What would they think of us now?
Those old pioneers who struggled to tame this wilderness, and having done so, petitioned to incorporate into a town.
— Nancy Newton Williams
Mailman Will Upton in his buggy driving down Middletown Hill.
The Rowe Historical Society was founded with the mission of preserving and sharing the local history with the residents and visitors to town. Rowe has a rich history of agriculture and industry with artifacts and imagery of the lives of its residents since before the revolutionary war.
To awaken and maintain public interest in all matters relating to the history of the Town of Rowe.
We understand that people see history in many different ways and we are continually looking at the ways we teach it, the ways we display it and the way we learn it. We have a museum that is accessible to every patron. Although our artifacts are not always touchable, each and every one has a story. Our goal is to make history come alive to all. Whether it’s through genealogical research, photographs, reference and print material, or through the tools and equipment from every decade, this is what we are trying to do at the Rowe Historical Society.
Rowe Center ca. 1898
In the spring of 1762 Rev. Cornelius Jones bought a 10,000 acre parcel from the Massachusetts General Court and founded the Myrifield Plantation. He and his wife and 3 children under age 5 moved into a newly constructed house of split planks in the middle of the 15 square mile tract. He offered his lands at a low price, but new settlers were slow to come. By 1770 just eight families had settled in the Myrifield Plantation.
At the outbreak of the revolution there were 28 families but only nine houses — the rest being log huts. But already there were two saw mills operated by water power and a goodly number of livestock.
In 1784, with 88 pols (adult males), roads laid out and annual appropriations for gospel and schools, the people decided to incorporate as a town.
About the Rowe Historical Society
In 1957, inspried by the research and enthusiasm for Percy Brown’s book The History of Rowe, several townspeople formed the Rowe Historical Society. Their first meeting was held in November of that year and the Society was incorporated in July of the following year. Since that time RHS has received an abundance of Rowe related items such as an old town hearse in excellent condition, superb quilts, ladies’ fine dresses and accoutrements, many lovely old photos, farm implements and tools, mining items, Hoosac Tunnel memorabilia, musical instruments, children’s clothing and toys, and more. Our purpose is to honor our forebears and the items they have passed on to us. We lovingly care for and share them with visitors from Rowe and from far away.
The Kemp-McCarthy Museum
282 Zoar Road
Operating until 1962, The Village School was then given to the Rowe Historical Society by the townspeople. It was the last one-room schools in Franklin County. Having been added to several times, it now houses seven areas of collections and exhibits. The West School (b. 1797) on Tunnel Rd. was joined to the complex in 1996. There were nine schools in Rowe in the early 1900s mainly due to the many mines in town.
Browning Bench Tool Factory
Pond Road
This two and one half story barn was once a carriage and wagon shop and later a bench tool factory. It was moved to the town park property and restored as a part of Rowe’s participation in the nation’s bicentenial celebration in 1976. RHS has leased the building since 2017 to house farm and homemaking implements, bench tools, sleighs, sleds and historic photos. (learn more)
Fort Pelham
Pond Road
In 1744 the Massachusetts General Court ordered the building of three forts to run from Fort Dummer in Brattleboro, VT, west to the NY border. They were Fort Shirley in Heath, Fort Pelham in Rowe and Fort Massachusetts in Williamstown. In 1961, the Society purchased the 24 acre Fort Pelham property on Ford Hill Rd. RHS has artifacts from excavations done at the site by UMass (1971–’72) and Yale University (1974).
The village school ca. 1910
Rowe Historical Society Board of Trustees
Wayne Zavotka, President
Kerri McLatchy, Vice President
Ellen Miller, Treasurer
Susan Zavotka, Secretary
Kathy May
Ron Stanford
Susan Tomlinson
Walt Quist
Glenn White
Dana Williams
Rowe Historical Society is a 100% volunteer organization. Please get in touch if you would like to help out.
Rowe Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) private foundation. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.