Hadley Community Day
Sunday, July 4

On Sunday, July 4th, 2010, The Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum invites Hadley residents to Hadley Community Day. Free hourly tours of the home of one of Hadley’s most prominent and influential founding families will be given from 11AM to 4PM, the last tour to start at 4. Refreshments will be served on the scenic back veranda, and visitors are invited to bring a picnic to enjoy on the museum’s historic grounds.

The Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum invites a detailed look at the role of one family during a span of over 200 years in the Connecticut Valley. Built in 1752, the home is preserved to its circa 1800 structure and interior décor, composed completely of family-owned objects, furniture and artifacts. During a tour of the house, one can follow the family through American history, with an emphasis on the Revolutionary War, the abolition of slavery, women’s rights, and theological movements, on a rural farm in Hadley.

On July 4th, come learn about the unique roles that the family played in the Revolutionary War. One member of the extended family was Major General Benjamin Lincoln, a respected Revolutionary War officer who was later instrumental in suppressing Shays’ Rebellion. One of the Phelps’s slaves, Caesar Phelps, also served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Two prisoners of war arrived at the Phelps farm as servants during the Revolution. One was a Scotsman named John Morrison, who became the family gardener. The beautiful garden to the north of the house was designed and cultivated by Morrison over two hundred years ago.

The Museum also hosts weekly concerts and teas. Every Wednesday evening through August 4th, the Museum presents Wednesday Folk Traditions, an annual concert series featuring talented musicians playing a wide variety of music, ranging from folk to Middle-Eastern music and gospel. Every Saturday afternoon beginning July 3rd, the Museum hosts “A Perfect Spot of Tea,” where guests are invited to relax on the back porch, sample desserts and tea from local restaurants and bakeries, and listen to talented local musicians.

The Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum is located at 130 River Drive (Route 47) in Hadley, two miles north of the junction of Routes 9 and 47 North. The Museum is open for guided tours Saturday through Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment. For further information about the Museum and its programs, call the Museum at (413) 584-4699.