Museum & Collections

The Historical Society museum is open Tuesday mornings from 9 to 12 and the following Saturdays from 10 to noon:  10/1, 11/5, 12/3, and 12/17.

It is located  in the Whately Town Hall at 194 Chestnut Plain Road in Whately.

Current Exhibit

Becoming Whately: A History in Objects

In celebration of the town’s 250th anniversary, exhibit curator Judy Markland tells the story of daily life, crops, and industry in Whately through objects selected from the Historical Society’s collection and borrowed from private collections.  Items on display date from 10,000 years ago into the 1980s.

More about the exhibit

Stones used to grind grain
Example of a corn broom with broomcorn stalks from which they are made.
Chick-a-dee Potato Chips package, 1969

Past Exhibits

A Fresh Look – Whately Stoneware and Redware
Summer and Fall 2021

This exhibit showcased the work of 22 19th-century master potters.  The Historical Society’s collection of over 80 redware and stoneware jugs, jars, crocks, teapots, bricks and drainage pipes, many hand-decorated with stylized cobalt blue imagery, was complemented by loans of never-before-exhibited works from six local private collections. In addition, visitors may examine broken pieces of pottery (shards) excavated in and around Whately that illustrate the techniques used by the potters.
With thanks to the Whately Cultural Council.

Offering Materials to WHS

Don’t throw away those old farm implements and tools, photographs, diaries, letters, or outfits. The Historical Society is always looking for items that illustrate Whately’s past and complement our current holdings.

Call or email info@whatelyhistorical.org for an appointment. Our archivist and curator will review all offers to decide if they’re a good fit for the collection.