History Museum and the Allen Sisters Photography Art

Hay Cart - Photography by Allen, Frances and Mary (c. 1899)

One of the greatest treasures in Memorial Hall Museum and Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in Old Deerfield, Massachusetts is the vast collection of Allen sisters’ prints and glass plate negatives. Frances Allen and Mary Allen are renowned for idealized photographs of country scenes, figure and child studies, and landscapes dating from 1885-1920. This excerpt from their photography journal in 1894 is a bit of insight to their work:

We use the camera simply as a quick way of sketching, and regard all the technical part, which comes after the exposure is made, as a necessary evil…. In pictures, artistic excellence is usually entirely at variance with what is called a perfect photograph. The eye cannot focus itself on every object in its field of vision at the same time. If a photograph does this, the effect is hard and unnatural. But there must be method in this madness. A picture is not necessarily beautiful because it is blurred, and there’s need of all one’s technical skill, even after a good negative is made, in adapting the print to its peculiar individual qualities.

The Memorial Hall Museum is open seasonally (May 1 – November 1) from 11 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for youth and students aged 6 – 21. Only a few blocks away is the Deerfield Inn, a traditional country inn located in the center of this 350-year old landmark village. Right now they are running a special package to get a free third night at the Deerfield Inn! When you book a two-night weekend stay and extend your getaway into a Thursday or Sunday, that third night will be free! Also included is a twenty-five dollar credit towards food and beverage on your free room night. This offer is only for a limited time (June 18-July 25, August 14-September 6) so book soon and enjoy your stay in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

The Channing Blake Meadow Walk by the Deerfield Inn

As Spring rolls around the corner and the flowers begin to bloom, there’s no better time to view these spectacular views. The Channing Blake Meadow Walk will take you through the working farms then through the stunning meadows until the Deerfield River. This fully accessible path describes the local geology, natural history, and Native and European presence that once occupied Deerfield, Massachusetts. The path will open May 1st until December 1st. On your relaxing stay, be sure to accommodate your night at the traditional country inn, The Deerfield Inn. Located in the center of the 350-year-old National Historic Landmark village of Deerfield, you’ll find peace and serenity in any of their 24 guest rooms with their exceptional hospitality. You can reserve online or call 800-926-3865.

A Blast From the Past in Historic Deerfield, MA

Deerfield, Massachusetts

Often times, Deerfield, Massachusetts is referred to as New England’s gem. Deerfield is home to thirteen beautifully restored, historic homes built in the 18th century, as well as the Flynt Center of Early New England Life Museum and two memorial libraries.

The Flynt Center of Early New England Life is a great place to visit if you are interested in learning about 18th and 19th century New England, with its constantly rotating exhibitions and knowledgeable staff. Currently, the Flynt Center is showing the following exhibits:

“Clothes Make the Man: The Colonial Gentleman in New England.”
“Engraved Powder Horns from the French and Indian War and the American Revolution: The William H. Gutham Collection.”
“Celebrating the Fiber Arts: The Helen Geier Flynt Textile Gallery.”

Just this past weekend, the Flynt Center opened a new exhibit – “Into the Woods: Crafting Early American Furniture,” where visitors can learn about antique furniture.

Deerfield is also home to the jointly administered Henry N. Flynt Memorial Library and the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association Library with volumes totaling 41,000 combined. These volumes include not only books, periodicals and microforms, but also local account books, diaries and letters.

To top off a visit to Deerfield, be sure to relax at the Deerfield Inn. The Inn offers 23 guest rooms and an award winning dining room that serves both lunch and dinner.

What Is The Difference?

Many people often wonder the difference between bed and breakfasts, country inns, and historic inns. One kind of bed and breakfast, known as a homestay, is usually a private home with just a few rooms and offers a simple breakfast to its visitors. Homestays are often a part-time operation run as a means of extra family income.

Most bed and breakfasts, however, are professionally run and offer more rooms than homestays. The Camden Maine Stay has nine rooms, while the Cliffside Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, and Captain’s House Inn, in Chatham Massachusetts, have around sixteen. B&Bs are owner managed and operated, and usually employ additional staff to help with cooking, housekeeping, and guest services.

Country inns are bed & breakfast inns that offer dinner service as well as breakfast. Often, their dining rooms are open to the public like Gateway’s Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts, which is an ideal getaway for conferences and weddings. Country inns tend to have between five to thirty rooms and, like the Windam Hill Inn and Rabbit Hill Inn in Vermont, or the Chesterfield Inn in New Hampshire, can have a staff of 20-30 people to maintain the inn and care for their guests. Some inns go one step further by offering on-site spas like those found at New Hampshire’s Manor on Golden Pond and Inn at Thorn Hill.

Many inns and bed & breakfasts are also historic inns as they are located in historic areas or are themselves a National Historic Landmark like the Deerfield Inn located in Deerfield, Massachusetts. The Deerfield Inn opened in 1884, and is part of a 350 year old village that is home to an assortment of 18th and 19th century museum houses.

Whether you are looking to visit a quaint bed and breakfast, a renowned country inn, or an inn that is part of history, New England is your destination and the Distinctive Inns of New England offer it all.