HEATH — The Heath Agricultural Society is appealing to the public to help preserve the Heath Fairgrounds silo that society Co-President Elissa Viarengo described as “an iconic symbol of the agricultural history of this area.”
The silo, originally built on the farm of Ira Graves around the turn of the 20th century in Colrain, has called the Heath Fairgrounds home since 1996. The society was recently awarded a $25,000 Destination Development Capital Grant, a matching grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, to put toward preserving and reconstructing the silo, meaning another $25,000 must be raised by the society.
Viarengo said the fundraiser is closing in on its goal.
“This silo is incredibly treasured,” Viarengo explained. “We started our fundraising campaign back in December and it has been incredibly successful thus far. … We are about $2,000 shy of our goal.”
On Wednesday, April 29, the society will hold a fundraiser in Greenfield at The People’s Pint, located at 24 Federal St. The restaurant will host the fundraising dinner from 4 to 9 p.m., and will donate a portion of that evening’s profits to the silo preservation. The People’s Pint has its beer sold at the Heath Fair in the beer tent.
In addition, the Heath Agricultural Society is selling raffle tickets at $20 apiece for a STIHL MSA 60 battery-powered chainsaw, with 100 tickets being sold. Only a few tickets are remaining, and can purchased by emailing heathagsociety@gmail.com. The drawing will be held at The People’s Pint at 8 p.m. on April 29, though it’s not necessary to be present at the drawing to win the raffle. Silo greeting cards will also be for sale.
The fundraising dinner and raffle aren’t the only opportunities for those interested in preserving the Heath silo to lend a hand. People can visit heathfair.org and follow the donation link on the website’s homepage.
The society hopes to have the reconstruction done in May, and if all goes according to plan, to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 13, followed by a square dance.
Viarengo said the silo is “in desperate need of repair before it collapses.” The society has contracted Mac Hyney & Sons Construction, which specializes in silo restoration and reconstruction.
The silo was formerly owned by Ken and Grace Crowningshield, after purchasing the Heath farm from Charlie Stafford. Stafford had purchased the silo from Graves in 1946, bringing it from Colrain to Heath. Ken Crowningshield served as president of the Heath Agricultural Society from 1961 to 1979, while Grace served as secretary for 12 years, starting in 1965.
The silo was last used for its operational purpose in 1982, the same year as Ken’s death. Grace donated the silo to the Heath Fairgrounds in 1996, at which time it was deconstructed on the Crowningshield farm and later reconstructed at the fairgrounds.
Currently, the silo stands more as a historic landmark, according to Viarengo. For her, the rest of the Heath Agricultural Society and the Heath community, preserving the silo is intertwined with preserving the town’s history.
“[The silo] is what greets visitors during the Heath Fair, setting the tone for such a unique country fair experience, that draws people … from all across the United States,” Viarengo said. “The Heath Agricultural Society has been in operation for over 100 years and is entirely volunteer-run. … It’s important in keeping agricultural history alive and our agricultural roots remaining.”
