The familiar 41 North Main St. edifice overlooking the town center has good reason to “stand tall” in 2025. The Orange Historical Society, established in 1895 by eight determined townsfolk, will celebrate its 130th anniversary this year.

Special anniversary plans in the works include a soiree featuring lively parlor amusements, popular when the Orange society was young. Rounds of charades may test community members’ recall of local trivia, such as legendary public bloopers and bygone businesses. A vintage Orange-themed Monopoly game, kept within the society’s collection, will also come out — as will the complimentary refreshments and hospitality for which Orange Historical Society events are known. Announcement of a date is forthcoming.

Today, the fine 1868-built 18-room manse with massive wraparound porch and three-story barn features a seemingly infinite collection of artifacts and archives. Managed by a stalwart group of mostly older volunteers, the establishment bustles with activity throughout its open season running from June through September. Guided tours on summer Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 p.m., porch concerts, participation in downtown-wide Third-Thursday Street Fairs, an evening “hear and tell” of “intriguing” local anecdotes and recollections, and other history-faithful yet sociable happenings grace the annual calendar.

While events welcome the wider community at no admission charge, freewill donations “in the hat” are always appreciated. The society is supported solely by private dollars and volunteer hands.

Its 13-decade rise to great age has not been entirely easy.

By age 40, the society had sustained hard knocks including early bouts with homelessness following loss of shelter inside Town Hall and, again, inside the Wheeler Memorial Library basement. A spate of member deaths later forced temporary closure until a 1924 recovery, credited to aid provided by the Mount Grace Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. However, a mere 12 years later, the ruinous flood of 1936 destroyed artifacts and hundreds of pages of Orange history, painstakingly penned by then-curator Grace Weymouth. Salvageable items were consequently moved into Weymouth’s home, which she then opened to the public on certain days.

Still, as the Great Depression wore on, hardship forced Weymouth to the brink of losing her home. At that, the Historical Society paid the roughly $4,000 balance of her mortgage and assumed ownership of the house — the very 41 North Main St. property it occupies today. That transfer of ownership was settled upon under the condition that Weymouth be allowed to reside in the museum until her death, which she did.

More recent challenges have included the “lost years” of COVID, including what should have been a thriving 125th anniversary year in 2020. Additionally, the last several years brought another wave of member deaths, while some other prolific volunteers moved away in retirement.

The current surviving old guard hopes that this 130th anniversary year will bring new members, including younger persons to help carry this faithful local institution to future milestone anniversaries. Membership costs $5 per year or $50 for a lifetime per individual, and $75 per household for lifetime membership. Persons interested in joining or otherwise inquiring may phone Orange Historical Society President Kathryn Schiappa at 978-544-6814. The Society’s fledging replacement website is found at orangehistoricalsocietyma.com.

Anyone wishing to kindly make an anniversary donation may consider doing so in an amount that uses the commemorative numbers 1-3-0, whether that be $130, $31, $13, $3.10, or any other variation, as organizers want affordability of participation to be inclusive. They plan to post anniversary donors’ names upon a framed “Roster of Appreciation” to be displayed indefinitely inside the Historical Society. Checks made out to the Orange Historical Society should be mailed to Treasurer Jeffrey G. Cole, c/o Witty’s Funeral Home, 158 South Main St., Orange MA, 01364.

Specifically, the local society’s “purpose” is to collect and preserve “all matters and things pertaining to the history of the Town of Orange, Massachusetts, or its citizens; the study of this material and education of members in historical and antiquarian subjects relating to the town; the collection of books, pamphlets, manuscripts, and objects referring to its history; the provision and maintenance of a proper building for the housing of the above,” reads an excerpt from the private corporation’s bylaws.

Ann Reed is a member of the Orange Historical Society Board of Directors.