Chartered in 1797 by the Massachusetts legislature, Deerfield Academy opened its doors in Deerfield, Massachusetts, in a new brand-new brick building designed by Asher Benjamin (1753-1845), the first American-born and trained architect. The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA) purchased the building in 1877 when the Academy moved to new quarters on town’s main street. The Association renovated the former Academy building and opened Memorial Hall Museum in 1880. Formed to collect, preserve, and memorialize the history of Deerfield and surrounding towns, the Association chose the name “Pocumtuck” to recognize the people and their ancestors whose homeland later became Deerfield. Historian George Sheldon (1818-1916) was named PVMA’s president, a post he held to his death. The PVMA was among the first historic preservation societies in the country. A fireproof wing was added in 1916, shortly after George Sheldon’s death.