ORANGE — Up for some local history with a side of pancakes?
On Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., the Orange Historical Society will hold “Breakfast on the Porch” at 41 North Main St. Entry is $6.50.
According to organizer Maureen Riendeau, the breakfasts are held on the second Saturday each month through September, and are more than just a social event.
“These breakfasts, including all-you-can-eat pancakes, blueberry pancakes, waffles, quiche and more, are held each second Saturday through September, with proceeds going to maintain the society’s building, and to update and annotate the collection of artifacts reflecting the history of Orange,” Riendeau said.
Riendeau called the breakfasts the “chief fundraisers” for the Orange Historical Society. The breakfasts are accompanied by an ongoing raffle for fuel oil and wood pellets — to be drawn at the Thanksgiving Day football game. Postcards, hats, pins, blankets and T-shirts representative of Orange’s history will be for sale.
The Orange Historical Society is housed in a 20-room Victorian building that was bought in 1866 and expanded in 1868 by a local businessman, Stephen French. Since 1936, the building has held Orange historical memorabilia, and now displays items from the Civil War era to the present.
“The collection includes three Grout steam-powered automobiles, which were manufactured in Orange in the early 1900s,” Riendeau said. “The collection is managed by volunteers who are always looking for help.”
Riendeau said anyone is welcome to join the society, and membership dues help supplement the annual fundraisers. For more information, visit orangehistoricalsocietyma.org.
The Orange Historical Society building is open for the summer season, with tours on Sundays and Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. and by appointment.
Another fundraising event for the society will be a “Concert on the Porch” with the band Legacy on Sunday, July 21, at 2 p.m. The concert is free, but donations will be accepted. Refreshments will be provided.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.