• About us
  • Background
  • Collections
  • Membership
  • Contact

The Belmont Historical Society is an all-volunteer organization entrusted with preserving the history of Belmont for future generations. In order to achieve this goal we rely on your active participation.

Directions The Belmont Historical Society is located in the Belmont Public Library at 336 Concord Avenue. The Society’s home and the location of its collections is the Claflin Room – go in the front entrance of the library, turn right at the cross-corridor, and you will see a sign for the Claflin Room. Volunteers from the Society are in the room on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm to assist the public with browsing or research.
Mission: Our mission is to promote greater understanding and appreciation of the history, residents, contributions, and structure of the town of Belmont, Massachusetts.
Founded: 1930
History of the Belmont Historical Society:

The Belmont Historical Society was formed in 1930 under the leadership of Jay Benton, a member of a prominent Belmont family. The Society became dormant in 1934 and was formally disbanded in 1954. In late 1964, a group of Belmont residents with deep roots in the community and a strong interest in preserving Belmont’s history and culture formed a committee to reestablish and revitalize the Society. The revived Belmont Historical Society was formally established on April 28, 1965 with John Weeks as its first president. By the end of that year, the Society had over 200 members. When the new Belmont Public Library was formally opened in October 1965, members of the Society welcomed visitors to the new Belmont Room (now the Claflin Room) that housed the Society’s collection of artifacts, memorabilia, pictures, and documents related to Belmont’s past.

The Belmont Historical Society is now in its 49th year of continuous operation. In the spring of 2012 the Society updated its mission statement to provide a concise description of its focus: “The mission of the Belmont Historical Society is to promote greater understanding and appreciation of the history, residents, contributions, and structure of the Town of Belmont, Massachusetts. The Society acquires, organizes, and preserves a collection of materials relevant to this mission. The Society makes its collection accessible to the public while protecting the materials that have been entrusted to it and preventing their improper or unauthorized use.”

The Society now has approximately 275 members, 20 percent of whom live outside of Belmont. We have a variety of activities each year that are open to the public, and we always welcome new members.

Collection overview:

The Belmont Historical Society maintains a diverse collection of items for the purposes of preservation, education, research and study, including:

  • Artifacts of wood, metal, glass and ceramic
  • Books
  • Newspapers, archives, and ephemera
  • Maps and atlases
  • Photographs, slides and negatives
  • Framed objects and art
  • Audio tapes and visual media
  • Clothing and textiles
  • Wellington Station

These items relate to both the ordinary and extraordinary lives of the people in this geographic location, later incorporated as the Town of Belmont in 1859, covering the time period from the original settlers in 1630 up to the current events of today.

Our storage and display space is limited, and there is an investment associated with maintaining the collection, specifically documenting, cataloguing, storing, preserving, protecting and providing accessibility for research and exhibition. Accordingly, the Belmont Historical Society only accepts materials, whether object or archival items, that pertain to the town of Belmont, Massachusetts. Materials must have been made or used by a Belmont resident, business or organization or must have some definable connection to the town of Belmont. In addition, items must meet the following criteria:

  • The item is historically significant
  • The item has an established provenance
  • The item can be adequately stored and cared for by the society
  • The item is in sound condition
  • The item does not duplicate existing holdings

Ownership of the item by the potential donor is not in question Unrestricted ownership and all rights to the item will be transferred to the society Within these guidelines, the society is always interested in receiving donations of materials that would add to our collection of information and memorabilia concerning Belmont. Please contact the society at BelmontHistory1859@gmail.com, (617) 993-2878, or P.O. Box 125, Belmont MA 02478.

Become a member:

Are you interested in learning more about the history of Belmont, Massachusetts? The Belmont Historical Society invites you to apply for membership in our organization by using our membership form.

Members will receive via mail:

  • Free quarterly newsletters from the Belmont Historical Society.
  • Invitations to events held by the Belmont Historical Society.

Some of the ways that your financial contribution as a member will help us promote the history of Belmont:

  • Helping us to preserve and expand our collection of historical items that are located in the Claflin Room of the Belmont Memorial Library, 336 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA. All are welcome to visit the Claflin Room during its hours of operation.
  • It will assist us in maintaining the Wellington Hill Station. Wellington Hill Station is an historic structure that the Society owns.
  • Helps us support our Camilla French Memorial Scholarship and our David R. Johnson Preservation Award.
  • Allows us to organize events and publish our quarterly newsletters that raise awareness about various aspects of local history.
Belmont Historical Society
336 Concord Avenue
Belmont, Mass. 02478
Website: http://www.belmonthistoricalsociety.org/
E-contact: BelmontHistory1859@gmail.com
Phone: 617-993-2878