AGAWAM — The Agawam Historical Association is gearing up for a year of celebrations and programs to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding.
The semiquincentennial kicks off on Jan. 15 with a free program at the Captain Charles Leonard House, 663 Main St. Springfield Armory National Historic Site Curator Alex MacKenzie will present “The Most Proper Spot in America: The Continental Arsenal at Springfield.” The program will explore the circumstances under which Brigadier General Henry Knox personally sited a military supply depot at Springfield in 1777 and the impact the move had on the local economy and the American Revolution.
Programming continues in February, when historical actor Sheryl Faye will depict the nation’s second first lady, Abigail Adams, in a program titled, “Liberty and Legacy,” while historical actor George Baker will perform as President John Adams in May.
As the weather turns warm in April, an oak on the grounds of the Thomas Smith House, the home of Agawam Historical Association, will be dedicated as a “liberty tree,” and the association is finalizing plans for an Independence Day celebration at the house.
In August, people from Fort Ticonderoga will visit to present a re-enactment of the Knox train of artillery, in which 60 tons of cannons, mortars and howitzers were transported 300 miles from the captured British fort in New York to the American front line outside of Boston.
At the association’s fall meeting in October, historical archaeologist Bob Drinkwater will deliver a presentation on the gravestones of veterans of the American Revolution.
“We’re pretty excited,” Alan Rogers, Agawam Historical Association member, said about the program. “There were quite a few people from the area that fought. We have close to 60 Revolutionary War veterans that are buried in Agawam.” He pointed out that, while not all lived in the town at the time of the war, many people who lived in Agawam when they were called to arms are buried elsewhere.
The calendar of events was curated to provide engaging opportunities for people to explore local history. “Some of these events we’ve been thinking about for more than a year,” he said. A portion of these events were funded through a grant from the Agawam Cultural Commission. “We’re very fortunate,” he said, as funding is always a consideration for Historical Association programs.
Rogers said much of Western Massachusetts is getting ready to celebrate the part it played in the American fight for independence.
“So much of the focus is on Boston or Lexington and Concord,” Rogers said. “People may not realize that the armory was sited in Springfield intentionally during the Revolution and how many people fought here.”
