Library and Longmeadow
Adult Center to bring speakers to the public
- Entertained patrons at our annual Long Meddowe
Days event
- Given architectural tours of the Green and tours
of the Longmeadow Burying Ground
- Assisted interested parties with research
- Completed creation of a climate-controlled
museum, enabling us to better protect our
collections and open the Storrs House Museum to the
public year round.
- Speakers and Presentations
January – “’ In Flew
Enza’: The 1918 Flu Epidemic & Beyond” (Reba Jean
Shaw-Pichette)
February – “ Discovering
New England Stone Walls ” (Kevin Gardner)
February – “ An Afternoon with
Sarah Storrs” (Melissa Cybulski)
March – “Local
Architectural Styles” (Bob McCarroll)
April – “ Massachusetts in the Woman
Suffrage Movement” (Barbara Berenson )
September – “Red Summer:
Racial Turmoil of 1919” (Cliff McCarthy)
November – “Treasures in
the Attic III” (Dennis Picard)
- Shared interesting research on Longmeadow homes
through our weekly “Throw Back Thursday” Facebook
posts and email blasts.
- Collaborated with The Storrs Library and the
Longmeadow Adult Center to bring many more speakers to the
public.
- Long Meddowe
Days
- Architectural tours of the Green.
- Assisted visiting scholars and hobbyists with
research.
All of this outreach helps to fulfill our mission.
Reaching further, our new Finding Aid “catablog”
gives researchers around the world unprecedented access
to archival documentation about Longmeadow.
2018- Year in Review
With rapt attention, Center School students watched
Sarah W. Storrs, as channeled by Board Member Melissa
Cybulski, explain what it was like to be a deaf woman
growing up in Longmeadow in the 1800s. The story of
Sarah Storrs is also part of our new exhibit,
“Through the Lens: Longmeadow Into the New Century
1890–1920.” Since May, hundreds have toured the
Storrs House Museum to view “Through the Lens” and our
collections as the Longmeadow Historical Society has
opened its doors to visitors 3 or 4 days each month.
2018 Event Highlights
January |
Responsible
Strategic Deaccessioning (William
Hosley)
Massachusetts in the Gilded Age
(Guy McLain) |
April |
History of
Photography (William Fournier) |
May |
Long Meddowe Days
Opening of “Through the Lens” Exhibit
(funded with grants from The Irene E. &
George A. Davis Foundation and Historic New
England) |
June |
Petticoats to
Pantaloons (Lynne Zacek Bassett) |
August |
Treasures in the
Attic II (Dennis Picard) |
September |
Redware pottery
demonstration (Rick Hamelin)
Dr. Chapman and 19th Century Longmeadow
(Al McKee) |
October |
Ghosts in the
Graveyard Event
A Peddler’s Pack of Spooky Tales
(Dennis Picard)
Completion of Basement climate control
(CPA grant) |
November |
Architectural Tour-
Town Green (Andrea Taupier)
An Evening with Sarah Storrs
(Melissa Cybulski) |
December |
Completion of Finding Aid catablog,
accessible at
http://chc.library.umass.edu/longmeadow-historical/
(funded with a grant from The Community
Foundation of Western Massachusetts) |
Past Events
Long Meddowe Days 2019- May 18-19, 2019
This was our 40th year for this annual event which is the
primary fund raiser for our organization. Check out our event website at
www.LongMeddoweDays.org
and our event
Facebook page for additional information.

This
Longmeadow Historical Society event was held
on January 22, 2018 at
Storrs Library . This program was supported
in part by a grant from the Longmeadow Cultural
Council, a local agency which is supported by
the
Mass Cultural Council , a state agency. The
Longmeadow Historical Society is very
appreciative for this financial support. |
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CPA Funding
2019
Community Preservation Act Funding
The Longmeadow Historical Society submitted a request to the Longmeadow
Community Preservation Committee for 2019 CPA funding
of improvements to Storrs House Museum which
included installation of screen doors and batten
doors. The committee recommended funding of
$5460 which was approved at the Longmeadow Annual
Town Meeting on May 14, 2019. Work is
underway.
2017
Community Preservation Act Funding
The Longmeadow Historical Society submitted a request to the Longmeadow
Community Preservation Committee for 2017 CPA funding
of improvements to Storrs House Museum which included
second floor climate control (heating + A/C). The
committee recommended funding of $22,300 which was
approved at the Longmeadow Annual Town Meeting on May
9-10, 2017. Work has been completed.
2015
Community Preservation Act Funding
The Longmeadow Historical Society submitted a request to the Longmeadow
Community Preservation Committee for 2015 CPA funding of
improvements to Storrs House. These improvement
included the completion of work in the basement
initiated in 2014 to convert it into a more suitable
environment for storage of records and artifacts as
well as a work space for research and
cataloging. The committee recommended funding of
$18,345 which was approved at the Longmeadow Annual
Town Meeting on May 12, 2015. Work has been completed.
2014
Community Preservation Act Funding
The Longmeadow Historical Society and the
Storrs Library submitted a request to the Longmeadow
Community Preservation Committee for 2014 CPA funding of much
needed repairs to Storrs House. These repairs
included conversion of the basement into a more
suitable environment for storage of records and
artifacts as well as a work space for research and
cataloging. The committee
recommended funding of $37,207 which was approved at
the Longmeadow Annual Town Meeting on May 13, 2014.
Work has been completed.
2013 Community Preservation Act Funding
Town residents at the Annual Town Meeting on May 8,
2012 approved the expenditure of $50,000 of CPA monies
for the repair and upgrade of Storrs House.
A new cedar shingle roof as well as a
new air conditioning and heating system were
installed in November 2012 as part of
this CPA project. Work has been completed.
Past Exhibits/ Events
Storrs Library Exhibit
The Longmeadow Historical Society sponsored an
exhibit of old Longmeadow
maps and photographs entitled
Longmeadow- A Small Town Becomes a Suburb
in the Betty Low Room at Storrs Library, 693
Longmeadow Street, Longmeadow, MA. during the month
of May 2015.
In addition to a series of five maps covering the
period from 1831 through 1920 there was a collection
of old photographs on display- some of which were
taken by Paesiello Emerson during the 1900
- 1925 time period
and donated to the Longmeadow Historical Society.
The late 19th century through the early 20th century
was a dramatic period of change for Longmeadow
including its separation from what is known as East
Longmeadow.
Storrs Library Exhibit
The Longmeadow Historical Society sponsored an
exhibit at Storrs Library entitled Through
the Lens- Longmeadow 100 Years Ago during
the month of May 2014. During this exhibit a series
of Emerson photos were displayed. There was a
Community Reception on May 12, 2014 at
Storrs Library with invited speaker Bill Fournier
speaking about vintage cameras and photography.
Plans are in place to have permanent displays of
some of these photos at Storrs Library, Longmeadow
Adult Center and Longmeadow High School.
Architectural Walking Tour
The Longmeadow Historical Society
conducted an exterior Architectural Walking Tour of 18th
and 19th century homes with a variety of architectural
styles located around the Longmeadow Town Green on
Sunday, December 7, 2014.
Interested people met at the First Church of Christ (763
Longmeadow Street) at 1 PM where a brief history of the
First Church buildings was presented.
Following that there was an exterior walking tour of
The Old Parsonage (1857) at 777
Longmeadow Street and The Old Red House
(1734) at 787 Longmeadow Street (the building that is on
the Longmeadow town seal). The tour continued
traveling south to the Jonathan Hale House
at 873 Longmeadow Street (1756), the Stephen
Hale House (1831) at 891/893 Longmeadow Street
and the Bliss/Keep House (1713) at 909
Longmeadow Street. From there the tour crossed
Longmeadow Street to the Downing House
(1850’s) at 826 Longmeadow Street (1850's) and the
Daniel Colton House (1829) at 788
Longmeadow Street.
The tour then concluded in the Buxton Room at
First Church for some light refreshments. This
event was FREE and open to the public.
2014 LHS Annual Meeting
The Longmeadow Historical
Society held its Annual Meeting on Thursday,
October 16, 2014 at the Williams Middle School,
Longmeadow, MA.
In addition to the usual business, the meeting
included presentation of a gift of appreciation to
Ms. Linda Abrams and
Mr. Crawford Lincoln for their many years of
dedicated work as they both retire from active
roles. There was also election of new officers
and addition of one new member to the Board of
Directors.
John Demos- Professor Emeritus of History at
Yale University was the guest speaker who spoke
to a large audience of 150- 200 people about his
book The Unredeemed Captive
which won the Francis Parkman Prize and was a
finalist for the National Book Award.
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