The Mission of the Colrain Historical Society
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.
It’s 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.
Furniture: 18th- and 19th-century New England furniture
Items of domestic life: housewares, ceramics, glass, toys from Colrain homes
Implements, tools, and manufactured items reflecting Colrain’s agricultural and industrial past.
Library: Historical reference, Bibles, town reports, school books, publications, and books which are part of the Pitt theater history collection
Paintings: includes portraits of Colrainers, 19th-century works by regional artists, and 20th-Century Boston School artworks
Textiles: Historic clothing, quilts, flags, handcrafted rugs and samplers, and other items of Colrain heritage
Theater Collection: G. William Pitt’s significant collection of theater history memorabilia includes items from Edwin & John Wilkes Booth, Tyrone Power, and other legendary actors
Video virtual tour of Pitt House: Any meaningful alteration of the Pitt House and the Stacy Barn to accommodate visitors with disabilities would require changes that would fundamentally change the structure of the buildings. Since this is often the case with historical structures, Massachusetts Historical Commission standards allow video virtual tours to make these buildings accessible.
Website creation & maintenance, including the incorporation of scanned items, for universal access to our holdings