Every community needs a place to gather, a place to meet neighbors, and a place that is truly accessible for all residents. For Sheffield and its surrounding area, that place is Dewey Hall.
Dewey Hall has served as a convening venue for the Sheffield population for generations, dating back to its construction in 1887. Named after prominent town resident and pastor Orville Dewey, the Hall’s original host was the Sheffield Friendly Union Library Association, which Dewey also co-founded. His goal was “to increase good and kindly feelings and promote intelligence and cheerfulness.”
Over a century later, Dewey Hall is still fostering those “good and kindly feelings” for Greater Sheffield residents, now with a diversity of offerings that reflect the community’s varied interests. Ongoing opportunities in the historic space include a children’s dance class, a Buddhist healing practice, freestyle movement exercises, music jams, contra dances, and the Hall’s own “Dewey Drop-In” series with a different theme each Wednesday of every month. The organization has also introduced annual events in recent years, such as the Sourdough Bread Contest, Ice Cream Social, Dahlia Festival, and Deck the Hall—an immersive holiday experience.
The building hasn’t always seen this level of activity. The current range of offerings is a testament to the efforts made by Dewey Hall’s staff and board in recent years. When manager Maggie McRae joined the team in 2019, she says the Hall wasn’t very accessible to the community, largely because there weren’t many events on the calendar. “I found it incredibly rewarding to start throwing ideas out into the space—watching people enjoy those events specifically or be inspired to use the Hall for their own events to gather people together,” McRae offered. “I think there is something enormously valuable about a space where the community can gather and have conversations.”
Sheffield resident and Dewey Hall board member Wenonah Webster echoed McRae’s sentiments. “I think our community is searching for that wholesomeness of a gathering space for activities where people can sit down and talk to each other,” she added.
In addition to the multitude of events already offered at the Hall, the venue is also available for the community to rent at affordable rates. “We have this extraordinary space and beautiful piece of architecture that is a blank canvas for whatever the community wants to take part in or use it for,” Webster said. She has even hosted her daughter’s birthday parties at Dewey Hall, which other parents may want to do, too.
In true community fashion, Dewey Hall is also an enthusiastic BerkShares business member, which means your contribution to them will be circulated to local businesses. You can pay in BerkShares when you attend a Dewey Drop-In session, rent the venue for a private event, or make a donation to the Hall to help keep the space open and accessible for the community.
So, head down to Dewey Hall for their next event and experience some of those good and kindly feelings—and don’t forget your BerkShares!
