Amherst Historical Society: Programming Continues While Strong House Museum Undergoes Repairs

The Strong House, the Amherst Historical Society’s 275+-year-old beauty, was, like many houses dating from the mid-18th century, built on a foundation of timbers resting on stacked fieldstones. Over the past many years, as water has run off the roof and under the house, the ground around those stones has shifted and with it, the north wall of the building. The erosion has been greatly exacerbated in the past several years thanks to extreme weather events such as torrential rain, a climate-related issue that is affecting historical structures all across New England and the country in general.

Last year, thanks to funding through the Town of Amherst’s Community Preservation Act Committee, the Society was able to stabilize that part of the foundation, but it was a temporary solution, meant to give the engineers time to really look at and design a longer-term solution. And they have done so. Now a section of the first floor will be carefully taken up, labeled and stored, the building will be supported and the old foundation and timbers removed, all in preparation for new concrete footings and new beams to rest the house back on. In addition, the AHS will be reinforcing the understructure of the roof. All of this is made possible by the support of the Town of Amherst through CPA funding and the Cultural Facilities Fund, which is managed jointly by the Mass Cultural Council and MassDevelopment.

The mission of the Amherst Historical Society is to welcome and share stories of all people in the Amherst area, using engagement with the town’s history as a means to enrich the lives of everyone in the community. Programs range from visits with third-graders in the public schools to visits with seniors at places like The Arbors and other off-site organizations.

Currently the Historical Society’s activities are centered in the History Center at 45 Boltwood Walk, while the Simeon Strong House on Amity Street is closed for structural repairs. Visitors can see the current exhibition, Amherst and the Revolution, as well as a display of girls’ playthings, demonstrating how girls learned to become women in the nineteenth century.

Coming up is an exhibition on Mabel Loomis Todd as an artist, held in conjunction with the Emily Dickinson Museum. This fall AHS is offering short lectures at the Bangs Center called History Bites, as well as several walking tours. Information on these programs are listed on the website: amhersthistory.org. For a small, all-volunteer organization, the Amherst History Society offers a lot of programming, and community support means a great deal.

Amherst History Center, 45 Boltwood Walk, Amherst, MA
Open Hours: Thursday 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Friday 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Saturday 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM