Contact Regarding:
Information on the town's Historic Buildings and Landscapes
Meetings:
4th Tuesday of each month
7 P.M.
Hadley Senior Center
General Information:
The Hadley Historical Commission is the municipal body responsible for community-wide historic preservation planning. The HHC maintains an inventory of the town's historic buildings and landscapes, assists the Planning Board with design review, and undertakes projects that promote the appreciation of the town's historic resources. The Commission also helps preserve the town's historic records, though queries concerning these materials should be directed first to the Town Clerk.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. What is the difference between the Historical Commission and the Historical Society?
A. The Commission is a municipal body appointed by the selectboard to assist with the stewardship of historic buildings and landscapes within the town as well as town records. The Society is a private organization of volunteers that collects papers and artifacts related to town history, which are displayed in the Historical Room on the second floor of the Goodwin Memorial Library, open by appointment (call 587-2623).
Q. How can I find out whether the town (or state) historical commission has information on my house?
A. The state inventory, the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS), is available on-line at http://mhc-macris.net/. Check to see if your house appears to have been inventoried. Inventory forms are then available for consultation at the Goodwin Memorial Library, and at Town Hall.
Q. What kind of information might the inventory reveal?
A. The inventory forms list the date of construction and builder, if known, as well as the materials used in construction, and the architectural style. Brief sketches of the building's history are included as well.
Q. Whom should I contact for help with genealogical queries?
A. The Historical Commission does not maintain files of a genealogical nature. For queries about family genealogy, manuscript collections or artifacts, please contact the Hadley Historical Society at (413) 587-2623 or P.O. Box 174, Hadley MA 01035.
Q. I'm interested in serving on the Historical Commission. What do I need to know?
A. As of December 2009, the Historical Commission has openings for one full member and one alternate. Members agree to participate fully in the work of the Commission, attending the monthly meetings as well as the talks and events the Commission holds, accepting administrative duties and offices in turn, and generally participating in the Commission's workload. If you are interested in filling one of these seats, please contact one of the Commission co-chairs; we would love to hear from you!
Forms & Documentation
Many documents concerning Hadley's historic buildings and landscapes can be found on-line. We do not yet have the ability to link to them from this page, but we can list the following to copy and paste:
Click here for an overview of Hadley's history especially as it relates to buildings and landscapes (in the Massachusetts Historical Commission's Reconnaissance Survey Town Report).
Click here for a related report on the Connecticut River Valley.
The full text of Sylvester Judd's History of Hadley (both the 1863 and 1905 editions), including genealogies, is available through Google Books.
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