Our History

Northfield Historical Society’s Beginnings

Rev. George L. Thompson proposed the organization in 1921. He circulated a paper among citizens, gathered 31 times, and held a preliminary meeting on February 21, 1922. The interested souls gathered at the Dickinson memorial Library on Saturday evening, March 4, 1922, to officially organize the society. The meeting was called to order by Rev. Thompson and he presented by-laws, which were adopted, and officers were then elected.

George L. Thompson (1870-1943) was a joiner and an organizer. He was the Unitarian minister in town from 1916-1922. He was a member of the Harmony Lodge of Masons and the Northfield Grange. He was trustee of Dickinson Memorial Library, president of the Northfield Board of Trade, and manager of the Northfield Farmer’s Cooperative Exchange. He also organized Northfield’s camp of Boy Rangers of the World in 1916 and served as their chief ranger. he would later run for US Senator of Massachusetts on the Prohibition Party ticket.

Joseph W. Field (1877-1956) was elected the first president of the Society. He was of the family that traced back to Zechariah Field, who came to Northfield in about 1716 as a miller and was a leading man. Joseph was also in the branch of the family who favored living in Weston and Boston as well as Northfield. Joseph lived at 27 Main St at the corner of Maple, where his sons Seth and Calvin also lived. Joseph was a trustee of the Dickinson Memorial Library, president of the Northfield Garden Club, and in the printing business with W.W. Coe, who printed the Northfield Press. Later Joseph raised vegetables and flowers for sale. The last we knew, one of his two granddaughters, Katherine V. Field, who was Miss Indiana and fourth runner-up to Miss American in 1968, was still living in Indiana.

Other officers and executive committee members of the Society in 1922 were E. F. Howard, Ellen Callaghan, C.C. Stearns, F.W. Harness, Mrs. C.C. Stockbridge, Mrs Elizabeth Caldwell, A.P. Fitt, and Mrs. F.H. Doolittle. The formed eleven committees and each committee was expected to immediately begin research in their area to report at the next quarterly meeting. members on these committees included the officers named above as well as Miss Blanche Corser, F.L. Duley, F.H. Doolittle, Mrs. E.F. Howard, Mrs. N.W. Keet, Mrs. L.R. Smith, Rev. F.W. Pattison, A.G. Moody, J.T. Callaghan, Mrs. C.C. Stearns, Mrs. A.P. Fitt, L.R. Smith, Miss Sallie Minot, and Mrs. G.L. Thompson.

In order to interest young people in the history of the town, another committee of three was appointed to organize a plan of stimulation with prize essays in the high school. The first project was a three-day historical exhibit in the library during the 250th anniversary of the town in 1923. The group also sponsored a Colonial Day when all the historic homes of the town were open to the public. The society was officially incorporated in 1928 with A.P. Fitt as its president.

A.P. Fitt (1869-1947) was a native of Limerick, Ireland and was the energetic man that D.L. Moody co-opted on one of his evangelistic tours of Great Britain and Ireland to serve as his secretary. Fitt came to American in 1893 and served in a number of other roles for Moody, including becoming the husband of Moody’s daughter, Emma. They purchased “Green Pastures” as the corner of Moody St and Main in 1895. Fitt published the useful All About Northfield in 1910.

The society was also responsible for the historic markers around town and for instigating the publishing of a second history, A Puritan Outpost by H.C. Parsons. They further led pilgrimages to other local towns. meetings were held at the Library and then in the Beehive when Dr. George A. Bronson became the president of the Society later in the 1930s. When the old Center School burned down on February 17, 1940, a new one was built in 1941 to finally consolidate all of the district schools. The last one to join was the No. 2 School on Pine St. in September 1941. Soon thereafter, it became the permanent home of the Northfield Historical Society at the time of the Society’s twentieth anniversary.

Written by Joel Fowler, 2023