Plainville Historical Commission - Plainville, Massachusetts
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N 42° 00.342 W 071° 20.212
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The Plainville Historical Commission is based at Humphrey House on South Street in Plainville, Massachusetts. Its 300-year-old building, formerly a private home and then town library, is also a museum open to the public.
Waymark Code: WM16GEN
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 07/28/2022
Views: 3
The
Plainville Historical Commission is based at a 300-year-old home on South Street in Plainville, Massachusetts. The organization preserves and promotes local history through its collection of photographs, video, memorabilia, uniforms and other artifacts - many of which are on exhibit in the Humphrey House Museum, currently open Wednesdays from 11:00AM to 4:00PM. Displays include:
- "Then and Now" photos
- Local Legends
- Schools
- Sports
- Scouting
- Public Safety
- Armed Services
- Crime
- Memorabilia and Ephemera Cabinets
- Digital Display Board - Interactive Photo Archive
- Plainville Drive-In Theater (1952-1983)
- Cowboy Town (1957-1960) - Wild West Amusement Park featuring cowboys, gun fights, rodeos, a stage coach, and Rex Trailer of Boomtown
- Humphrey House timeline
"The Humphrey House was built roughly around 1715 as a private home for James and Dorcas Fairbanks Humphrey of Dedham. It changed hands and families several times from 1715 through 1930. In 1930 the town of Plainville purchased the house as the first stand-alone library in town. In 1988 with the construction of the new public library, the Humphrey House was turned over to the Historical Commission and serves as a Museum to the Town's history and research center." (Source: NEMA)
In addition to the museum, the society offers in-person educational programs and community access to media conservation equipment - VHS converter, slide digitizing, and flatbed scanner. The commission members' monthly meeting is held on the third or fourth Wednesday at 7:00PM.