Keep Homestead Museum

05/06/2026

We'd like to give a huge "Thank You!!" to four volunteers who came to the museum yesterday (Tuesday) and worked hard to help us maintain and improve several areas of the Keep.

Rachel, Nicole, Amanda and Pete (from Liberty Mutual's community volunteer program) were just wonderful. They swept, dug, raked, stomped on knot-weed and installed some decorative stones. They also had lunch with several of our volunteers and were fun to chat with.

Pete, Amanda, Nicole and Rachel: You have our sincere thanks and admiration for jumping in to make the communities your company serves better places.

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04/14/2026

Re: The Open House last Sunday (April 12) "Indian Baskets of the Northeastern Woodlands"

Comments here are from Vicky Prior, one of our volunteers. Thanks, Vicky.

Lorraine German's talk "Indian Baskets of the Northeastern Woodlands" was very informative. Drawing on her extensive research, experience as an antique dealer, and as a collector, Lorraine presented a wonderful program. We learned not only about basket-making materials, dyes, and techniques of the different tribes, but also how the tribes moved from place to place. Her talk was interspersed with personal stories about the extensive collection of baskets she brought to share with the audience, which was also a lot of fun.

03/28/2026

I was out this morning to distribute fliers for our upcoming program on Sunday, April 12 from 1:00 - 3:00. The program, "Indian Baskets of the Northeastern Woodlands" will be presented by Lorraine German of Mad River Antiques. It will start at 1:30 and Lorraine will discuss the development of basket making in our region, including stylistic differences.

I'd like to take a moment to thank our friends & neighbors on Main Street who help the museum by posting those fliers. They include Victoria & Company, The Better Bean, Mario's Clock Shop,
the Woodbine, Monson Italian Pizzeria and The Moonlit Forest.
- Tod

03/24/2026

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛! Dedicated to collecting, enjoying, and preserving beautiful buttons. Click the link to learn more!

The Monson Button Club is dedicated to collecting, enjoying, and preserving beautiful buttons.  We meet the second Wednesday—March through December—at 6:30pm at the Keep Homestead Museum in Monson. If you […]

11/21/2025

As our season winds down, we'd like to give one more "thank you" to the local businesses who have helped us by posting our monthly flyers. Elinor and I have the responsibility to distribute them on the east side of Main Street in Monson and a few other places. Funny, I know, but we share tasks. Y'know? Volunteers!

So, a BIG thanks to Victoria and Company, The Better Bean, Mario's Clock Shop, The Woodbine Country Store, Monson Pizza and the Moonlit Forest. Please support your local businesses as they support your local culture & institutions.

Also, thanks are due to the amazing gift shop at Baystate Wing Hospital, Apollo One Pizza in Palmer and WARE Oldies Radio & the indefatigable Bruce Marshall (Cruisin' with Bruce Marshall).
from Tod & Elinor

11/21/2025

We had a cool group of visitors to the museum on Wednesday! The Appetite for Art group which usually meets at the library (Monson Free Library and Reading Room Association) at noon on the third Wednesday of the month chose to have their November meeting here.

They came to discuss buttons as "functional art". We had several volunteers to talk about buttons and other functional art (wallpaper, quits, furniture and so forth. As most visitors do, they marveled at the variety and beauty of the collection.