Preserving Our Past:
The Campaign for the Colrain Historical Society’s Buildings & Collections
Since 1958, when G. William Pitt bequeathed his 1840s house in the village center to the Town of Colrain, the Colrain Historical Society has, as stipulated in his will, used it as a local museum.
Now is an exciting time for the Society and for Colrain because, in June 2020, the state attorney general’s office ruled that the Town could transfer ownership of the house to the historical society. So, for the first time in 63 years, the Society has the opportunity to move ahead with needed repairs to the house and barns, make them more accessible, and improve the display of its collections. In November 2023 the house and the barns were renamed the Museum of Colrain History.
You are invited to join us in this important undertaking: preserving a fitting home for the Society’s collections of Colrain memorabilia and research materials.
This three-year campaign for your financial contributions and in-kind volunteer work will transform the Pitt House and its outbuildings into the Colrain Historical Museum in the town’s historic district. Here are the year-by-year goals:
2022-2023 Goal $65,000
- Create proper drainage and restoration of crumbling foundations and timbers
- Install extensive weatherization and energy-efficiency upgrades
- Control dampness and mold with a new cellar floor and Tivek ceiling barrier in the main building to protect the collection
- Completely upgrade electrical infrastructure to improve lighting and eliminate existing knob & tube wiring
2023-2024 Goal $45,000
- Begin general restoration work in each of the nine interior areas of the main building and each of the individual outbuildings to create display and work space
- Remove the existing bathroom to help add much needed secure storage space
2024-2025 Goal $40,000
- Add a bathroom accessible to all in an exterior portion of the main house
- Make the buildings and collections accessible to all with ramps, proper parking areas, and video tours