The Old Firehouse Museum

History

The Old Firehouse Museum .presents the history of this town, which was settled in 1753 and is the site of our new nation’s first commercially successful canal. Along with the history of the people and industries of South Hadley, the Old Firehouse Museum commemorates the work of the firefighters who worked in this fascinating building from 1899 to 1973. There is a fine display of firefighting gear and, the museum’s most prized possessions, two 19th-century hand pumpers and a 1926 Dodge Fire Engine.

Upstairs at the museum, visitors will find the Gallery with exhibits that change yearly. Our 2007 exhibit is “Canal Village 1792-1862.” The museum will be open May-September on Sunday from 1:30 to 4:00 pm and also on Wednesday in July and August from 1:30 to 4:00 pm. Also upstairs, the permanent exhibit of the 1890’s Room displays objects of everyday life.