WEST SPRINGFIELD — On Oct. 19, the Ramapogue Historical Society will host its third annual Fall Festival at the Josiah Day House, 1-4 p.m., followed by cemetery tours from 4 to 7 p.m. at the nearby Park Street Cemetery.
“Both events are free,” said Ramapogue President Samantha DePergola. “We’re very excited to bring along the community and put it all together featuring the Agawam Historical Association, Storrowton Village Museum and the 25th Continental Regiment.”
The Ramapogue Historical Society was established in 1903 to preserve the Josiah Day House, the oldest known surviving saltbox brick house in America, and the oldest home in West Springfield. Ever since then, the Ramapogue Historical Society has put on programs that educate people not only on the Josiah Day House, but the family’s impact on local history, as well as taking care of the house itself and preserving its history.
DePergola said, “We’ve always had some sort of programming throughout the year, mostly focused on lectures for a while. We tried a fall festival before, at one point, several years ago, but we brought it back in 2021 and ever since then it’s been growing bigger and bigger.”
A cooking demonstration in the yard will show the different techniques for preparing food in the 18th century, and a blacksmith will demonstrate how metal objects were made. Displays will also focus on local history and how people can support the organizations that preserve it. Those who celebrate Halloween are welcome to wear their costumes, as trick-or-treating will be available for kids of all ages.
Park St. Cemetery tour
The cemetery tour, that evening, will highlight prominent figures from West Springfield’s history. Among these are the Rev. Joseph Lathrop, West Springfield’s longest-serving minister; Capt. Levi Ely, a Revolutionary War soldier who was killed at the Battle of Stone Arabia in 1780; Eunice (Day) Bliss, a great-granddaughter of Josiah Day; and more. Other interesting people buried in West Springfield are Caleb Rice, Springfield’s first mayor, who was previously a community leader in West Springfield; Luke Day, a Revolutionary War veteran and a leader of Shays’ Rebellion; Nathaniel Dwight, who has the oldest headstone in town, dating back to 1711; John Ashley, who donated funds for the building of the Old White Church; and Dr. Reuben Champion, who was a state senator and state representative as well as West Springfield’s first native-born doctor.
Rampapogue Historical Society Trustee Bryan Burlingham said, “Cemetery tours are important because they tell us of the town’s past, its history and those who helped shape it to make the town what it is today. Their eternal resting places are to be preserved, taken care of and valued because each headstone tells us a story, their story. From a child who died in infancy, to a veteran, all of these people had a story, and we can learn from them.”
DePergola added, “If people were to take away anything, it’s how much local history is right in their backyard, and how much we can’t forget that history. All of our history is important to remember. That way we can learn from it, and we can preserve it, just like the Josiah Day House.” She continued, “It’s been this little hidden gem in the community for so long, and what we’re really working on now is people seeing it and understanding how much work goes into preserving a house like that. I hope people can see all what we can do, try to attend all our events and further support us.”
The Josiah Day House Museum at 70 Park St., West Springfield, is typically open for tours from late April to early November. Appointments are required to visit the house. To book a tour, call the Ramapogue Historical Society at 413-636-1616 or email ramapoguehistoricalsociety@gmail.com. General tours are $5 per person and must be booked ahead of time. Park Street Cemetery is at 112 Park St., between the First Church and the West Springfield Senior Center.
