Volunteers, Residents Keep North Adams Museum Going
 Photos by Kathy Keeser
 North Adams Historical Society coordinator Jeannine Smith shows off some of the items in the museum. Right, Patricia Robare became a volunteer after a trip to the museum. Top: Charles Cahoon poses with the railroad exhibit |
Tucked away in one of the old railroad buildings at Western Gateway Heritage State Park, the local museum is operated by the North Adams Historical Society and offers three floors of North Adams history — from its earliest inhabitants to its railroading heyday to its part in the moon race.
"It is important to keep the past alive for the present and the future, especially for the children," said Jeannine Smith, volunteer coordinator. Smith said school groups often visit the museum in Building 5A and sometimes the children, in turn, bring their parents, many of whom may not have known of the museum's existence or much about the city's rich history.
"I remember when North Adams had 17 dress shops for women," said Patricia Robare, membership coordinator. She also remembers when lots of trains were going through the Hoosac Tunnel and when her father worked in the mills that are now filling up with artists.
It's those memories that help the volunteers guide people through the museum and recall what the city used to be like.
For those with memories or roots in North Adams, they can start their research at the museum, said society Treasurer Gene Carlson, and utilize its reference materials that include hard copies of city directories dating back years, yearbooks, maps and files on citizens and businesses.
The museum is packed with lots to see and is changing and expanding — ladies' fashions, railroad and military uniforms, books, diaries, photographs, and hundreds of items from city families and businesses. There is a temporary exhibit space that changes regularly. The mix is eclectic; the museum's newest addition are the cast-metal letters that spelled out J.J. Newberry's on the old 5 & 10 on Main Street.
 Gene Carlson explains one of the museum's old maps of the city. |
All the board members and others who run the museum are volunteers. Smith said she became a volunteer because "I wanted to do something and this is interesting and I enjoy it."
More volunteers are needed. It can be for as little as a three-hour shift a month, said Smith.
"I became a member after having such a lovely time when I visited when [Historical Society member] Ed Morandi was there," said Robare. "I later became more active and have just taken over as membership coordinator."
The society is largely self-supporting, she said. Grant funding brings some support, but most of the money comes from memberships, which is why the society is seeking new members. The requirements are simple: an interest in history, especially the city's history, and the desire to support a worthy local project.
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When you become a NAHS member "your donations go to keep the museum open and keep programs free to the public," said Carlson. "If you like history, especially local history, the museum has a good repository of North Adams history. It is able to be just North Adams and that is unique for a small city."
For more information, museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 to 4 and Sunday from 1 to 4; call 413-664-4700, e-mail nahs@bcn.net or write North Adams Historical Society Inc., Western Gateway Heritage State Park, Building 5A, North Adams, MA 01247.
