Historic home in Hadley tells the tale of slavery, redemption
5/24/2022
by Staasi Heropulos, The Reminder
HADLEY – When Moses and Elizabeth Pitkin Porter built their home in 1752, they probably didn’t think they were creating a museum that would capture the history of their family and slavery.
Shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic, the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum is once again open to the public. The inside of the home represents lives frozen in time – six generations of family members who began their journey here as slaveholders. The first and second generations ran a dairy farm and made cheese that was famous and shipped all over the world.
The third generation earned its wealth through international trade including commodities that were based on slave labor. But it wasn’t long before the family became actively involved in progressive causes, joining the growing anti-slavery movement.
The evolution of the family reflects changing mores and attitudes in the country. The museum tells the story of one family’s journey from the 18th to 21st centuries.
“We are now including the stories of the indigenous people whose land was taken to build the house. They were also enslaved and worked here. There were also indentured servants including young boys and black laborers who worked at the farmstead. Those are the stories we are integrating as we look at the past,” said museum Executive Director Susan Lisk.
Lisk said the house is a unique historical resource in Hadley, with its significance extending past the well-preserved eighteenth-century architecture of the home. What is also noteworthy is the home was built and lived in by six generations of the same family.
While the museum was closed during the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic, there was a lot of activity inside the building. The facility received several grants it used to research new parts of the family history and make improvements to the museum.
“We’re excited to be able to reopen especially with all the grants and projects and research that have been going on while we were closed. There’s lots new to tell,” said Lisk.
The museum is open for guided tours only June 1 to Oct. 15, Saturday through Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. The museum is closed on Thursdays and Fridays.