Springfield Art & Historical Society
EST. 1956
Serve & Donate - Want to help?
We have lots of options:
Serve
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Officers: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary & Correspondence Secretary
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Board Member
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Committee Members
We currently have an opening on our board of directors for a new member (or two). We particularly need a secretary to take minutes at the monthly meetings. We also need a "finance assistant" to learn the ropes of the Treasurer. This position is volunteer but the person doesn't have to be a board member so hours are few - and flexible. Contact President Bunni Putnam if interested. 886-8430 or email sahs@vermontel.net
We also need people to help staff the Saturday openings 1:00 - 4:00 pm. If you are interested in receiving training to do this, contact us. You wouldn't be alone but would serve with another member. It's a chance to learn more about the museum and the exhibits. You don't have to know the history, just be welcoming and show people the museum. We are working on signs on all exhibits to help with the history.
There are many, many opportunities to volunteer and strengthen the Society. Some is work to do at SAHS, other is work you can take home to do. Let us know if you are interested. For much of it, you don't have to know extensive history of Springfield.
AND we do need people who have lived here a long time and know some history. Help!!
Members have taken on more work - thank you to:
Paul Petraska - He has taken on the Bryant Photograph Collection. There are literally 100s of photos and, again, Paul is trying to identify the people in the pictures while there are still people available to help out. If you think you can help, stop by on a Saturday. If Paul is there he will appreciate your help.
John Hunter has taken on the task of sorting the glass slides of J&L that were donated by Bill Lashua. The photos were taken by his dad, Bernie. And now he is refinishing the "Pie Rack" that came out of the Bakery Building. Thank you, John!
Marc Kimball, David Byam, Carol Hansen and Hugh Putnam are working diligently on cataloging our extensive collection of artifacts and putting them away in archival bags and boxes. There are thousands of items and more new ones arrive all the time.
William and John Lashua donated their father’s collection of negatives to the Springfield Art & Historical Society. Bernie Lashua was a professional photographer and town police officer and photographer. This collection of negatives, from the late 1940s to 1980s, includes social and business gatherings, school, weddings, and passport pictures, Springfield Reporter pictures, and general Springfield photographs. Although it is impossible to tell at this point, it is estimated that there are over 20,000 negatives. Fortunately the negative sleeves are labeled and they are sorted by year. The Society is pleased to add this comprehensive collection to their archives but there is a lot of work to be done to preserve them for the future. The Springfield Art & Historical Society thanks the Lashuas for their valuable donation of Springfield’s history. The photos have been used for the past (and current) calendars and are a big hit.
Carol Hansen, new board member and volunteer has worked diligently to sort, scan and organize the Lashua negatives. Thank you, Carol, for the many hours of work!
Think of us when you shop on Amazon.com
An easy way to support SAHS:
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the Springfield Art and Historical Society (SAHS) every time you shop at Amazon.com, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to SAHS.
How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select a charitable organization (SAHS, we hope) to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping.
How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges.
If you'd like to donate to support the good work of SAHS, you can send a check to the address below. At this time, we cannot accept credit cards. Thanks!
Donate Money:
We have been very fortunate over the years to have received many generous donations from the community. Monetary donations are tax-deductible and we will provide you with a receipt. If you have items you would like to donate to our collection, or donate funds to support our programs, please contact our President, Rosanne Bunni Putnam at sahs@vermontel.net. .or simply mail your check to:
2021-2022 Annual Fund
Springfield Art & Historical Society
PO Box 336
North Springfield, VT 05150
Thank you for your support!
Then
And now
What Have We Been Doing?
Walter Martone and Bunni and Hugh Putnam toured the Brown/Bakery Building, just before it was torn down. Hugh took several pictures and the Society was interested in retrieving any artifacts that were there. Unfortunately the building was pretty cleaned out. However, from the Flying Saucer Café (formerly the Springfield Lunch), the little restaurant on the left side of building that hangs over the brook, we were able to save the banner, a lighted table ornament, a pastry keeper and a large, green blowup ET who will be our mascot for the sale but it is not for sale.
The pastry keeper has a stained glass motif and appears to be from the time that it was the Springfield Lunch which opened in 1934. If anyone can confirm that, we would appreciate it. The keeper measures 3’w x 4’t x 16”d and we have the glass doors and shelf and hardware and it is heavy.
As you can see the case needed a lot of work. It had several coats of white paint inside and out (some of it just peels off.) We wanted to bring back the original wood finish and use it as a display case. We are extremely pleased that John Hunter offered to work on this project and has done a wonderful job. Stop in and see the finished product. Thank you, John!