Ashburnham Historical Society

10/15/2026

✨ A BIG STEP FORWARD IN PRESERVING ASHBURNHAM’S HISTORY! ✨

Many hands. Countless hours. One shared commitment to preservation.

Behind the scenes at the Ashburnham Historical Society, an important project has been taking shape over the past two seasons — the thoughtful, careful cleanout of the basement of our historic Meeting House Museum.

This was never simply about clearing space. It was about protecting a historic building, safeguarding our collection, and preparing for the restoration of a basement floor that has deteriorated and partially collapsed.

The process has taken considerable time, discussion, planning, and hands-on work. Items were reviewed individually, with board approval guiding decisions about what could be removed. Even objects without an identified historic significance were considered carefully. Our priority has been to preserve what matters, protect the collection, and responsibly address the accumulated materials that have filled this space over many years.

Much of the work involved removing broken display cases, discarded materials, damaged cardboard containers, and items affected by moisture and mold.

Why does this matter? Mold can release airborne spores and other particles that affect indoor air quality and may pose respiratory risks. Addressing moisture and mold is an important step in protecting both the people who enter the building and the historic artifacts we are entrusted to preserve.

We are already noticing a difference in the basement environment. There is still much work ahead, but the progress is encouraging!

Equally important, many of the collection items have been brought upstairs into the museum, where they can be viewed, better protected, and shared with visitors.

To every volunteer who has given their time, energy, and muscle to this effort — THANK YOU! Your willingness to take on a challenging, often messy job is making a meaningful difference. This is the kind of behind-the-scenes work that may not always be visible to visitors, but it is essential to the future of our historic Meeting House.

This accomplishment belongs to all of us who care about Ashburnham’s history. It represents good stewardship, teamwork, and a shared commitment to ensuring that this special place remains standing, protected, and meaningful for generations to come.

We are proud of the progress, grateful for the dedicated people who made it possible, and excited about what comes next.

❤️ Interested in becoming part of our preservation efforts? The Ashburnham Historical Society welcomes people who share a love of local history and a desire to make a difference. We look forward to welcoming new volunteers as we begin to think about next seasons projects and discovery.

Together, we preserve the past and build a future for Ashburnham’s history.

10/11/2026

❤️ A LITTLE HISTORY, A LOT OF HEART, AND SOME NEW BEGINNINGS!

What a lovely day yesterday at the Ashburnham Meeting House Museum! We welcomed visitors from Ashburnham, some long time residents, for the first time, and surrounding communities who explored the museum and browsed items from our basement cleanout.

Many items, not artifacts, have already found new homes for reuse, restoration, and repurposing. Thank you to everyone who visited, found a treasure, shared a conversation, or supported our all-volunteer Historical Society. Your encouragement helps us preserve Ashburnham’s history. ❤️

🏛️ A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR HISTORY LOVERS!

Our cleanout continues, and we have a limited quantity of historic wood beams and bricks associated with the Meeting House’s early history. These materials could become part of a mantel, shelf, garden feature, box, border, outdoor hearth, or other creative project—giving them a new purpose while preserving a tangible connection to Ashburnham’s past.

Interested? Contact us today at [email protected] with a brief description of your project, and we’ll discuss what may be available.

Stay tuned for updates as we continue the cleanout and plan to restore the basement floor, creating safer, more useful space for the Meeting House Museum. We hope you’ll visit again to explore the exhibits, browse the vintage gift shop, and follow along as this historic building begins its next chapter.

Together, we’re preserving the past, making room for the future, and sharing Ashburnham’s history. ❤️

10/09/2026

🍂 A NEW CHAPTER FOR AN OLD TREASURE: HISTORY, DISCOVERY & COMMUNITY! 🏛️

There’s more happening behind the scenes at the Ashburnham Meeting House Museum than meets the eye!

As we approach the end of October and prepare to close the Museum & Vintage UpCycle Gift Shop for the season, we’re continuing an important milestone in the care of our historic 1791 Meeting House: the next phase of our basement cleanout!

Why? Because preserving history means caring for the building that holds it. ❤️

Our goal is to restore the basement floor, create safe and useful space, and open the door to new possibilities for our museum and community in the years ahead. It’s a big undertaking, but every step brings us closer to that vision.

✨ And now for a little treasure hunting!

As we work through the basement, we have a few interesting vintage pieces, not artifacts, that may deserve a second life. Among them are beautiful turned-wood bed frames, old clock cabinet, glass pieces, and some larger, substantial cabinets that could be wonderful with a little care and imagination.

One particularly intriguing piece is a beautiful, approximately seven-foot-long piece of thick, curved glass. We would love to see it find a new purpose rather than go to waste!

ALL FREE ♥️
donations gratefully welcomed but never expected. We would rather see these pieces find a new purpose in our community than see them go to waste.”

Some pieces are heavy and will need a little planning to move, but if you enjoy restoring old furniture, repurposing vintage finds, or simply discovering something unexpected, we’d love to hear from you.

🛍️ Our vintage gift shop is open Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM as we head toward our seasonal closing at the end of October. STOP BY BEFORE TUESDAY October 13, take a look, ask what we have available, or send us a message before making a special trip.

And here’s something we believe deeply: a community that gives so much to its history deserves to see that history preserved for generations to come.

Thank you to everyone who has helped, offered advice, shared ideas, donated, visited, or simply cheered us on. Every helping hand matters!

🏛️ Have an idea for repurposing a vintage piece? Have a skill that could help us with the next phase of our basement project? Or a vision for how this historic space might serve Ashburnham in the future?

We would LOVE to hear from you!

Together, we’re not just cleaning out a basement. We’re making room for the next chapter of the Ashburnham Historical Society and the Meeting House Museum.

Preserving our past. Making room for our future. Together. ❤️

10/03/2026

☀️Good Morning Ashburnham

🍎✨ OH MY GOSH… OH MY GOSH… OH MY GOSH! What a night! ✨🍎

Last night’s Ashburnham Historical Society Annual Meeting & Community Gathering was truly something special!

Our own homegrown Ashburnham author, Jeff Aubuchon, was absolutely AMAZING! Vibrant, engaging, gracious, and completely natural—you could feel his passion for history, for Ashburnham, and for telling a good story. He had us laughing, learning, and looking at Johnny Appleseed in a whole new way. 🍎🌳

And the comments we heard throughout the evening meant more than we can say. ❤️

“I can’t believe the changes.”
“The museum looks wonderful!”
“You should be so proud.”
And as one person said to me as they were leaving:

“That’s what creating community is all about.” 🎉

YES. That is exactly what we hope the Ashburnham Historical Society can be—a place where history comes alive, where people gather, where stories are shared, and where our community can feel connected to the people and places that came before us.

I heard so many wonderful compliments about the Meeting House Museum, and I want to share that with everyone who has helped make those changes happen. Every volunteer hour, donation, purchase, event, idea, cleanup, repair, exhibit, and act of support makes a difference. You are helping bring Ashburnham’s history to life.

And Jeff… my dear friend, rest on your laurels for a moment. 😉 You were wonderful. Your enthusiasm is infectious, your love of history shines through, and we are so grateful you came home to Ashburnham and shared your story with us.

Thank you, Jeff, for bringing Johnny Appleseed to life—and for reminding us that behind every familiar name is a story worth knowing. 🍎

So let’s raise our glasses—to Johnny Appleseed, to Jeff, to the Ashburnham Historical Society, and most of all, to this wonderful community we are all a part of.🥂🍎❤️

What a night. What a community. What a privilege to be part of it.

Thank you to everyone who came, helped, shared, laughed, listened, ate, drank, and celebrated with us.

Here’s to more history, more stories, more gathering—and more Ashburnham! 🥂✨

10/02/2026

10/01/2026

🍎Join fellow Ashburnham history lovers tomorrow evening🦩

10/01/2026

🍎History doesn’t stay in one place.

Ideas, books, religious beliefs, farming, practices, stories, and people traveled from one community to another sometimes over 100s of miles.
That means the history of a small New England town like Ashburnham can connect to much bigger stories unfolding across early America.
Our meeting house museum is filled with those kinds of connections. Look closely at the stories on our walls and in our collections and you’ll find that local history is rarely just local.
On October 2, author, Jeff Aubuchon will take us beyond Ashburnham and into the fascinating world of Johnny Appleseed the early American frontier.
Come make some connections with us. We are so excited to see you!

📚 Friday October 2nd, 6–8 PM
📍 Ashburnham Meeting House Museum
79 Main Street

Come discover a little piece of the world our ancestors knew.

And remember… Jeff has a few surprises up his sleeve🦩

09/29/2026

🍎Apples were more than about eating.
For early settlers, an apple tree could be much more than a piece of fruit. Apples could be used for food, c***r, livestock, trade, and even as a way of establishing a new Homestead. That makes the story of Johnny Appleseed, especially interesting when we think about the communities that were developing across early America. And here in Ashburnham, we know a little something about how important orchards, farms, work, and self-sufficiency were to an earlier generation. So what exactly was Johnny Appleseed doing as he traveled from settlement to settlement? Jeff Aubuchon will help us uncover the story on Friday October 2. Join us for our annual open house 🍂 and community gathering, 6 to 8 PM at the Ashburnham meeting house museum and yes, there are some surprises in store! 🦩

09/28/2026

Looking for a perfect autumn evening with your community? Join the Ashburnham Historical Society for our Annual Open House and Meeting! Friday October 2, 6-8PM. Bring a neighbor and join the fun!

09/28/2026

Johnny Appleseed wasn’t quite who you think.

🍎DID YOU KNOW?

Johnny Appleseed wasn’t simply the barefoot, Apple loving character. We remember from childhood stories. The real Johnny Appleseed – John Chapman – was the nursery man, traveler, and deeply religious man who planted Apple orchards across parts of the American frontier.
And there’s much more to his story than apples!
Join us at the Ashburnham Historical Society’s annual open house and community gathering on October 2, 6-@8 PM when author Jeff Aubuchon will take us beyond the familiar legend and into the fascinating world surrounding Johnny Appleseed.

🍎 Who was the real man?
🌱 Why was he planting so many apple trees?
📖 And, what do early American communities have to do with his story?
There may even be a few surprises along the way!
Come curious. Leave with a new piece of history to share.
Ashburnham meeting house Museum 79 Main St. Ashburnham MA