Full disclosure. I am an avid admirer of the passionate, energetic, highly skilled work Betty Sharpe and Laurie Sanders have been doing — along with the robust board of directors, a small but mighty staff, and many devoted interns and volunteers — to revitalize Historic Northampton.
I am newly astonished and excited by the most recent results of that hard work — the renovated museum space and exhibit, “Making It on Main Street,” which just opened to the public. As the excellent commemorative section in the Gazette conveys, the result is a world-class, vibrant, highly engaging and informative look at Northampton’s downtown history over the past 400 years, including remarkable contributions by local furniture makers, model train enthusiasts, fabric dyers/weavers, sewers, artists and more.
I encourage a visit. Plan to spend some time if you can. I predict you will emerge with a heightened appreciation for and understanding of the many “makers of Main Street,” and the fabric of our city itself, as well as the role we all play in making history, every day.
Many thanks to Ms. Sanders, Ms. Sharpe and all for making this happen on Main Street! We are all the richer for it.
Ellen Putnam
Northampton