Fitchburg Historical Society

Fitchburg Historical Society We give you the resources to find answers to your questions about Fitchburg history. @781 Main Street Francis, as wasthe old location on Grove Street.

With a tradition of excellence in education and historical research the Fitchburg Historical Society connects the city's citizens to its industrial, commercial and cultural history. Fitchburg has an illustrious history that includes some of America's first textile mills, the nation's second-oldest newspaper and important inventions that shaped the Industrial Revolution in America. The Historical S

ociety connects today's residents with this community legacy with a library, exhibitions and free programs in its downtown headquarters. The Fitchburg Historical Society is an independent, non-profit organization that functions as both a museum and an educational resource. Since December of 2012, the Society has operated from its new location on 781 Main Street.The new location, the Phoenix Building, is a historic building designed by Fitchburg architect H.M. The first floor, or basement, is an archive containing biography files, photographic files, manuscripts and other documents available for research. The second floor, at street level, is currently the primary exhibit hall, accessible from Main Street. Named for the Wallace family, this exhibit hall is home to display cases of Fitchburg memorabilia and changing exhibits. It also serves as the venue for public functions held at the society, many of which are free to attend. The third floor is the library and main office of the Society. Here, one can find directories of Fitchburg and surrounding towns, a local history section, and archival boxes. Besides being a free community resource, the society is also a great place to volunteer.

How to's for smaller history organizations....
06/01/2026

How to's for smaller history organizations....

Join Abby Battis of Historic Beverly, and Megan Seiler of Wistariahurst Museum for their session "Beyond the Door: Accessible Programming in Small Institutions" at the Mass History Conference.

This session examines how intentionally designed, accessible public programs can strengthen community relationships and broaden participation in local history.
The session also considers how small institutions can remain nimble and responsive, using their size to pilot new ideas, respond to community needs, and deepen connections.
Attendees will leave with adaptable frameworks and sample program formats they can apply across organizations of varying sizes and capacities.

Join this session at the 2026 MHA conference, "Revolutionizing History: Small but Mighty."

Conference registration is open now. Register today!
https://masshistoryalliance.org/2026-mass-history.../



Image from Historic Beverly's field trip program

A local (and international) Finnish tradition.
06/01/2026

A local (and international) Finnish tradition.

Tuesday nightLooking forward to appearing on "Barbara and You" (Fitchburg Access Television (FATV)) tonight! Photo credi...
05/26/2026

Tuesday night
Looking forward to appearing on "Barbara and You" (Fitchburg Access Television (FATV)) tonight! Photo credit: Claire Murchie, an exercise for a photography class.

05/22/2026

Join Melanie Botvin of The New Bedford Whaling Museum and Mia Michael of Wayne State University for two presentations in one session!

Botvin's presentation titled "Celebrating Community Revolution" will celebrate revolution for our immigrant communities, and discusses the Cape Verdean Contemporary Project. New Bedford and the SouthCoast area of New England are home to one of the largest and longest-standing Cape Verdean communities in the world and in 2025, celebrated the 50th anniversary of Cape Verdean independence from Portugal. To mark this milestone of revolution, the New Bedford Whaling Museum launched the Cape Verdean Contemporary Project.

Michael will discuss domestic work in our state during her presentation "Domestic Work with Dignity in Massachusetts: The Road to a Bill of Rights." Domestic workers perform essential, wide-ranging labor upon which America runs. Yet a fine line exists for this predominantly female workforce between being essential and expendable. In a time of spiraling economic inequality and political gridlock, join us to learn from their struggles and rethink how we characterize labor history.

Join this session at the 2026 MHA conference, "Revolutionizing History: Small but Mighty."

Conference registration is open now. Register today!
https://masshistoryalliance.org/2026-mass-history-alliance-registration/

Address

P. O. Box 953, 781 Main Street
Fitchburg, MA
01420

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

+19783451157

Website

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