Historic Deerfield Summer Fellowship Program

Opportunity Description:


Historic Deerfield, Inc. invites college juniors and seniors to apply for its nine-week, tuition-free Summer Fellowship Program in History and Material Culture. Located in the scenic Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, Historic Deerfield is the perfect place to explore New England and regional history, material culture and museum studies.

Summer Fellows will:

  • Live in the historic village of Deerfield
  • Explore history and material culture studies in hands-on classroom seminars, walking tours and room studies with Historic Deerfield staff and visiting lecturers
  • Learn to guide and interpret in Historic Deerfield's furnished museum houses
  • Conduct original research on New England history and material culture using museum and library collections
  • Go on behind-the-scenes visits to historic sites in New England and take a week-long road trip to museums in the mid-Atlantic and Virginia
  • Pay no tuition or program fees.

The program generally runs from early June to August. 

Minimum Qualifications and/or Eligibility Requirements: 

Historic Deerfield welcomes applications from college juniors and seniors.

Application Process: 

Please complete the application form here. All application materials must be received or postmarked by the application deadline. Successful applicants will be notified in March.

This form must be supported by:

  • An official transcript from all colleges that you have attended, mailed directly to the contact address listed at the end of this form.
  • A brief essay (2-3 pages - 700-1000 words) discussing why you want to participate in the program and how your academic experiences (particularly any relevant research projects), and employment (including internships, volunteer and/or paid work) have prepared you for this program. Please make sure you put a hard return space in-between paragraphs when pasting your essay into the form field in the application.
  • A non-refundable application fee of $15.00, payable online. If you wish to pay by check, payment should be mailed to the contact address listed at the end of this form. Please make check payable to: Historic Deerfield, Inc.
  • At least two letters of recommendation from college faculty members who are familiar with your academic qualifications, classroom performance, and career interests. References should e-mail/mail letters to the contact address listed at the end of this form.

Address all mailed materials to: Barbara A. Mathews, Director, Summer Fellowship Program, Historic Deerfield, Inc., PO Box 321, 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MA 01342. E-mail: bmathews@historic-deerfield.org

Application deadline is early February. 

For more information on this opportunity, please contact: