Past Grants Awarded

A Scholar in Residence Grant to conduct archival research and ethnographies on race, racism, and the experiences of people of color in the Massachusetts Council of Churches.

Research on and transcription of their Swan Collection of letters, along with two public lectures on the material.

Research on the Society's collection of business records, photos, and artifacts from the local machine shop to develop a better understanding of how and why a small precision manufacturing shop, with global connections, grew and prospered in a small agricultural community in western Massachusetts

Research that will form the foundation for future programs at the summer estate of activist and reformer Robert Treat Paine.

Research and an overview history of local factory labor based on materials in the collection of the Museum and other sources.

Examination and interpretation of Hatfield Historical Museum's medical collection from the early 1900s, focusing on Dr. Charles A. Byrne.

Development of a thematic and comprehensive understanding of facilitated discussion with the fishing community recorded since 2004 on the Narrative Stage and preparation of the materials for archival storage and public access.

Research into and documentation of the land use history of Hawk Valley Farm (1664), a five-acre conservation property that is still occupied by the descendants of the settlers.

Research into the life of Elizabeth Cadman White (1685-1768), one of the first owners of the 1710 Cadman-White-Handy House, and her social, cultural, economic, and political environment.

Research into the cultural landscape of Arrowhead, Herman Melville's farm in Pittsfield, during the period of his residency from 1850-1862, in order to better interpret Melville's life and work.

Transcription and translation of 20 videotaped oral histories of former and current Franco-American residents of Salem.

Research into the multigenerational Whittemore family.

Support for research on the extensive antislavery activity that took place in the small rural hilltown of Cummington during the three decades that preceded the Civil War.

Research on a collection regarding the "New Organization" Liberty and Free Soil abolitionists who were active in Northampton Center, with the goal of placing abolition and the "underground railroad" in their proper context for programming.

Identification of themes that come out of the Society's holdings and North Andover history that match the Massachusetts Frameworks curriculum; those materials will then be made accessible to teachers for use in classrooms.

Research on the architectural style and historical significance of municipal and commercial buildings in Norwood that were designed by architect William G. Upham between 1910 and 1930, in order to interpret their relevance to the town's civic identity and the landscape through public programming.

Transcription of farm journals, contextualize Gore Place farming of the Federal era, and integrate the information into a new farm plan.

Research on and interpretation of the Society's collection of redware pottery for an exhibit in 2011.

Research and interpretation of the Society's collection of military objects from the Civil War for a 150th anniversary exhibit.

Research into Mohican cultural resources in preparation for reinterpreting the Mission House and Monument Mountain in Stockbridge.

Research on North Sunderland's relation to the natural resources of the Connecticut River, incorporating insights from natural and environmental history in a historic tour.

Research and interpretation of the Society's collection of clothes used by women in the rural community of Westport during the nineteenth century.

Research on a collection of Native American artifacts from the Rose Farm area of Corn Hill in Truro, and provide interpretive material for scholars and visitors.

Identification and research of African Americans buried at Forest Hills and incorporation of the findings into a walking tour.

Research on the planning, landscape design, preservation and promotion of Stockbridge from 1853-1993 by the Laurel Hill Association.

Research into the history and influence of the Turkish people on the city of Peabody during the leatherworking period of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Research to analyze and annotate the primary source documents produced by several women in mid-nineteenth century Westfield. Electronic and written resources will be produced for use by patrons, students, and visiting scholars.

Document the establishment of Hawley's old town common identifying the people involved and examining their motives.

Research into Attleboro's great fire of 1898.

Research on the lives of enslaved and free Africans and African-Americans who were members of the Old North congregation.

A study of the records and product samples from Daveys, a Worcester handbag company. The records now reside with the Worcester Historical Museum.

A study of the male overseers at Lowell's ante-bellum textile mills.

Archival research into the artifacts related to food history held by both Andover and North Andover Historical Societies. Resources developed will be used for new programs.

A study of the development of the straw-braiding and textile industries in Stoughton and Easton from before the War of 1812 to approximately 1840, as reflected in the Hodges Collection of business ledgers and day books.

An investigation of the Crypt of the Old North Church to determine who is buried there.

A research project to determine the farming and dairying activities that occurred at the Bryant Homestead from 1900-1959.

"Clustering Memories of Clara" - Developing an interpretive plan that tells the complete story of Clara Barton - the child, the woman, the humanitarian, the inspiration.

Documentation and cataloguing of representative selection of both unusual and typical sculpture, gravestones and monuments by "anonymous" or little-known carvers which mark 19th century family burial lots.

Research aimed to deep understanding and interpretation of the servants that lived on the property of Stonehurst.

Tor Court in Context: Impact of the Gilded Age on the economic and physical development in Pittsfield.