Historic Deerfield Inc

HISTORIC DEERFIELD OPENS DOORS TO NEW PERSPECTIVES THAT INSPIRE PEOPLE TO SEEK A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THEMSELVES, THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND THE WORLD.

HISTORIC DEERFIELD IS A UNIQUE MUSEUM WHICH MAINTAINS 55 BUILDINGS (12 OF WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC) AND FOCUSES ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SMALL-TOWN AMERICA TO OUR NATIONAL CULTURE. HISTORIC DEERFIELD OFFERS A BROAD RANGE OF PROGAMMING RELATED TO THE CORE AREAS OF ITS MISSION: HISTORIC PRESERVATION, MATERIAL CULTURE STUDIES AND NATURAL HISTORY. AS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED HISTORIC DEERFIELD TO CLOSE ITS DOORS IN MID MARCH 2020 THROUGH MAY 2021. PRIOR TO THE CLOSURE AND SUBSEQUENTLY AFTER MAY 2021, HISTORIC DEERFIELD OFFERED A WIDE RANGE OF PUBLIC PROGRAMMING. SAMPLE PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES AT THE HISTORY WORKSHOP INLUDE "AMAZING AGRUCULTURE: PAST AND PRESENT," "SILKEN INSPIRATIONS: THE HANDS-ON HISTORY OF SILK, AND "ALL ABOUT APPLES AND APPLE CIDER." IN JUNE 2021, HISTORIC DEERFIELD OFFERED A SUMMER EVENING STROLL WALKING TOUR THAT EXPLORED THE REVITALIZATION OF DEERFIELD AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY AS THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT IN DEERFIELD TOOK HOLD IN THE VILLAGE. OTHER WALKING TOURS, OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, INCLUDED DEERFIELD ARCHITECTURE TOURS, BURYING GROUND TOURS, AND DEERFIELD HISTORY TOURS. "INVISIBLE MAKERS: TEXTILES, DRESS, AND MARGINALIZED PEOPLE IN 18TH- AND 19TH-CENTURY AMERICA" (APRIL 10, 2021) FEATURED LECTURES FROM A DYNAMIC ROSTER OF ACADEMIC AND MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS DISCUSSING EXAMPLES OF THE IMPORTANT ROLES AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF BIPOC TEXTILE AND CLOTHING PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES. HISTORIC DEERFIELD'S MUSEUM COURSE, ENTITLED "THE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF EARLY NEW ENGLAND AND OFFERED OVER FOUR SESSIONS IN MARCH 2021, EXPLORED THE EARLY ROOTS OF NEW ENGLAND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE AND ITS DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE ENSUING CENTURIES. FOR THE 2021 WINTER LECTURE SERIES, ENTITLED "SPEAKING UP: HISTORIES OF AMERICAN PROTEST AND ACTIVISM AND OFFERED IN JANUARY-MARCH 2021, THE MUSEUM OFFERED THREE WEBINARS DEVOTED TO EXPLORING VIBRANT, LESSER-KNOWN HISTORIES OF AMERICAN ACTIVISM INCLUDING THE RADICAL ABOLITION MOVEMENT OF THE 19TH CENTURY, HOW WOMEN OF COLOR TRANSFORMED THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT, AND THE RAUCOUS ELECTORAL POLITICS OF THE POST-CIVIL WAR ERA. IN ADDITION TO PUBLIC PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE ONES MENTIONED ABOVE, HISTORIC DEERFIELD ALSO OFFERED NUMEROUS DEMONSTRATIONS OF HISTORIC TRADES SUCH AS BROOMMAKING, COOPERING, FURNITURE MAKING, AND ARCHITECTURAL WOODWORKING. THIS PAST YEAR THE MUSEUM ADDED 92 OBJECTS TO THE COLLECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 32,000 ARTIFACTS AND WELCOMED OVER 4,000 VISITORS AND OVER 3500 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.

HISTORIC DEERFIELD'S PUBLIC HISTORIAN DEVELOPS AND OVERSEES THE ANNUAL LECTURE SERIES IN HISTORY AND COLLABORATES TO CREATE PROGRAMS FOR GENERAL AND ACADEMIC AUDIENCES. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS FOCUS ON THE INTERDISCIPLINARY USE OF HISTORY AND RELATED FIELDS WITH A COMMITMENT TO INCREASING ATTENDANCE, EXPANDING MUSEUM AUDIENCES AND FOSTERING HISTORIC DEERFIELD'S AFFILIATION WITH FIVE COLLEGES, INC., AS WELL AS OTHER COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBERS AND MUSEUM STAFF AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS. THE PUBLIC HISTORIAN TEACHES A COURSE IN MATERIAL CULTURE FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE FIVE COLLEGES OFFERED THROUGH SMITH COLLEGE AND DIRECTS HISTORIC DEERFIELD'S SUMMER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. THE SUMMER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1956. THIS NINE-WEEK RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR UNDERGRADUATE RISING SENIORS AND GRADUATING SENIORS. SIX FELLOWS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM THIS FISCAL YEAR AND OVER 450 HAVE COMPLETED THE PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION. APPROXIMATELY 75% OF SUMMER FELLOWS PURSUE CAREERS IN THE MUSEUM OR MATERIAL CULTURE FIELDS. THE LIBRARY ADDED 70 ITEMS TO ITS COLLECTION OF OVER 25,000 ITEMS.

THE DEERFIELD INN WAS PURCHASED IN 1945 BY HENRY AND HELEN GEIER FLYNT, THE FOUNDERS OF WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS HISTORIC DEERFIELD, INC. THE FLYNTS ENVISIONED HISTORIC DEERFIELD AS A QUINTESSENTIAL RURAL NEW ENGLAND VILLAGE WITH AUTHENTIC HISTORIC BUILDINGS DATING BACK TO 1714. HISTORIC DEERFIELD IS A DESTINATION; ITIS MORE THAN SIMPLY TOURING A HOUSE OR ATTENDING A LECTURE. RATHER, IT IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT ENCOMPASSES WALKS ALONG OLD MAIN STREET, RECREATION, LEARNING, MEALS, AND PERHAPS AN OVERNIGHT STAY. IN ADDITION TO THE STORIES WE TELL OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE, A RANGE OF OTHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES EXIST AS EDUCATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND REMAINS A STRONG COMPONENT OF HISTORIC DEERFIELD'S MISSION. THE DEERFIELD INN SUPPORTS THESE MUSEUM ACTIVITIES AS IT CATERS EVENTS AND MEALS, AND HOUSES AND FEEDS SPEAKERS AND PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, AND IS AN IMPORTANT BACKDROP FOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THIS PAST YEAR, THE INN WELCOMED OVER 2,000 GUESTS AND CHAMPNEY'S SERVED OVER 23,500 GUESTS.