Greetings, and thanks for visiting our web site! Over the past year (2025), we have been updating and making corrections to these pages. We admit there was a lot that needed to be done! And there’s still a lot more we want to do with this site. So, come back and check from time to time!
Be sure to click on the links to our newsletters to see what we’ve been up to. And then go to the Donate page if you feel inspired!
The Stow Historical Society 2026 Annual Meeting
Sunday, October 25, 2026; 3:00 – 5:00 pm
at Stow Town Hall
AGENDA
- Opening Remarks and Introductions
- Business Meeting
- Treasurer’s Annual Report
- Election of Executive Board Members and Officers
- Highlights of SHS Activities over the past year, and Preview of upcoming programs
- Presentations
- The Concord, Maynard, & Hudson Street Railway through Stow – Kathy Sferra
- The Gleasondale Fire Department, and Stow Fire Dept Origins – Bruce Fletcher
- Guest Speaker: Lauren McCormack of Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area
- Items/Artifacts/Acquisitions/Donations received over the past year
- Closing Remarks
Light Refreshments will be served
The Stow Historical Society Book Store will be Open!
This event is open to the public, and admission is free.
Stow History at Your Fingertips
A Campaign to Preserve Stow’s Past for Its Future
The Stow Historical Society is launching a $25,000 fundraising campaign to create Stow History at Your Fingertips, a new online collection that will make Stow’s historical records accessible to everyone — students, families, researchers, and history lovers.
Why This Matters
Stow’s history is rich, unique, and deeply rooted in the stories of its people. The Stow Historical Society’s mission is “to promote the preservation, appreciation, and study of Stow’s rich history, fostering community engagement and ensuring that our heritage is not forgotten.” This project brings that mission to life by digitizing documents, photographs, maps, and artifacts so they can be explored from anywhere.
What Your Gift Supports
- Leasing an office so that we can consolidate our collection and organize it for public use
- Digitizing fragile historical documents and photographs
- Creating a searchable online archive
- Expanding access for schools, libraries, and the community
Our Goal: $25,000
Your contribution helps ensure that Stow’s stories — from early settlement to local industry, community traditions, and everyday life — are preserved and shared.
Every dollar makes a difference.
Support the project by making a tax-deductible donation via our Donate page.
Together, We Can Preserve Stow’s Story
Help us bring Stow’s history to the world — one digitized record at a time.
Join us in creating Stow History at Your Fingertips.
For more information, contact us at historystow@gmail.com.
Awareness, Education, Preservation
Since 1961, the Stow Historical Society has worked to share and preserve Stow’s history through publications, programs and other activities for all who care about this historic New England farming community. As a private, nonprofit organization, the Society maintains a small collection of artifacts related to Stow history, and presents programs and events to educate and raise awareness of our town’s distinguished past.
“White Papers,” Programs and Events
Following its founding in 1961, the Society emphasized development of research papers about Stow. In monthly meetings Society members presented “white papers” on topics ranging from the backgrounds of historic building like Whitman’s Tavern (now a residence at Honey Pot Hill Orchard) to memoirs about living and growing up in Stow to the devastating effects of the Hurricane of 1938.
Over the years, the society has helped in the planning of the Stow West School restoration and the formation of the Stow Minuteman Company. It has focused on special events including art shows, farm shows, dedications, tours and, of course, Springfest, the town-wide celebration of the incorporation of Stow in 1683.
Stow History Books
The Society also supports publication of books about Stow history. There are several published histories of Stow, four published by the society. Look here for our books. Also see the Sources page for more.
Online History
A much more succinct History of Stow was created by the Society for the Town of Stow website, and is available here.
Current Programs
Following the passing of long-serving President Marilyn Zavorsky, the Society has re-organized under a new Executive Board at the beginning of 2025. The new Board hopes to re-establish regular on-going programs in the near future. Several special events were held during 2025, and there are more to come.
Please see our Facebook page and Stow TV on YouTube to see videos of the many events we have held.
A Time Capsule
To mark the Society’s 50th anniversary in 2011, the Society sealed the Stow Time Capsule, to be opened on its 100th anniversary in 2061. contents include “letters to the future” and artifacts as diverse as newspapers, photographs of 2011 Stow, books, brochures, Stow restaurant menus, golf course scorecards and labels from the town’s famed apple orchards.
