2021 - The Quest - Peacham Historical Association

PHA 100th Anniversary Book

Preserving Peacham’s Past: 100 Years of Collecting by the Peacham Historical Association, a full color book featuring the 100 most remarkable pre-1921 objects in our collection.

The Vermont Historical Society League of Historical Societies and Museums (LLHSM) has selected the Peacham Historical Association (PHA) publication Preserving Peacham’s Past: 100 Years of Collecting by the Peacham Historical Association as a 2021 Award of Excellence winner.

Preserving Peacham's Past - a new publication from Peacham Historical Association

Published in 2021, Preserving Peacham’s Past commemorates PHA’s centennial by showcasing 100 objects from PHA’s extensive collections. Each featured object is briefly described and accompanied by a color image. The objects include a red box containing the correspondence of the earliest members of the Congregational Church in their roles as arbiters of town disputes and two carpet bags, one of which was carried in the Civil War by the town doctor and an issue of Caledonia County’s first newspaper. Primary authors Johanna Branson, Susan Chandler, and Jutta R. Scott. Jock Gill was the photographer and Jane Alper the editor. Joanna Bodenweber, a prominent local designer, created the design for the book.

The book is available for purchase at Peacham Library, Peacham Corner Guild and on our shop page.

A Sampling of Objects from the PHA Collection

Our 100th Anniversary Party!

The Quest – “The Stories We Tell: Freedom and Equity in Peacham”

Peacham Library and the Peacham Historical Association once again partnered to create another unique activity, a scavenger hunt-style quest that could completed on foot or by car. Each quest stop explored the history of sites in Peacham Village, offering historical insights into how race and racism were addressed in Peacham, as well as in the larger context of Vermont.

The quest began at Peacham Library (656 Bayley Hazen Road, Peacham, Vermont 05862) and included 14 stops throughout the greater Peacham Corner area. Questers were advised to follow the Quest in the order of sites listed, but could also visit the sites at any time, in any order, gathering clues to solve a puzzle. Once questers visited all sites, they submitted their response to the Peacham Library to collect a prize at the Peacham Cafe.

The Peacham Library and the Peacham Historical Association were inspired by the national racial reckoning of 2020 to share this very relevant history. “Peacham villagers have engaged with the concept of race in many ways over the past. Sometimes they were courageous beyond description, and sometimes they fell far short.” says Johanna Branson, member of the boards of the Peacham Historical Association and the Peacham Library. “We used the quieter time during the pandemic to do research, and have much new, fascinating information to share.”

“Too often, explorations of race in majority white communities like Peacham gloss over the very real damage and harm caused by racism. It’s important to explore these activities both in a historical context, as well as to consider the contemporary implications.” says Gillian Sewake, President of the Peacham Library board.