Longmeadow Historical Society

06/06/2026

In case you missed last week's article in The Reminder on the recent Witness Stones Ceremony... We love this community collaboration and look forward to more in the future!

LONGMEADOW — The Longmeadow community has memorialized the lives of two people who spent parts of the 1700s enslaved in the town with brass plaques, becoming the fifth and sixth people to be remembered and honored so far in Longmeadow by the Witness Stones Project.

06/01/2026

Then and now, the Beth Israel Synagogue. Jews in numbers began to settle in Western Massachusetts after the Civil War. By 1905 there were over 400 Jewish families numbering about 2500 individuals in Springfield making up approximately 3% of the population. Congregation Beth Israel was incorporated in 1892 and built the area’s first synagogue on Gray’s Avenue in Springfield’s North End in 1895. The Orthodox congregation outgrew this synagogue and moved to a larger synagogue in 1923 on Chestnut Street. The Jewish population in Springfield shifted and eventually declined and it was elected to erect a new synagogue in Longmeadow on Williams Street This was dedicated on June 29, 1975. During urban renewal in the 1960s the old neighborhood and location of the original synagogue on Gray’s Avenue was razed. The synagogue on Chestnut Street became the home of the Spanish Christian Church. In 2008 the Conservative congregations of Beth El and B’nai Jacob merged. In 2009 the Orthodox congregations of Beth Israel, Kesser Israel and Kodimah merged becoming Congregation B’nai Torah housed in the old B’nai Jacob Synagogue on Eunice Drive, Longmeadow. The Beth Israel Synagogue on Williams Street was sold in September 2014. The building has since been demolished and the 5 acre site remains available for development.

05/28/2026

***Today's History Note reflects on last week's moving Witness Stones Installation Ceremony and shares the stories of the two men who were memorialized, James and Zickery***

Last week, on May 21, 2026, Williams Middle School 7th Graders gathered at the First Church on the green in Longmeadow for the 3rd Annual Witness Stones Installation Ceremony. Last year, The Witness Stones Project merged with Historic New England to broaden its ability to bring its unique curriculum into school classrooms and provide students first hand experience with the primary source documents that help illuminate the true story of 18th century slavery in their hometown. The mission of the Witness Stones Project is to honor the memory of and restore humanity to the enslaved people who helped to build our communities. In Longmeadow, the project is a collaborative effort between the Longmeadow Public Schools, the Longmeadow Historical Society, and the First Church of Christ UCC.

This year, the students researched to lives of two men, one named James and one named Zickery Prince. James was enslaved by Reverend Stephen Williams in 1719 before disappearing from available records, and Zickery was enslaved by first Nathaniel Bliss and then the Field brothers after he died before presumably being sold to a related family in Simsbury, CT. Zickery’s life can be traced in records from the 1730’s until his death as a Continental Army soldier in a Fishkill, NY military hospital in 1779.

Below are brief biographies for each man and some photos from last week’s ceremony.

James:

James was a man enslaved by Reverend Stephen Williams in Longmeadow in 1719. Little is known about James beyond the three times he was mentioned in Williams’ diary and a household account record that included the price of £10 that Williams had paid to purchase him.

In 1719, Reverend Williams was just 25 years old and newly married to Abigail Davenport. Just months before he purchased James, Williams had sold a boy he enslaved named Nicholas (Witness Stone 2025). Five months after selling Nicholas, Williams recorded in his diary, “This day I bought me a Servant Man - some of my neighbours think it may be for the better, others think not. I pray to help me do my Duty towards him." In the next couple of months, Williams wrote about James two more times and complained about his behavior, once for “being out of frame” and once for “being out last night unseasonably” After this, James disappeared from the record. It is unknown what became of him.

Zickery Prince:

Zickery Prince was a man enslaved in Longmeadow in the 1730’s and 1740’s. Tracing Zickery through Longmeadow and beyond was a journey through varied spellings and misspellings, various wills, probates, and military records. Within a ten year period, Zickery would pass from Nathaniel Bliss to Joshua Field, from Joshua Field to his brother Thomas Field, and then from Thomas Field to his son Moses Field, all of Longmeadow.

Sometime after 1747, Zickery was sent from Longmeadow to the household of a family in Simsbury, CT. Over the course of his life, Zickery Prince was enslaved in at least seven different households.

Zickery Prince was likely just a child performing household work for an elderly Longmeadow man named Nathaniel Bliss. Bliss’ 1737 will was the first evidence of Zickery’s presence in the community. In his probate, Zickery was valued at £110. Over the next forty years, Zickery is listed as property in the households of Joshua Field, Thomas Field, Moses Field, Joseph Phelps, Joseph Phelps, Jr, and Abel Forward. Sometime during his life in Simsbury, Zickery married a woman, also enslaved, named Citty.

Like several other enslaved people in Longmeadow, Zickery grew to become a devoted Christian and member of the church. Ultimately, Zickery was listed among the congregation of the church in the Turkey Hills section of Simsbury as well.

In 1777, Zickery - who now bore the last name “Prince” - enlisted in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. His enslaver, Abel Forward, promised Zickery his freedom in exchange for taking the place of his son. Zickery Prince was likely in his mid-fifties at the time, an advanced age for a soldier. In the winter of 1779, Zickery died in a hospital at the camp at the Fishkill (NY) Supply Depot. A Continental Army payroll listed Zickery Prince’s salary as, “Received his freedom."

-Contributed by Melissa M. Cybulski, Longmeadow Historical Society

05/27/2026

Richard Salter Storrs Library


LHS Presents: New England Militia in the Early Republic In-Person
In our nation’s first 50 years, the citizen militia was the primary means of defending the nation and its laws. Twice a year, almost every white man from 18 to 45 was required to attend training days to practice musket drills and marching maneuvers. Martial music played a major role in these training days to both convey commands, help keep the troops in step, and entertain both the militia and civilian onlookers. Tonight, we will delve into the roots of the militia in New England, the composition and training of the militia, and the martial music of the era.

This program helps Longmeadow Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution.

This program sponsored by the Longmeadow Historical Society.

Please Register in Advance at Storrs Library website

05/25/2026

One of the first airports in the Springfield area was Dunn Field located in Longmeadow. It opened in 1927. Much activity occurred there including a very well attended aerial pageant in September 1927. Hopes to build Springfield’s airport there were dashed and the airport was abandoned by 1936. Read more -https://bit.ly/42GVxrN

05/18/2026

Then and now. This house on Fairfield Terrace is reputed to be the oldest home in Longmeadow built in 1695. It may have been built in the Meadows and transported up the hill in approximately 1700. It then stood just off Longmeadow Street on what would become Bliss Road. It belonged initially to the Cooley Family. This eventually was the home of Captain Nathaniel and Lucy Cooley Chapman. Nathaniel’s son John did live in the home for a while before leaving at 16-18 years of age to travel through Pennsylvania and Ohio creating the legend of Johnny Appleseed. The house was subsequently sold to the Bliss Family. The home was sold to Patrick Davis (1833-1915) and his wife Bridget (1828-1913) in 1874 for $1350. Both were born in Ireland and emigrated from England arriving in Longmeadow in 1855. During the Civil War Patrick served as a private in the 46th Massachusetts Volunteers (September 1862-July 1863). He worked as a farmer laborer, farmer and railroad laborer. See related story-https://bit.ly/47Gu8Jm. Rollo W. Graves (1863-1953) purchased the home in 1913 for $8500 and moved it onto Fairfield Terrace in 1917 and built a new home on Bliss Road. Mr Graves was an electro therapist / medical electrician and owner of Graves Garage 469 Longmeadow Street.

05/17/2026

05/17/2026

A big thank you to everyone who volunteered their time for our Tales from the Cemetery yesterday, and for everyone who attended! The weather was fantastic, our "spirits" were wonderful and we appreciate every one of you!

05/16/2026

The Storrs House Museum will NOT be open today for our usual open house because we are having our TALES FROM THE CEMETERY event today! Tickets are still available on our website!