Keeping Phillipston’s History in Phillipston
In 1786 Phillipston (known as Gerry at the time) was incorporated as a town by merging the western section of Templeton with the eastern section of Athol making it easier for residents to attend church, a requirement at the time. When elderly Phillipston residents whose families had lived in town for several generations passed away, it was only natural for their families to look to either Athol or Templeton as a repository for items of historical interest. Phillipston did not have a historical society or any place to store and maintain such items.
In 1999 a small group of town residents met to remedy this situation, and in January 2000 they established the Historical Society of Phillipston, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The purpose of the Society is to cultivate and encourage an interest in the history of Phillipston and to establish and maintain a museum.