Welcome
The Acton~Shapleigh Historical Society was organized in 1964, with Russell Day as our first president with 64 charter members. At first, the meetings were held in our respective Town Halls and members' homes. In 1965, the town of Shapleigh deeded to the Society, the former Mousam Lake Schoolhouse at Emery Mills, with the stipulation that it would revert back to the town if the Society was ever disbanded. As this building was a One Room Schoolhouse built in 1931, it had many inconvenient features, but, at last, we had a permanent home and meeting place.
In 1967 we had our first "Americana Fair" and since have held many Bake Sales, Craft Fairs, Quilt Raffles, etc. to raise money to pay for necessary improvements. Through the years, other improvements were made including combination windows, gas furnace, kitchen appliances, indoor plumbing, roof shingles, exterior signs & lighting, and a museum room to hold our ever-growing artifacts to name but a few. Funding for all project have come from our generous members as well as from our own fund-raising efforts. Through it all we have tried to keep the "old schoolhouse look" preserved as much as possible.
The above was originally written in 1981 and still holds true today. As with any privately funded organization, we have had our share of difficult challenges to overcome and have always prided ourselves with the ability to rise to the occasion. In just the past few years, we have replaced a portion of the roof, replaced the old gas furnace with a monitor heater, renovated the entryway and updated the bathroom.