Events

There is a Jewish tradition of studying a single page of the Talmud every day until its completion. This tradition is called Daf Yomi (Hebrew for “page of the day”). Because the Talmud is a multi-volume work of ancient law, narrative, and commentary, a full cycle of Daf Yomi takes about seven and a half years to complete. Jews …

Enjoy a free guided hike around the grounds of Arrowhead with Berkshire Natural Resources Council. The hike begins with an introduction to Arrowhead and its grounds by the Berkshire County Historical Society. Learn about Melville’s sleighrides, and see how Mt. Greylock looks in the winter – does it really look like a white whale? BNRC …

The Berkshire County Historical Society welcomes Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure for a virtual presentation introducing the genealogical research process and the tools and techniques that support the research. Participants will learn how to create a solid research plan. The first part of the lecture introduces key genealogical tools such as the multi-generational chart, family group sheet, …

Join us and our friends at Hot Plate Brewing Co. (1 School Street, Pittsfield, MA) for a special marathon reading of Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, Sailor. The event is the official kickoff of a months-long celebration of the centennial of the novella's publication.  To mark the occasion, Sarah Real, Hot Plate owner and head brewer, …

In 2020 scholars Robert K. Wallace and Samuel Otter set out to create a website that would allow viewers to see all the prints Herman Melville is known to have collected, to appreciate the passion with which he acquired them, and to recognize the illumination they bring to his life, his writing, and his living …

Berkshire County Historical Society Melville Fellows and Berkshire Community College (BCC) Honors Scholar Program students  Rowan Boyer, Mwila Malama and Clarise Seguin  have been busy creating original writings and art while spending time at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead, the location where Melville wrote “Moby-Dick,” working with Writer-in-Residence Emeritus Jana Laiz.  On May 8 they will present …

Old houses share their secrets only if they survive. Join author Lee McColgan for a free lecture and book signing during which he will share his renovation tales of the Loring House as detailed in his new book, A House Restored.  Trading the corporate ladder for a stepladder, Lee McColgan commits to preserving the ramshackle …

We can’t know how Herman Melville sounded or hear his characters’ voices…or can we? In linguistics, the study of language, we can study how English has changed since Melville’s time and why languages are always changing. Join us as we welcome linguist Wren Wood to Arrowhead for a lecture demonstrating how we can hear Melville’s …

Birds are miraculous!  Especially in Spring when they dazzle us with bright, nuptial colors and serenade us with a profusion of happy song.  Join us for a  bird walk led by Ben Nickley, Director of Berkshire Bird Observatory.  Ben will help us find and identify many newly arrived migratory birds as we explore the historic …

SOLD OUT! The Berkshire County Historical Society presents Sailing Towards My Father, a one-man play about Herman Melville performed by Stephen Collins and written and directed by Carl A. Rossi. The play chronicles Melville’s life from youth to old age, concentrating on his evolution as a writer and his complex relationship with God; his parents …