We encourage you to ask your questions regarding Spencer’s history.
Click here to send your Spencer history questions or email: mbwood@gmail.com
Please do not submit specific house research questions here. They may be emailed to mbakerwood@gmail.com.
Local History
Contact Mary Baker-Wood (Spencer Historical Society)
Email mbakerwood@gmail.com for the fastest reply.
Phone: 508-885-7513 x 5 (Leave a message with your contact information. Messages are retrieved once a week.)
Look in the National Register of Historic Places Spencer Inventory Forms to research your house or buildings in Spencer. Note: Not all buildings in Spencer have been surveyed.
Directions to navigate the linked site:
At the MACRIS (MA Cultural Resource Information System) link (http://mhc-macris.net/)
- Place check mark in the box for “This is not a public or shared computer, remember my acknowledgement.”.
- Choose “acknowledge”
- Choose “revise by city/town” (near top left of page)
- Now you will see the information for Spencer.
Listen to a one-minute historical audio spot or read scripts, and then explore the story further by reading a background essay and clicking on a primary source document, links to follow, and places to visit. You can also use the historical timeline to see when a given “moment” occurred and a map to see where it happened. Visitors post comments or questions on the Discussion Board and have the option of being notified when someone responds.
State Library of MA Digital Photograph Collection
Predominantly consists of 26th Yankee Division soldiers who served in World War I.
Collection donated by the Boston Globe in 1935, represents over 8,500 soldiers from MA and other areas in the northeast. Collection contains over 11,000 images. Accompanying many of these photographs are “cut slips” produced by Boston Globe staff, which include biographical and military information, as well as newspaper clippings.
(Spencer Then and Now programs can be viewed on Spencer Cable Access (SCA) Channel 194, or on the SCA YouTube Channel).
Picturing Main Street July 25, 2024 program on Spencer Cable Access.
WWII
Celebrations
History of the Massasoit Hotel
Spencer Through Time Take Two
Spencer through Time
Presently the museum is located on the mezzanine of the Richard Sugden Library. The museum was inspired by Spencer historian Henry M. Tower.
After discussing the project with Elias Hall, Dr. Charles P. Barton, Joseph W. Temple and Nathan Hersey a meeting was held in the Town Hall in December of 1873. From this meeting a circular was sent out explaining the purpose of the museum and requesting donations. The response was favorable.
Items were displayed in the basement of the Town Hall, and later moved upstairs to a room on the second floor. The museum remained at Town Hall until the Richard Sugden Library was opened in 1889. It was then moved to the Reading Room of the Library, then to the basement during renovations in 1931, and finally to the mezzanine of the Library after extensive renovations in 1997. The Museum has been operated by the Spencer Historical Society, a private non-profit group, for over twenty years.
The Museum consists of two main collections: items donated to the Historical Museum, and items donated to the Library. The Historical Society has undertaken an ambitious project to create a digital catalog of all museum collections, which will provide control over our collections and storage areas, and allow us to produce modern exhibits, displays, brochures, and online catalogs. The Library provides professional cataloging and access for archival materials such as town histories, annual reports, and genealogical materials.
The Museum is an integral part of the Library, and benefits from this partnership by sharing a security system, fire protection system, and utility costs. The Historical Society is, therefore, able to concentrate its resources on museum development. Our current focus is on acquiring and displaying artifacts to tell compelling stories about Spencer history and its families and neighborhoods.
Closed until further notice.
This Just In
Navigating News: From Print to Pixels in Spencer (August 29, 2023)
Online Collections
NoveList Plus is a comprehensive source of popular and professional book information that includes expert recommendations, reviews, articles, lists and more. Includes reading recommendations to help readers of all ages find just the right book.
Resource provided by CW MARS Libraries. This resource requires a library card to use it.
MA Online Databases
General information, Fine Arts, Languages, Encyclopedias, Science, Boston Globe…Lots of information for people of all ages.
Find historical documents, photo sets, and artwork ready to be browsed for research and inspiration.
Boston Public Library (BPL) eCard
The Boston Public Library eCard (sign up for online) provides access to all of BPLs online resources, including genealogy databases and Hoopla (e-audiobooks, e-books, comics, music, film/TV), and lots more. All residents of Massachusetts can use the Boston Public Library’s electronic resources. Sign up for a BPL eCard to get started.
MassLegalHelp.org
a comprehensive legal self-help resource that helps Massachusetts residents learn about their legal rights. MassLegalHelp.org is a legal information website that is a collaborative effort of the Massachusetts civil legal aid community
MassLegalHelp has information for Massachusetts residents who are facing legal issues such as…
- their landlord is refusing to make repairs or is evicting them.
- they were denied SNAP benefits and want to know how to appeal.
- they need to get a domestic violence restraining order.
- they want to know their rights if ICE detains them.
- they have questions about getting their CORI sealed.
These are just a few of many examples! Explore more at MassLegalHelp.org.
MA Trial Court Libraries
They have an extensive knowledge of state or federal law. They help with Legal Questions: Legal Reference Interviews, Referrals…
Every Tuesday and Thursday from 1PM to 2PM, patrons from anywhere in Massachusetts can Zoom one-on-one with a law librarian for legal information about whatever legal situation they may be experiencing – we just can’t give legal advice! Like our other reference services, we are happy to share law and case law, court forms and rules, information about court processes if available, and more!
For more information about the Zoom program, please see here:
https://www.mass.gov/ask-a-law-librarian
Research & articles
Read the Boston Globe, popular magazines, and peer-reviewed research articles hot off the press, instantly available for free. Find link here.
Federal, State, & Town Information
Massachusetts Municipal Guide
Find listings of towns in MA, their contact information, websites, and population.
Spencer Maps & Property Development Resources
This page provides references and other property development resources for public use and convenience for determining relevant land use factors for residential, commercial, and other property development projects.
US Census Bureau American FactFinder
Find information on population, business and industry, education, etc. in towns and states in the United States.