Orange Historical Society
41 North Main St., Orange, MA 01364
(978) 544-3141
Open:
Wednesdays & Sundays, 2-4pm from June-September or by appointment.
For more information call:
Kathy Schiappa, President (978) 544-6814
Frank Schiappa (978) 544-6814
Linda Temple (978) 544-2861
Membership Information
Becoming a member ensures that the Orange Historical Society continues to preserve and share the rich history and treasures of Orange families and businesses.
As a member of the Orange Historical Society, you distinguish yourself as a dedicated supporter who believes strongly in the Orange Historical Society value to the community. You provide support for educational programs and exhibitions and enjoy knowing you are a critical part in keeping this important legacy alive for future generations.
General Member
Individual $5.00
Lifetime Member
Individual $50.00
Family $75.00
Gift Membership
Give the gift of being part of a community that invests in preserving and sharing the rich history of Orange.
Please send your membership or gift choice information to Kathy Schiappa at 370 North Main St., Orange, MA 01364 and make your check payable to Orange Historical Society.
Thank you for your generous contribution!
Volunteer Opportunities
We are always interested in adding volunteers to our team!
If you are interested in helping out at the Orange Historical Society please call Kathy Schiappa at (978) 544-6814 to share your interest and availability.
We have a broad range of needs and volunteer opportunities. We need help gardening, conducting historical society tours (we pair you with an experienced tour guide and this is a great way to learn about the history of Orange and OHS), serving at the Breakfast on the Porch, staffing craft fairs and helping with programing. So if you have some time and interest we would love you to join our volunteer team.
"To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and whole heart and a free mind"
Pearl S. Buck
Writer, Nobel and Pulitzer Prize Winner
The Orange Historical Society gratefully accepts financial and artifact donations...
Memorial & Honorary Gifts
Honorary Gifts
Are you puzzled about what to give friends or family members? Do they love Orange? Then consider making donations to the Orange Historical Society in their honor to acknowledge their special days: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, whatever they are celebrating.
You will receive a receipt for your donation and your friends or family members will receive personal letters from the Orange Historical Society telling them that you have made these thoughtful gifts in their names. (The amounts of your contributions will be kept confidential unless specified.)
Memorial Gifts
If you would like to remember someone who loved Orange during his or her lifetime, you can make a gift in that person's memory. What a loving tribute it is!
You will receive a receipt for your donation. We will also write to family members or friends, as you request, telling them that you have made a thoughtful gift to the Orange Historical Society in memory of their loved one. (The amount of your contribution will be kept confidential unless specified.)
How to Make a Gift
Telephone: Please call Jeff Cole at (978) 544-8881 and have your credit card, address, names and addresses of who you would like to receive a personal letter handy.
Mail: Please send a letter stating your wishes stating either Make an Honorary Gift Now or Make a Memorial Gift Now, include your phone number,address, names and addresses of who you would like to receive a personal letter, and your credit card information or your check or money order (made payable to "The Orange Historical Society).
Mail to:
Orange Historical Society
41 North Main Street Orange, MA 01364
Attention: Honorary Gifts and Memorial Gifts
Orange Artifacts
How to Donate Orange Artifacts
Please call Linda Temple at (978) 544-2861
For further assistance, please contact us directly:
(978) 544-3141 main number or call Kathy Schiappa (978) 544-6814
Officers: 2018-2019
President:
Kathy Schiappa 978.544.6814
Vice-President:
Ingrid Pollard 978.544.6734
Secretary:
Sandra Eklund 978.575.0151
Asst. Secretary:
Linda Knechtel 978.544.6971
Treasurer:
Jeff Cole 978.544.8881
Asst. Treasure:
Tom Smith 978.544.8881
Auditor:
Jeri Deyo 978.544.2089
3 Year Directors:
| Sue Enko | 978.544.3307 | 2019 |
| Glenn Johnson | 978.575.0320 | 2019 |
| Lurene Hall | 978.544.8144 | 2019 |
| Denise Andrews | 978.633.4302 | 2020 |
| Anne Colo | 413.774.4663 | 2020 |
| Gregory Metevier | 978.544.7067 | 2020 |
| Maureen Riendeau | 978.249.6336 | 2020 |
| Frank Schiappa | 978.544.6814 | 2020 |
| George Willard | 978.544.0264 | 2020 |
| Irene Ballou | 978.544.6286 | 2021 |
Committees 2018-2019:
Publicity:
Maureen Riendeau 978.249.6336
Archivist, Historian, Acquisitions:
Linda Temple 978.544.2861
Membership:
Kathy Schiappa 978.544.6814 and Jeff Cole 978.544.8881
Investment:
Glenn Johnson 978.575.0320, Jeff Cole 978.544.8881
and Gover Ballou, Sr 978.544.6286
Hospitality:
Patricia Andrews 978.544.8555, Denise Andrews 978.633.4302, Tom Smith 978.544.8881, Ingrid Pollard 978.544.6734
Ways & Means:
Linda Knechtel 978.544.6971, Jerilynn Deyo 978.544.2089, Lurene Hall 978.544.8144, Maureen Riendeau 978.544.6177, Audrey McKenney
978.544.8720, Ginette Richard 978.544.6475, Ilene Rowe 978.544.6995, Anne Colo 413.774.4663 and Sandra Eklund 978.575.0151
Program:
Grout Coordinators: Walter Pollard 978.544.6734, Glenn Johnson 978.575.0320, Grover Ballou, Sr. 978.544.6286, John Rumrill 978.575.0263, Grover Ballou, Jr.
413.253.9574, and George Willard 978.544.0264
Building:
Glenn Johnson 978.575.0320, Frank Schiappa 978.544.6814, George Willard 978.544.0264, Keith Lyman 978.544.2338
Circa 1866-1867, a local business man, Stephen French bought a much smaller house at an auction. Five generations of his family lived here: his mother; he and his wife; their daughter, Grace, who married Fred Weymouth; the Weymouth's daughter, Sibyl; and her daughter, Ann. By 1868, Mr. French had expanded the small house into a very large one of 24 rooms. Some years later some partitions were removed leaving 18 rooms, in the house and the three story barn.
Grace Weymouth was the original curator of the Historical Society. Collections were housed in the basement of the library until the flood of 1936. Grace and her husband moved the salvageable items from the library to their home, which is now the Orange Historical Society. She opened her home to the public on certain days to exhibit the artifacts. She fell upon hard times during the Great Depression and was in danger of losing her house. The present Orange Historical Society, which was chartered in 1942, purchased the house by paying off the mortgage of approximately $4,000. There was a stipulation that Grace could live in the house until her death, and she did.
The many rooms of the Orange Historical Society, showcase an abundance of wonderful historical artifacts...
Come visit and learn about the rich history of Orange!
