The Western Massachusetts Historical Commission Coalition
The Western MA Historical Commission Coalition (WMHCC), organized in 2014, meets 2-3 times each year and offers opportunities for members of local historical commissions and other historic preservation advocates to network and explore current challenges and successes in the field. Meeting locations are rotated within western MA. The WMHCC Steering Committee includes representatives from the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Massachusetts Historical Commission, and Preservation Massachusetts.
2022 WMHCC Meetings
The WMHCC is continuing to meet and host presentations virtually.
For questions and more information, contact Stacia Caplanson at:
scaplanson@preservationmass.org.
Recent Events:
April 14, 2022
Massachusetts Cultural Districts
Learn more about what they are, how they may be structured, and how they can be a tool for historic preservation, economic development, and building local partnerships. Watch the videos for an overview on state-sponsored local cultural districts by the Massachusetts Cultural Council plus case studies of cultural districts in our region.
Watch the Video: Part 1 & Part 2
November 4, 2021
Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning for Small Towns
Jennifer Doherty, Local Government Programs Coordinator for the Massachusetts Historical Commission, will present an overview of Historic Preservation Planning, focusing on how identification is key, but tailored to best practices for smaller towns with budget and staffing challenges. Case studies from Chesterfield, Lenox and Leverett rounded out the presentation, recorded on Zoom. This meeting was hosted by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Individual presentations are in the WMHCC Presentation Archive. Watch the video.
March 18, 2021
An Introduction to MACRIS Maps
A great presentation about an amazing tool for local preservationists, commission members, advocates, etc. Many thanks to the Massachusetts Historical Commission for the informative walk through and helpful hints on how to use MACRIS Maps. This was a joint presentation between the Western and Central MA Historic Commissions Coalitions. Watch the video
WMHCC Presentation Archive
Click the folder icon below to view archived materials available on Dropbox. Each meeting folder features presentation topics, including windows, cemetery preservation, moving buildings and more.
All presentations are available with the presenter's permission. Please do not copy or distribute without contacting Preservation Massachusetts.