Abby Epplett, Historian

On the same day I visited Middleborough Historical Museum and Robbins Museum of Archaeology , I took my customary history stops around the town, including the library, town hall, churches, and war memorials. Most of these important community buildings were located in Middleborough Center National Historic District, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2000 . Unique features of this town are its incredibly tall town hall design, a historic bell, and signage commemorating American Revolutionary War hero Deborah Sampson . This is also an informal survey of who is on what side of the Middleborough/Middleboro naming divide.

For my second stop during my adventure in Middleboro, MA on the last weekend of August 2024, I visited Robbins Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology , which is run by the Massachusetts Archaeological Society (MAS). Its building stands across the street from Middleborough Historical Museum. This iteration of MAS’s museum opened in 1988. The building was previously Robertson Factory, and the museum was named after Massachusetts’ first state archaeologist, Maurice Robbins , who received this role at age seventy-two.

Believe it or not, I had one more weekend left in August 2024 to go on a history adventure. I took a trip to Middleboro, MA to visit Middleborough Historical Museum . This was not your average small town history museum, as the complex combines an indoor exhibit about a celebrity couple plus mechanical musical instruments with a small collection of restored buildings and related artifacts. Once again, the weather was perfect for a summertime adventure.