Abby Epplett, Historian

In June 2026, after I gave a violin concert at the Blackstone Public Library, I took a walk to explore quick history stops in Blackstone, MA. This will be a three-part miniseries. This first stop will describe the library, a memorial, churches, bridges, and the fire/police station.

Back in May 2026, I returned once again to Stephens-Coolidge House & Gardens , managed by the Trustees of Reservations in North Andover, MA for a fun, festive event: Spring BloomFest . Having gone to Winterlights in December 2024 and a regular day trip in September 2025 , I had already learned much about the house and gardens, which can be covered in those blog posts. After some deliberation on how to describe this beautiful adventure, I decided to write a brief explanation and then share a photo gallery at the end.

On the same day I saw the daffodils at Parsons Reserve, I went down the road to Frank Knowles Little River Reserve in Dartmouth, MA. The 194 acres of the preserve, now with 9 miles of trails, were purchased by Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust (DNRT) across four parcels between 1996 and 2010. The first of these parcels was donated by Audrey M. Gillum, who served as Trustee of the Ellen Knowles Jackmen Trust. Despite the name in the title, DNRT provides no information about the man on their website. I speculate that Ellen Knowles Jackman, who was buried at Maple Grove Cemetery of Westport, MA in 1994, was the daughter of Frank Knowles, as many other women have donated their inherited properties to New England preservation organizations. After the 1967 death of her husband, Charles William Jackman , she lived at 573 Potomska Road, a quarter mile from the current preserve entrance.

In April, I visited Parsons Reserve in Russells Mills Village Historic District, Dartmouth, MA to visit its locally famous daffodil fields. Part of Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust , a local ecological preservation organizations that has operated since 1971, the thirty-two acres of trails and blossoming fields bring a sense of wonder and whimsy to the otherwise quiet area.

On the third day of my long weekend trip to Western Massachusetts, which I took back in March 2026, I visited The Clark , an art museum in Williamstown, MA. Like my trip to MASS MoCA taken on the day before, my summary of the experience will be divided into three parts. In the first part , I described artwork found inside the museum building. In this second part , I covered the architecture of the building, a nearby historic building, and some outside sculptures. In the third part, I will describe the rest of the outside sculptures and give tips on how to visit the museum.

On the third day of my long weekend trip to Western Massachusetts, which I took back in March 2026, I visited The Clark , an art museum in Williamstown, MA. Like my trip to MASS MoCA taken on the day before, my summary of the experience will be divided into three parts. In the first part , I described artwork found inside the museum building. In this second part, I will cover the architecture of the building, a nearby historic building, and some outside sculptures. In the third part, I will describe the rest of the outside sculptures and give tips on how to visit the museum.

On the third day of my long weekend trip to Western Massachusetts, which I took back in March 2026, I visited The Clark , an art museum in Williamstown, MA. Like my trip to MASS MoCA taken on the day before, my summary of the experience will be divided into three parts. In the first part, I will describe artwork found inside the museum building. In the second part, I will cover the architecture of the building, a nearby historic building, and some outside sculptures. In the third part, I will describe the rest of the outside sculptures and give tips on how to visit the museum.

On the second day of my long weekend trip to western Massachusetts in March 2026, I visited MASS MoCA , the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. Due to the size of the museum, I am covering this visit in three posts. The first part described the building, local history and ecology, and artwork on the exterior. The second part described the my favorite exhibits at the museum. This third part will describe the permanent Sol LeWitt exhibit and give tips on how to visit the museum.

On the second day of my long weekend trip to western Massachusetts in March 2026, I visited MASS MoCA , the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. Due to the size of the museum, I am covering this visit in three posts. The first post described the building, local history and ecology, and artwork on the exterior. This second part will describe the my favorite exhibits at the museum. The third part will describe the permanent Sol DeWitt exhibit and tips on how to visit the museum.

Back in March 2023, I took a long weekend trip to western Massachusetts and visit three museums. The first of these was the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. The Hall is famously built inside a round building shaped like a basketball and in the same city where James Naismith invented the game in 1891. Like other modern museums, the Hall combines artifacts with digital interactives, but its most unique (and potentially annoying) attraction is a full-sized basketball court with a variety of basket types in the center of the museum.

In March 2026, I went to the Samuel Slater Experience , a museum in Webster, MA that had been on my list since it opened a few years ago. The museum tells the story of inventor and entrepreneur Samuel Slater with a focus on the industrial town he created and named after his political friend, Senator Daniel Webster (W-MA). The modern museum blends audiovisual effects, digital interactives, accurate reproductions, and historical artifacts.

With all my excitement about my winter holiday trip, I forgot to share my adventure at Aldrich School in Whitinsville, MA back in November 2025! This former public school was recently purchased by Whitin Community Center with plans to renovate the building , turning it into a childcare facility as part of a $10 million project, $8 million of which is earmarked for the school. I had the chance to explore the inside before its pending facelift. The building was constructed in 1890 by the Whitin family using extra bricks from the Whitin Machine Works just across the street and named in honor of Eleanor Williams Aldrich , a teacher in the Northbridge public school system for almost forty years who passed away at sixty-one while still doing what she loved. The building is now part of Downtown Crossroads Historic District.

While taking a walk around downtown Plymouth, MA , I saw several pieces from the art installation Seal’d with Art: Plymouth Harbor Seals . This is the third time the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce has given the opportunity for local businesses to sponsor artists in creating a themed sculpture, the first two being lobsters and seashells. The seals debuted in Spring 2025 and remain on display through Fall 2027, so you have plenty of time to see this whimsical art. Below are my favorite seals out of the twenty-five in the exhibition.

After spending the morning and early afternoon at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, I took a two-mile, out-and-back walk from the the free public parking at the Plimoth Grist Mill to Fisherman’s Memorial Park. Along the way, I stopped by Plymouth Rock, Mayflower II , Hedge House, and three statues dedicated to immigrant women. As an added bonus, I saw multiple public art displays , including the Plymouth Harbor Seals, which will receive their own post.

For my birthday in October, I visited Plymouth, MA, stopping at Plimoth Patuxet Museums before exploring some of the town. In my first post , I will discuss the Visitor Center, Craft Center, Historic Patuxet Homesite, and the Fort. In this post, I will discuss the 17 th -Century English Village. In the final post, I will describe Mayflower II, Plymouth Rock, and the Plymouth Harbor Seals public art display.

For my birthday in October, I visited Plymouth, MA, stopping at Plimoth Patuxet Museums before exploring some of the town. In this post, I will discuss the Visitor Center, Craft Center, Historic Patuxet Homesite, and the Fort. In the next post, I will discuss the 17 th -Century English Village. In the final post, I will describe Mayflower II, Plymouth Rock, and the Plymouth Harbor Seals public art display.

On the same day I visited Peak House Heritage Center and Medfield State Hospital National Historic Site , I took several walks in the area, including Shattuck Reservation & Noon Hill managed by the Trustees of Reservations, Medfield Rail Trail, and Kingsbury Pond Grist Mill. The colorful fall leaves made the woods even prettier than usual.

On the same day I visited Peak House Heritage Center , I went down the road to Medfield State Hospital National Historic Site . Established in 1892 as Medfield Insane Asylum, the Queen Anne-style red brick buildings stand at the top of hill near a large field. A family event was going on during my visit, but few people were walking among the shuttered buildings. The grounds have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1994 .

In October 2025, I went to a special event at Peak House Heritage Center in Medfield, MA. Striking for its early colonial architecture and location on Main Street, Peak House has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975 . Despite being a small property (the parking lot only fits five cars), the combination of a well-trained volunteer group, updated signage, and an easy to navigate website make this destination well worth the trip. This is an ideal house for families on their first historic house tour.

Thursday, April 9, was the fourth installment of the 2026 season of Parked at Home hosted by Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (BRVNHP) . Park Ranger Allison Horrocks presented from Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI, and was joined by Amanda Hatch of the Frances Perkins Center , the official philanthropic partner of the brand new Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine.