Cummington and the Hilltowns lost an important community resource this weekend when the 170 year old West Cummington Congregational Church burned to the ground.

Besides serving as a place of worship, the building had great acoustics and acted as a venue for many musical events. During the past few years the congregation invested a large amount of money and volunteer time to make the building handicap accessible.

The congregation plans to rebuild. In the meantime, services will continue to be held in the nearby Parish House.

Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 148, Cummington, MA 01026 or sent to West Cummington Congregational Church Rebuilding Fund, c/o Florence Savings Bank, 85 Main St, Florence MA 01062.

Visit the church website here to read about the fire or ways to help with the rebuilding effort.

Local news and rss feeds for East Longmeadow, MA

In July, 1946 a Flying Fortress B-17 bomber crashed into Mount Tom, killing all 25 passengers and crew returning home to Westfield Airforce Base.

The crash happened at about 10:20 at night. The impact was witnessed by many of the thousands of people attending events at the Mountain Park Amusement Area…

Mount Tom State Reservation – Holyoke and Easthampton – Great views, hawk watching, visitor center. 20 miles of walking and hiking trails.

The William Cullen Bryant Homestead – Cummington – Walking and hiking trails, birdwatching, picnic…