PETERSHAM – In honor of America’s 250th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of the Petersham Historical Society building, a special celebration will be held this Saturday.
The event will be held at the Petersham Historical Society at 10 North Main St. from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and will include Revolutionary War reenactors from John Crane’s 3rd Continental Artillery, among other family activities.
The Revolutionary War reenactors will spend the first hour of the event mingling with guests and answering questions. During the second hour, across the street at the Nichewaug Field, event attendees will be able to fire a Revolutionary War cannon with the Continental Artillery cannon team, headed by Ellie Hutchinson, for a donation fee of $20. The cannon will fire blanks.
“The cannon team will do all the loading. What the participant will get to do is light the linstock; the ember that sets the fuse that fires the cannon” said Hutchinson.
Hutchinson, uses the name Will Hutchinson during reenactments, said the troop has been together for 20 years. Referred to in the field as the “3rd Continental Artillery, John Crane’s”, the team of reenactors is composed of residents from across New England, including Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
When it comes to learning the history of America, Hutchinson said it’s best to be hands-on.
“You can see a picture of a cannon, but if you’re there, you’re watching the cannon fire, and you’re watching how it’s done… It’s valuable,” she said. “It’s placing you in the spot of the people who were there. In a way, we’re the keepers of the flame.”
The original artillery group that served under Col. John Crane during the Revolutionary War became part of the Continental Army in 1977.
“They were at the British evacuation of Boston, the Battle of Monmouth, Valley Forge, all the way down to Yorktown” said Hutchinson, noting that John Crane’s men were known for their speed and accuracy.
The Petersham Historical Society building opened in 1926. The building was designed by architect John Ames of Boston, who modeled the building after the Holden Chapel in Cambridge, purposely to showcase the Petersham-Athol mail coach inside.
In addition to the reenactors, the Petersham Historical Society Museum will be open with special historical displays, music and refreshments. Activities will include planning of a time capsule for Petersham, learning about invisible ink used by spies during the Revolutionary War, and a scavenger hunt.
Since its inception, the Petersham Historical Society has relied on donations to build and maintain the property through events such as the one this Saturday.
Contact the Petersham Historical Society via e-mail: petershamhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.