Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association

08/28/2026

Our last concert of this season will be on Sunday, August 30th, at 3:00 pm in Memorial Hall Museum’s Music Room at 8 Memorial St., Deerfield, MA. Georgy Valtchev, Violin, and Lora Tchekoratova, Piano. $15 Adults, $8 Seniors & Students; Tickets available at the door. Weather permitting, free refreshments will be available after the concert in the Garden Alcove. https://deerfield-ma.org/happenings/events-calendar/

08/27/2026

“I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give'em yours!” -Dolly Parton (1946-2026)
Christmas Stocking by Frances and Mary Allen, c. 1900

08/27/2026

As we prepare for the 50th Old Deerfield Fall Arts & Crafts Festival on September 19 & 20, 2026, we continue to highlight the people involved with the American Arts & Crafts Movement in the early 20th century in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Eleanor M. Arms (1864 - 1937) purchased her first loom in 1902 and became famous for her homespun and vegetable-dyed rugs woven, within customer view, at her home and shop The Loom. Among Eleanor Arms' customers was former First Lady, Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt. In 1935 First Lady Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt purchased, among other items, a yellow bag woven by Eleanor. In addition to hearth rugs, Eleanor Arms wove blankets, couch covers, portieres, and table covers. https://artscrafts-deerfield.org/artsapp/person.do_shortName=arms.html

08/26/2026

Begun in 1896 by Margaret Whiting and Ellen Miller, within ten years the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework sustained the part-time employment of between twenty-five and thirty women, some single, some married, almost all of whom lived in Deerfield, Massachusetts. The fruitfulness of an individual embroiderer's experience with the Blue and White Society depended upon her level of skill, and her quickness with the needle. https://artscrafts-deerfield.org/artsapp/person.do_shortName=dsbwn.html

08/26/2026

08/25/2026

Margaret C. Whiting (1860-1946) co-authored Wild Flowers of the Northeast with fellow artist Ellen Miller (1854 - 1929) in the year this photograph was taken by Frances and Mary Allen. Whiting and Miller founded the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework in Deerfield, Massachusetts, the following year, in 1896. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1996-14-1628-01-02/

08/24/2026

Margaret Whiting (1860 – 1946) and Ellen Miller (1854 – 1929) founded the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework in 1896. While Margaret Whiting soon took on the organization's business operations, and articulated its vision to the public, Ellen Miller colored its aesthetic with the lush but understated tones of her hand-dyed materials. Both artists are credited with the Blue and White Society's enchanting designs. https://artscrafts-deerfield.org/artsapp/person.do_shortName=miller_ellen.html
https://artscrafts-deerfield.org/artsapp/person.do_shortName=whiting.html

08/23/2026

A study in deep space and flat surface, Apple Trees (by Luanna Franklin Thorn,1874-1965) is an example of the modernist approach sometimes taken by Deerfield, Massachusetts artisans. True to the Arts and Crafts aesthetic, the design of Apple Trees, c. 1905 - 1925, reflects both the personal vision of its creator and her understanding of the inherent nature of the weaving process and her materials, linen, wool and cotton. https://artscrafts-deerfield.org/artsapp/artifact.do_shortName=apple_tree.html

08/21/2026

Our Summer Concert Series continues Sunday, August 23rd, at 3pm in the Memorial Hall Museum’s air-conditioned Music Room at 8 Memorial St., Deerfield, MA. Michael Nix, Banjar, and Chris Devine, Violin. $15 Adults, $8 Seniors & Students; Tickets available at the door. Weather permitting, free refreshments will be available after the concert in the Garden Alcove. https://deerfield-ma.org/happenings/events-calendar/