Historical Society of Watertown

2010-11-06T15:08:00.000-04:00

November Public Meeting – a Slideshow Lecture entitled

“Watertown: Then and Now”

7:00 PM
Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Watertown Free Public Library
Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room
123 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472

If you enjoy the "Then & Now" photo series in the Watertown TAB, or just want to know more about it, test your skill at the third "Watertown Then & Now" slide show and quiz at the November meeting of the Historical Society of Watertown.

See familiar scenes as they used to be. How well do you know your town?

The presentation will be given by David Russo, Recording Secretary of the Historical Society of Watertown/Chairperson of the Watertown Historical Commission and Marilynne K. Roach, President of the Historical Society of Watertown/Board Member of the Historical Commission

We will also be pulling the winning ticket for the raffle of the Fowle House dollhouse.
This program is free and open to the public.
For more information call Joyce at 781-899-7239

Part 2

2010-10-15T12:11:00.000-04:00

I've vented and now time to move on................

Here's some upcoming programs sponsored by the HSW-

Join us Tuesday October 26, 2010 for an Evening of Fine Food and Informative Fun

6 PM Talktails 7 PM Dinner

$30 PrixFixe includes hot appetizers, your choice between 3 entrees and also served with homemade dessert and coffee

7:30 PM Historic Program during Dinner Followed by a Trivia Contest

RSVP @ The Talk Restaurant

116 Main St. Watertown 617-600-3417 - 15% of all proceeds will be donated to the

Historical Society of Watertown

http://www.thetalkrestaurant.com/

and the next program is................

Halloween Lantern Lit Graveyard Tour Common Street Cemetery

Dare you join your guides to explore by lantern light the graves of many prominent Watertown’s ancestors buried at the Common Street Cemetery
Join us at the Edmund Fowle House
28 Marshall Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Saturday, October 30, 2010
6:30 PM—9:00 PM
7:00 PM Tour Begins
Gather back at the House for light refreshments and socializing
$5.00 per person (payable at the door)

COSTUMES OPTIONAL BUT ENCOURAGED
Tel. 617-923-6067 http://www.historicwatertown.org/

and lastly........

Monthly Council Meeting
at the Edmund Fowle House

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 @ 6:30 PM-----

Public is welcomed.... for more info call 617-923-6067

So... What's New???

2010-10-07T11:02:00.010-04:00

I keep asking that same question to certain members of the Historical Society's Board of Directors, and guess what?
I still don't receive the information I ask for. I would like to know what programs are coming up, where they will be and when they'll be. I've asked for pdf or word doc flyers so I can put that info on my website- http://www.historicwatertown.org/ but I have so far rec'd... nothing. What gives?
I hear you are building your own website... why? is it because you don't want to pay for the domains I bought five years ago? or the website itself? Five months ago I wrote to you and requested a reasonable offer to take over the website and the two other domains that linked to the HSW ( http://www.historicalsocietyofwatertown.org/ & http://www.edmundfowlehouse.org/ ).
But No...... you hemmed and hawed for months, never even made an offer and then ignored my requests for information.
Is $300.00 too much for all the work, extra storage, applications, and software upgrades that the website has to offer? The site has been visited by over 13,000 people since April 6, 2007, hundreds have submitted requests for answers to their historical questions and many have gone on to become members of "OUR" organization. Oh yeah, I'm a little upset, because as president (2004/09) of the then HSW, I tried to change the way the community thought of the society, which was a sleepy organization with a bunch of old fuddy duddies running it like a private club.
You don't even know how to conduct an election of officers....... video courtesy of WCAC, our local cable station.

http://www.wcatv.org/component/hwdvideoshare/viewvideo/306/special-coverage/historical-society-of-watertown-annual-meetingyou can also see this video on the HSW program page http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepj3c6/id85.htmlI'm not finished yet, just wait for Part 2

Website for sale

2010-09-11T13:54:00.003-04:00

along with these domains....

http://www.historicwatertown.org/

http://www.edmundfowlehouse.org/

http://www.historicalsocietyofwatertown.org/

send contact info to: info@HistoricWatertown.org

Watertown's Arsenal Mall prepares for historic exhibit

2010-08-31T13:08:00.002-04:00

Photo courtesy of Bob Erickson
This undated postcard shows the way the Watertown Arsenal used to look.

By Jeremy C. Fox
Wicked Local Watertown
Posted Aug 29, 2010 @ 03:41 PM
Last update Aug 29, 2010 @ 11:30 PM
WATERTOWN —
The Arsenal Mall will soon be offering a dose of history along with its shopping experience, as it opens its “Watertown Arsenal Through the Years” exhibit.

The project, a collaboration between the mall, the Historical Society of Watertown and the Arsenal Center for the Arts, will incorporate historic photographs and artifacts from the arsenal, displayed in a series of glass cases throughout the mall.

The objects and photos have been compiled from the Historical Society, the Watertown Public Library, the National Archives, the Library of Congress and other sources.

Lauren Higginson, marketing director for the Arsenal Mall, said the exhibit will trace the changes that the arsenal area has seen over its long history.

“It’s going to be a then-and-now type of exhibit where you’ll be able to see images and information from the Civil War era, when it was originally built, through today,” Higginson said.

The exhibit will officially open with a walking tour at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11. The tour will begin at the mall, continue through the Harvard Vanguard and Arsenal on the Charles areas and conclude at the Arsenal Center for the Arts.

COMMANDER’S MANSION, 5th ANNUAL WEDDING FAIRE

2010-02-25T10:18:00.000-05:00

COMMANDER’S MANSION ... 5TH ANNUAL WEDDING FAIRE

Plan the details of your event in one weekend!
Meet with Boston’s top industry professionals; caterers, florists,
photographers, bakeries, entertainment, transportation and more.
Sample delicious treats, check out the strolling fashion show and enter
to win some amazing prizes!

PLEASE JOIN US
date: Saturday, March 6th & Sunday, March 7th
different vendors are showcased each day
time: 1pm to 4pm
place: Commander’s Mansion
440 Talcott Ave Watertown, MA
www.CommandersMansion.com
rsvp
$5.00 per person – ticket is good all weekend
617.926.7755 / info@commandersmansion.com

Halloween Party

2009-10-29T17:29:00.001-04:00

Meet us on Halloween
If on a Broomstick you can’t fly
Some other way of traveling try.
But come you must .......

To the Edmund Fowle House
28 Marshall Street, Watertown, MA 02472

October 31, 2009 7:00 PM—10:00 PM

Admission: $5 per person
BYOB and an appetizer or snack to share

Tour to the Old Cemetery To meet Edmund Fowle

Costumes optional but if you wear one
Win a prize for the best costume
Bring a carved or decorated pumpkin to win a prize for the best pumpkin
(No flame candles, flameless candles are OK)
Games, fortune telling, share a ghost story, fun for all!
For more information call 617-926-2577

BOSTON CHARTER DAY 2009

2009-08-18T18:43:00.004-04:00

Each year The Partnership of the Historic Bostons and participating organizations celebrate the 1630 naming of Boston by John Winthrop and his band of Puritans with four days of lectures, discussions, presentations and tours designed around a relevant theme.

This year the theme is Breaking Away: Evolution of Governance in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The programs are being presented in conjunction with the Dorchester Historical Society and the Historical Society of Watertown. The inclusion of these organizations is particularly appropriate since Boston, Dorchester and Watertown were all named on September 7, 1630 as the first Massachusetts Bay towns to be named.

go to historicwatertown.org to get weblink to printable brochure

Programming will take place in Boston and Dorchester on Thursday, September 10, Friday, September 11, and Sunday, September 13. Download the brochure for a listing of the programs for all four days. Programming will take place in Watertown on Saturday, September 12.

Saturday, September 12: Early Watertown. The Historical Society of Watertown.
10:00 a.m. – Walking Tour from the Old Burial Ground and neighborhood led by Clare Murphy, Watertown Historian/ Genealogist. Starting from the Old Burial Ground, corner of Mt. Auburn (Route 16) and Arlington Streets, Watertown.

1:00 p.m. Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street (Route 20), Watertown.
Early Town Governance: Boston, Dorchester, Watertown.
Boston: Professor Robert J. Alison, Suffolk University,
Dorchester: Mr. Earl Taylor, President, Dorchester Historical Society
Watertown: The Reverend Mark Harris, First Parish, Watertown.
A panel discussion regarding the early governance of these three towns.

3:00 p.m. – Walking Tour of various historic sites near Watertown Square led by Pam Pinsky, Former Vice President, Historical Society of Watertown. Starting at Watertown Free Public Library.

The programs offered these four days are free and open to the public.
For further information call Joyce at 781-899-7239.

Edmund Fowle House can be rented for functions

2009-07-16T19:56:00.000-04:00

Edmund Fowle House & Museum, 28 Marshall Street, Watertown, MA 02472
www.HistoricWatertown.org, 617-923-6067; MBTA: #71 Bus to Watertown.
Open for Tours on the 3rd Sunday of the month or by appointment. Tours $3.00
Children & Seniors, $5.00 Adults. The Edmund Fowle House was built in 1772 and is the
second oldest house in Watertown. Beginning in April 1775 this house was the meeting
place for numerous committees and in July of 1775 became the meeting place for the
Executive Council of the 2nd and 3rd Provincial Congresses being held in Watertown at
the outbreak of our War for Independence. Later in July 1776 when the 3rd Provincial
Congress adjourned the Governors Council of the Massachusetts Bay Colony continued
to meet until November 1776 after which they returned to the Town of Boston. The Edmund
Fowle House is available for small group rentals of up to 40 guests. Weather permitting the back
garden makes an ideal backdrop for your festivities. Rental rate is $125 an hour with a two hour
minimum . The rental allows for the use of the first floor as well as the grounds. An event manager
will be on site for the duration of your rental to greet your guests and assist with vendor coordination
of setup and breakdown. Please call the rental office at 617-926-7755 for details and a complete list of
guidelines. Historical reenactors, who are members of the Historical Society, are available to provide
various services such as greeters and tour guides if desired. Details are available from the rental office.
We look forward to making your next function a success.

Declaration of Independence

2009-07-05T17:53:00.001-04:00

The Historical Society of Watertown
Invites you to
The Reading of the Declaration of Independence
And
Celebration of the Treaty of Watertown
Saturday July 18, 2009 at 10:00 A.M.
At the Edmund Fowle House and Museum
28 Marshall Street, Watertown, MA 02472
It was July 18, 1776 and a copy of the Declaration of Independence had just arrived from the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia. It was sent by John Hancock to the Provincial Congress, Governors’ Council headquartered in Watertown at the Edmund Fowle House. That day it was read to the gathered population and Council members by the Secretary of the Council from the second floor window of the Council Chamber. Following the reading there were rousing cheers and many toasts to the New Republic. In the gathered crowd were members of the delegations from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia here to negotiate a treaty of friendship and alliance with the new United States of America. Ambrose Var, delegate of the Maliseet Tribe, was quoted as saying “We like it well.” The very next day he and other members of the St. John, aka Maliseet, and Mi’kmaq Tribes signed the Treaty of Watertown in the very same Council Chamber making it the first treaty signed by the United States with a foreign power.
Fast forward 233 years and we are going to read the Declaration of Independence from the newly restored Council Chamber window again. You are invited to be part of this historic event and celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Watertown as well. Following the reading we will have light refreshments and you will be able to walk through the famous Council Chambers, where the Founding Fathers began the planning of our new nation. Members of various Colonial reenactment units and Native American guests will be in attendance to mark this annual event and we hope you can come and bear witness to this historic moment.
For further information and directions see www.HistoricWatertown.org or call Robert Childs at 617-331-2072.

Mercy Otis Warren

2009-04-09T18:44:00.004-04:00

Mercy Otis Warren

Mercy Otis Warren AKA Mercy Otis Born: 25-Sep-1728 [1] Birthplace: Barnstable, MA Died: 19-Oct-1814 Location of death: Plymouth, MA Cause of death: unspecified Gender: Female Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Historian, Poet Nationality: United States Executive summary: History of the American Revolution American writer, sister of James Otis, born at Barnstable, Massachusetts, and in 1754 married James Warren of Plymouth Massachusetts, a college friend of her brother. Her literary inclinations were fostered by both these men, and she began early to write poems and prose essays. As member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1766-74) and its speaker (1776-77 and 1787-88), member (1774 and 1775) and president (1775) of the Provincial Congress, and paymaster-general in 1775, James Warren took a leading part in the events of the American revolutionary period, and his wife followed its progress with keen interest. Her gifts of satire were utilized in her political dramas, The Adulator (1773) and The Group (1775); and John Adams, whose wife Abigail was Mercy Warren's close friend, encouraged her to further efforts. Her tragedies, "The Sack of Rome" and "The Ladies of Castile" were included in her Poems, Dramatic and Miscellaneous (1790), dedicated to General Washington. Apart from their historical interest among the beginnings of American literature, Mercy Warren's poems have no permanent value. In 1805 she published a History of the American Revolution, which was colored by somewhat outspoken personal criticism and was bitterly resented by John Adams (see his correspondence, published by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1878). James Warren died in 1808, and his wife followed him on the 19th of October 1814. [1] Reliable sources give both 14-Sep-1728 and 25-Sep-1728. Father: James Otis (b. 1702, d. 1778)Brother: James Otis (American patriot, pamphleteer)Husband: James Warren (b. 1726, m. 1754, d. 1808, five sons) Author of books: Observations on the New Constitution (1788) Poems, Dramatic and Miscellaneous (1790, poetry) History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution (1805, history, 3 vols.) Wrote plays: The Adulateur (1772) The Defeat (1772) The Group (1775)

NEW ENGLAND HISTORY FESTIVAL

2008-11-08T12:36:00.001-05:00

THE 2ND ANNUAL
NEW ENGLAND HISTORY FESTIVAL
When: Saturday, November 15th, 2008 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM
Where: Hibernian Hall, 151 Watertown St. Watertown, MA
Admission: $16.00 Phone: (368)338-1971
Tickets: Log on to www.historyfestival.org or mail a $16.00 check made out to: Educonference, P.O. Box 145, Watertown, MA 02471
Come and enjoy a historical blend of reenactors, authors, collectors, historical societies, genealogists, historical researchers, speakers and vendors as we celebrate over 375 years of New England history. Presentations will be made by author and keynote speaker Stephanie Schorow. She will discuss her book “The Crime of the Century: How the Brink’s Robbery Stole Millions and the Hearts of Boston.” Living history presentations will be performed in period attire by Julia Donahue (“Mother Goose”), Linda Palmer (“Ann Vassal: A Puritan Woman in 1637”), James B. Hogan (“1775 New England Congregational Pastor”), the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment (“The Storming of Fort Wagner”), David L. Smith (“New England During the Civil War”), the Lexington Minutemen and folklorist John Horrigan, who will present brief vignettes on “The Great Nantucket Fire of 1846”, “John Winthrop’s Sudden Gust” and “The Great Meteor Storm of 1833”.
The New England History Festival has been affectionately referred to by some as “Historapalooza”. It is a living history celebration and a revue of reenactors and researchers who proclaim that “the past is a blast!”
The hall is accessible for the handicapped and by public transportation (a short walk from the Watertown Bus Yard). Tickets can be obtained as stated above. Envelopes must be postmarked by November 2, 2008. There are a limited amount of tickets available. Like the inaugural event last year, this show will sell out quickly. Tickets may be sold at the door.
Questions??? Call (339)368-1971

NOVEMBER PUBLIC PROGRAM

2008-11-08T12:32:00.002-05:00

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WATERTOWN
INVITES YOU TO THEIR
NOVEMBER PUBLIC PROGRAM
The Historical Society of Watertown invites you to join us on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street at 7:00 p.m., as Michael E. Lepage portrays General Thomas Gage, Royal Governor of Massachusetts, and commander of British forces in North America between 1763 and 1775.
There are always two sides to every story, but General Gage’s version of the events leading up to the outbreak of the American Revolution is seldom heard. Gage genuinely liked Americans (and owned land in North America) but grew to despise them as they made his days as Royal Governor miserable. His views of men like Samuel Adams and John Hancock will be quite different from any you have ever heard before.
Michael Lepage portrays historical personages at a variety of locations: Adams National Historical Park, Minuteman National Park, the Paul Revere House, Bunker Hill, Marriott's Custom House, and at various corporate functions. Aside from General Gage, his repertoire includes Dr. Joseph Warren, Justice Peter Oliver, John Adams, General, Alexander Hamilton, a British Revolutionary War soldier, an American Civil War soldier, and John McGraw, manager of the New York Baseball Giants.
The program is free and open to the public.
Light refreshments will be offered before and after the program.
For further information call Joyce at 781-899-7239.

Life-Friendly Gardens

2008-09-12T06:38:00.001-04:00

Life-Friendly Gardens
Naturally, green! Join your Watertown neighbors in a celebration of their
CHEMICAL-FREE yards and gardens on Sunday, September 14, 2008 from 1 to 5 PM.

Brought to you by C U R E, the Chemical Use Reduction and Education Task Force.
It is a project of the Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety (WCES). CURE is committed to educating the public about the dangers and safe alternative solutions to chemical use in the house and garden. For more information about their activities, visit the website at www.watertowncitizens.org or call 617-926-2545.

Brochures may still be available. There are 18 stops on this tour.......

#4 on the Garden Tour is the Edmund Fowle House & Museum, 28 Marshall Street. The lawn and gardens are free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The gardens contain heirloom herbs and flowers showing what has been grown from colonial times to the present. The Historical Society of Watertown is in the process of developing Living History Programs highlighting flower and herbal useage in colonial cooking and medicines.
Brochure for Garden Tour can be downloaded & printed at this web address. http://www.watertowncitizens.org/CURE_Bro_08-FHR.pdf

THE MUSE OF THE REVOLUTION

2008-09-12T06:36:00.000-04:00

THE MUSE OF THE REVOLUTION
The Historical Society of Watertown presents a reading and slide show by author, Nancy Rubin Stuart, on Tuesday, September 23 at 7:00 at the Edmund Fowle House, 28 Marshall Street, Watertown. Ms. Stuart’s book, The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren was published on July 4, 2008.
Her book tells the story of Mercy Otis Warren’s dedication to the original patriotic ideals of the Revolution and her effect on its eventual success. There is a strong connection between this “founding Mother” and Watertown. In 1775, Mercy Otis Warren, the mother of five sons and wife to James Warren, frequently rode the thirty-five miles between her home in Plymouth and the patriots’ headquarters in Watertown’s Edmund Fowle House to visit with her husband, who was President of the Provincial Congress and often resided at the Fowle House during 1775-1776.
.
The Muse of the Revolution draws on the correspondence of Mercy Otis Warren—much of it published for the first time—as well as the letters of John and Abigail Adams, George and Martha Washington, Henry Knox and other patriots.
Nancy Rubin Stuart is an award-winning author and journalist specializing in women’s and social history. She’s written six books, including the 2005 The Reluctant Spiritualist: The Life of Maggie Fox for which she won a nonfiction award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and has contributed to the New York Times and many national magazines.
Light refreshments will be offered before and after the program.
The program is free and open to the public,
but space is limited to 35 people.
Please RSVP to Joyce at 781-899-7239.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

2008-07-02T20:11:00.000-04:00

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
FIRST PROCLAIMED IN WATERTOWN
18 JULY 1776

Watertown, 18 July 1776 - A copy of the Declaration of Independence, having been sent by John Hancock from Philadelphia, is proclaimed to the populace from a window of the Council Chamber followed by rousing cheers and hearty toasts.
“We like it well,” observed Ambrose Var, delegate from the Mikmaq of Nova Scotia in town to negotiate a treaty of alliance with the new United States.

Watertown, 18 July 2008 - Now that the Historical Society of Watertown has succeeded in the restoration of the Edmund Fowle House, once the seat of Massachusetts’s executive branch at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence will once again be read from a window of the newly re-discovered Council Chamber. The ceremony will begin at 6:30 Friday the 18th of July in front of the Fowle House, 28 Marshall St. Watertown. Local colonial re-enactors and Native American guests will be on hand and the public is welcome to attend this anniversary of Watertown’s first Independence Day.

Light refreshments will follow the ceremony plus a look at the
Council Chamber (as long as daylight lasts).

Update

2008-04-30T17:24:00.001-04:00

May Public Program & Annual Meeting

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WATERTOWN
INVITES YOU TO THEIR MAY 2008 PUBLIC PROGRAM
AND ANNUAL MEETING



You’re invited to the annual meeting, election of officers and May public pro¬gram of the Historical Society of Watertown, on Sunday May 4, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. with the public program to follow at 2:20 This event will take place in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room at the Watertown Free Public Library 123 Main Street, Watertown.
Attention!!! April 30th Update!!! Dan & Judy have caught the flu and will postpone their presentation. Robert A. Childs will give a slideshow and talk about the Edmund Fowle House Preservation project instead. Thank you for your understanding!

An Invitation of Historic Importance

2008-04-23T17:21:00.002-04:00

Edmund Fowle House

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, May 17, 2008

12noon ~ 3pm

Ribbon Cutting
Senator Steven A. Tolman

Light Refreshments Sponsored by
Tables of Content Caterers

Edmund Fowle House
28 Marshall Street Watertown, MA
617.923.6067

The Edmund Fowle House is available for small group rentals of up to 60 guests. The house boasts a unique historic setting for your next social or corporate event. Weather permitting the back garden makes an ideal backdrop for your festivities.

Please join us for a ribbon cutting ceremony with Senator Steven A. Tolman, light refreshments sponsored by Tables of Content Caterers, historical re-enactors, raffle prizes and live music.

Please RSVP no later than Monday, May 12th
617.926.7755

The Green World of Watertown

2008-04-13T14:07:00.002-04:00

The Green World of Watertown

A colorful, entertaining, and educational multimedia presentation by
Carole Smith Berney
Watertown Photographer, Writer, and Nature Educator

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 7:00 pm
At the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street
In the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room

This is a repeat (“encore”) performance of Carole’s delightful, multimedia (images, narration, and music) show. The presentation celebrates, appreciates, and urges us to care for the natural spaces and wildlife in our town. Carole’s color photographic images of the Charles River, Mount Auburn Cemetery, and other public parks and private spaces (including gardens, trees, wildflowers, and wildlife that make these their home) will feature some humorous and surprising stories of animal encounters in our densely settled, semi-urban setting. Also celebrated will be local “green” efforts on the part of citizens and organizations to enhance the environmental health of our natural resources.

If you’ve attended previous performances, feel free to attend again. Or, tell your friends!
All are welcome!

SPONSORED BY THE WATERTOWN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION'S
"A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT" GRANTMAKING PROGRAM
Co-Sponsored by Trees for Watertown,
Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety,
and East End Neighbors

For more information, e-mail csberney@rcn.com

May Public Program & Annual Meeting

2008-04-09T16:32:00.002-04:00

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WATERTOWN
INVITES YOU TO THEIR MAY 2008 PUBLIC PROGRAM
AND ANNUAL MEETING



You’re invited to the annual meeting, election of officers and May public pro¬gram of the Historical Society of Watertown, on Sunday May 4, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. with the public program to follow at 2:20 This event will take place in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room at the Watertown Free Public Library 123 Main Street, Watertown.
Attention!!! April 30th Update!!! Dan & Judy have caught the flu and will postpone their presentation. Robert A. Childs will give a slideshow and talk about the Edmund Fowle House Preservation project instead. Thank you for your understanding!

After the business meeting, we’ll meet Dan & Judy Grillo of Gardner who are 20 year veterans of American Revolution re-enactments and members of the 4th Middlesex Regiment, Le 85eme Regiment de Saintonge, and the Sudbury Co.'s of Militia & Minute of which Dan is a past colonel. They are well versed on the many aspects of the lifestyles and politics of the Revolutionary era, but their special interest is Revolutionary War era medical practices. Together they will present the "yin & yang" of late 18th century medicine; scien¬tific method and herbalism.

Dan portrays a surgeon speaking on the comparatively "barbaric" types of surgery performed in the pre-anesthesia days of medicine, including tooth-pulling, bleeding, amputa¬tions, leeches and other methods prescribed by the 5,000 year old Hippocratic methods of the day. Judy portrays a typical herbalist-housewife who will explain the cures wrought from traditional herbs, fruits, and vegetables grown and harvested by American women.

Light refreshments will be offered before and after the program.
The program is free and open to the public.
For further information call Joyce at 781-899-7239.

Historical Society's March Public Program

2008-02-26T16:57:00.002-05:00

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WATERTOWN
INVITES YOU TO THEIR
MARCH 2008 PUBLIC PROGRAM

“It was a dark and stormy night…” So begins the 1830 Bulwer-Lytton novel, “Paul Clifford.” 50 years earlier it was a dark, if not stormy, midday in parts of New England as a mysterious pall fell over our region on the late morn-ing of May 19th, 1780. Candles were brought out at lunchtime and churches filled as many New Englanders thought that the Day of Judgement had arrived.

Was it retribution for the disruptions of the American Revolution – rag-ing at the time of the darkening? Some Tories thought so. Was it a natural me-teorological phenomenon, explicable in the terms of modern science?

You can be the judge when you join the Historical Society of Watertown and historical weather researcher John Horrigan for a presentation about “New England's Dark Day.” Mr. Horrigan offer his own speculations, reading from journals and accounts of the day and relaying other accounts of dark days in America’s History.

Join us in the Watertown Savings Bank Room at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street, on Thursday, March 20th at 7:00 PM.



Light refreshments will be offered before and after the program.
The program is free and open to the public.
For further information call Joyce at 781-899-7239.

The New England History Festival

2007-11-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

The New England History Festival
Submitted by WaterTownCrier on Sun, 11/11/2007 - 9:50am.
Tags: Education
Start: 11/24/2007 - 6:00pm
End: 11/24/2007 - 10:00pm
The New England History Festival - presented by John Horrigan
Saturday, Nov 24th, 6pm @ the Hibernian Hall, 151 Watertown Street, Watertown, MA (617-799-3781 info) for more info go to - www.historyfestival.org & www.historicwatertown.org or call 1-781-799-3781

"Why we don't speak French: Salt Water and the American Revolution"

2007-11-11T12:39:00.000-05:00

"Why we don't speak French: Salt Water and the American Revolution" - presented by Bill Rose
Thursday, Nov 15th, 7pm @ the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street, Watertown...
free and open to all...light refreshments
for more info - www.historicwatertown.org

Uncovering the Historic Fabric of the Edmund Fowle House

2007-11-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

Uncovering the Historic Fabric of the Edmund Fowle House - presented by Joyce Kelly
Tuesday, Nov 13th, 7pm @ the Community Room of the RTN Federal Credit Union, 600 Main Street, Waltham...
Free and open to the public, light refreshments.
for more info - www.historicwatertown.org

Historical Society at Border's Bookstore

2007-09-28T06:20:00.000-04:00

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WATERTOWN
at BORDERS in the ATRIUM MALL
300 Boylston Street (Route 9), Chestnut Hill
on
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 AND SATURDAY OCTOBER 27, 2007

· Help the Historical Society of Watertown by shopping at Borders book store in the Atrium Mall on October 26 and 27. When you mention the Historical Society at the cash register, 20% of the net sales raised these 2 days will be donated to the Society.

· Members of the Historical Society, some in colonial clothing, will be in the store both days passing out information about the organization and answering questions about the newly restored 1772 Edmund Fowle House at 28 Marshall Street, Watertown.

· The store is open from 10:00 AM until 11:00 PM

WWW.HISTORICWATERTOWN.ORG

For further information call Joyce at 781-899-7239.

News article from Waltham about our streets in H2otown

2007-09-18T20:53:00.000-04:00

By Nicole Haley/Daily News staff
GHS
Mon Sep 17, 2007, 12:18 AM EDT
Story Tools: Email This Print This
Waltham -
Truck drivers coming down Main Street from Watertown into Waltham have fewer turning options with the recent posting of signs prohibiting truck traffic on several residential side streets on the Watertown side.
"There's been a lot of resident concern in the area," says Gerald Mee Jr., superintendent of Watertown's Department of Public Works.
Responding to resident outcry over heightened truck traffic with the potential of a Lowe's Home Improvement store coming to Waltham, near the Watertown border, Mee says the town decided to put up several truck exclusion signs on a "temporary" basis.
"The Traffic Commission voted to install some truck signs for a sixth-month period to try and do some tests," Mee said.
The only problem is, the town neglected to get required approval from the state department which is responsible for permitting the signs before making the move.
"We did not file with MassHighway as of yet," said Mee, who said the town put a handful of signs up on side streets along Main Street in the past few months.
The action has at least one Waltham resident fuming, saying the blocked-off Watertown roads leave truckers only one option to make a left-hand turn toward the proposed site of a Lowe's, bringing them right down his street.
"There's got to be some sort of conversation between Waltham and Watertown to see about a route for these trucks," said Gore Street resident Paul Tucceri.
In May, developers of the proposed Lowe's withdrew a special permit application from the Waltham City Council after fighting months of intense public opposition. Boston-based Samuels and Associates has been working to continue with plans for the 143,000-square-foot store by working within existing zoning rules to avoid restrictions from the city.
The proposed location of the store, at 20 Seyon St., is close to the borders of Watertown and Newton and is surrounded by residential neighborhoods. Residents of all three communities are dreading an influx of trucks driving down their streets if the developer prevails.
To assuage resident concerns, Watertown decided to act before that happens. Traveling west on Main Street from Watertown Square, signs excluding truck traffic pop up on four consecutive residential streets - Essex Street, Evans Street, Rutland Street and Edward Road - before hitting the Waltham line.
Any one of those streets leads to Waltham Street, which truck drivers would be able follow into the proposed entrance of a Lowe's Home Improvement store on Seyon Street. Instead, drivers must cross the Waltham line and take a left down Gore Street.
"It doesn't make me happy," said Tucceri, whose frustration with Watertown's sign placement actually began five years ago.
In 2002, Tucceri noticed a truck exclusion sign at Waltham Street and Bridge Street in Watertown. He contacted MassHighway to find out whether the sign had been posted legally. In June of that year, MassHighway sent Mee a letter asking the town to remove the sign in question. The sign was taken down but Tucceri noticed the same sign was recently re-posted followed by the signs along Main Street.
"It's almost like they got a discount on truck exclusion signs and they started popping signs back up," Tucceri said.
Tucceri contacted MassHighway again, he received a letter on Aug. 29 saying the department contacted the town of Watertown again and asked it remove the sign at Waltham and Bridge streets as well as "any other illegal signs within their town boundary within two weeks time."
As of Friday the signs were still posted but Mee said, "I'm sure the Traffic Commission will look to comply (with MassHighway's request)," adding the commission meets the end of this month.
MassHighway spokesman Erik Abell said communities must follow a process to obtain truck exclusion signs which involves applying to the state and conducting a study to show how much traffic the sign would pull away from a specific route, how it would impact the neighborhood, and showing an acceptable alternate route for trucks.
"If we don't agree with their proposal we will deny the exclusion," Abell said.
If municipalities post signs without permission, as in Watertown's case, Abell said MassHighway asks the town to remove the signs and go through the proper process. If the town is not cooperative, Abell said, "the absolute worst-case scenario" would be the department holding back state funding.
Waltham Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy said she contacted Watertown's town manager about the problem. Waltham Transportation Director Frank Ching said residents often ask him to post traffic signs reducing speeds or rerouting traffic and are sometimes disappointed when the signs do not immediately go up.
"As much as I'd like to change these things, we have to work within the laws and we would expect other towns to work within the laws as well," Ching said.
Nicole Haley can be reached at nhaley@cnc.com or 781-398-8004.

HSW Sept 13th Program

2007-09-04T20:03:00.000-04:00

Come and learn about the Edmund Fowle House, 28 Marshall Street, Watertown!

We will view and talk about the restoration and preservation project. Andy Ladygo, our Achitectural Conservator, talks about the discoveries uncovered in the Edmund Fowle House. Also, the dendrochronology process and report will be discussed. Members of the Building Restoration Committee (BRC) will be on hand to answer questions and explain the effort in undertaking a complete preservation of this historic home of the late 1700's.
This program is at the Watertown Free Public Library's WSB meeting room, starts at 7:00 PM, on Thursday, September 13, 2007. It is open to the public and refreshments will be available. There is no cost to attend and there is no need to rsvp, so please bring a friend and consider becoming a member of the Historical Society of Watertown.

Nomination Papers

2007-07-01T14:26:00.000-04:00

Hello fellow Citizens & Residents of Watertown!
If you can spare a few seconds, Please consider
signing my Nomination Papers for
Councilor at Large
My name is Karl H. Neugebauer and I currently reside at 7 Bromfield Street. I have lived and worked in Watertown for close to twenty years. I am an active volunteer with several non-profits and currently the president of the Historical Society of Watertown.
I believe the people of Watertown deserve choices to which their votes will make a difference at the polls. I stand ready to offer changes for quality of life issues concerning pedestrians and the bicycling community.
Public safety, education, accessibility and common sense will shape my direction with your concerns being first and foremost. Please sign my papers to get my name on the ballot and after the debates, consider voting for me, so we can effect positive changes for our town.
Thank You!

Watertown Historical Commisssion Awards Night

2007-05-31T19:08:00.001-04:00

David Russo, Chairman of the WHC, presented six awards last night at the Commanders Mansion. The award recipients were:
Rachel Sachs Jones for the Citizenship Award;
86 Common Street-Jennifer Van Campen for the Architectural Preservation Award;
MaryLouise Pallotta McDermott for the Envioronmental Preservation Award;
The Bigelow Chapel-Mt. Auburn Cemetery for the Historical Resources Award;
Carole Jean Smith for the Community Spirit Award;
Proposed Brigham Historic District Study Committee for the Citizenship Award........

Watertown Historical Bicycle Tour

2007-05-29T05:43:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, June 23, at 10 AM, join with area cyclists and history enthusiasts for a Bike Tour of Historic Watertown, sponsored jointly by the Historical Society of Watertown and the Watertown Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee. The theme of this ride is the Charles River and its role in Watertown's history. Come out for a pleasant bike ride and learn some local history at the same time.

The ride is approximately six miles in length, with ten stops along the route where a member of the Historical Society will provide commentary. The expected duration is approximately two hours.

All riders must wear helmets. Children under 12 years old must be in a child seat or trailer bike. The Watertown Police Department will be assisting with traffic. A limited number of water bottles will be provided as available.

The rain date is Sunday, June 24, 10 AM. If the weather is inclement on Saturday, visit http://watertownbikeped.org for the latest information. Send inquiries to watertown.bikeped@gmail.com. The Bicycle Tour starts at... in the parking lot of the Watertown Senior Center on Marshall Street, opposite the Edmund Fowle House, 28 Marshall Street

Programs coming up at the Library

2007-05-24T05:32:00.001-04:00

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WATERTOWN
INVITES YOU TO A MAY EVENT

J. Leon Poirier will give a presentation on "Instruments of 15th - 18th Century Navigators" on Thursday, May 24, 2007 in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street at 7:00 P.M.

Successful marine navigation has transformed our world and remains an important means of trade and travel today.. From early civilizations using only oar-power to today's supersized ships with modern propulsion and electronic positioning systems, all mariners have relied on some sort of navigational skill.
The 15th - 18th century navigators were unable to determine longitude but did had instruments to determine their latitude. Still, during this period there were hundreds of transatlantic crossings, several circumnavigations of the world, voyages down the west coast of Africa to India and Indonesia, explorations of South America, and searches for a northwest passage. The instruments these early navigators used included devices such as the Kamal, Quadrant, Astrolabe, Cross Staff, Back Staff, as well as the Nocturnal, an instrument used to tell time at night.
This talk describes the history and evolution of these instruments including
their theory of operation and a demonstration of their use. At the end of
the talk, the audience is free to share the experience of these brave explorers and try these instruments themselves using a light source set up to simulate the Sun.
J. Leon Poirier is a member and Past Commander of the Nobscot Sail and Power Squadron, a unit of the safe boating education non-profit group, the United States Power Squadrons (USPS.) He has attained status of Senior Navigator, the highest academic achievement rank within USPS. Leon has a Master's Degree in Electronic Engineering and a Doctorate in Physics. He has taught university level courses as well as USPS courses to members and to the public.

Refreshments will be served
For more information, please call Joyce at 781-899-7239
All meetings are free and open to the public

Walking Tour - Saturday March 24th

2007-03-16T05:52:00.000-04:00

Architectural Walking Tour
March 24th, 2 pm

Join Watertown Walks for a “Watertown Architectural Tour”. Watertown Walks sponsors monthly group walks to promote walking for fun, fitness and a healthier community. On this month’s walk we will explore the neighborhoods of Watertown to learn about the different styles of architecture represented in the homes in the area near Mount Auburn Street, Russell Avenue and Garfield Street. Mary Spiers from the Watertown Historical Society will be our guide. The walk will be on Saturday, March 24th. Meet at the Senior Center parking lot on Marshall Street at 2:00 PM.

New participants joining this Watertown Walks event will receive a pedometer and information about how to increase physical activity in your daily life. For additional information: 617-926-0726, walking@watertowncitizens.org

Happy Birthday H2otown

2007-03-12T05:42:00.000-04:00

Cutting the Cake

Immigrant History Lecture Series, cont.

2007-03-12T05:25:00.000-04:00

click to enlarge flyer, to print out...

Next Lecture Thursday, March 22 at 7 PM in the WSB Room @WFPL

Programs coming up at the Library

2007-03-02T17:41:00.000-05:00

Click flyer to enlarge.......... For more info, go to: www.HistoricWatertown.org

Lecture Series

2007-02-26T06:21:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge and then print

Public Program on Feb 22nd

2007-01-27T14:39:00.000-05:00

Born on this Day

2007-01-03T06:02:00.000-05:00

Lucretia Coffin Mott
American abolitionist and feminist Lucretia Coffin Mott helped establish the women’s rights movement in the United States in the 1800s. Mott first worked as a teacher at a boarding school near Poughkeepsie, New York, where she was paid half of what was earned by the male instructors performing the same job. Barred as a woman from an international antislavery convention in London, England, Mott recognized that sex discrimination limited her power to speak effectively on public issues. As a result Mott and fellow reformer Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. http://www.HistoricWatertown.org

YORKTOWN 225th Reenactment

2006-12-31T10:04:00.000-05:00

DVD preview. Our own Bob Childs of the Historical Society of Watertown(HSW) is on this battlefield with one of the many reenactment groups he belongs to. Visit the Video Page of the HSW's website at: http://www.HistoricWatertown.org

Historical Society Public Program - Nov 16, 2006

2006-11-02T18:04:00.000-05:00

AN INVITATION FROM THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY of WATERTOWN

“Spirit of a Community: Watertown’s Gathering Places”

A Photographic Exhibit and Slideshow
By Carole Smith Berney, Watertown Photographer

Thursday, November 16, 2006, 7:00 PM
Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room in the Watertown Free Public Library

Come and enjoy an entertaining, humorous, and engaging look at how Watertown people spend their time together outside in some of the open spaces that exist in this most crowded of urban settings. See if you or your neighbors show up in this colorful tribute to our town. Ms. Berney’s images will be set to music and include concerts at Saltonstall Park, picnics at Arsenal Park, fishing by the Watertown Dam, celebrations and re-enactments on Treaty Day, Memorial Day, and Hiroshima Day, recreational fun at Victory Field and the Dealtry Pool, and more. We think you’ll leave appreciating the terrific images, the connections that make us a community, and the diversity, flavor and shared history of the people of Watertown.

This project has been partially funded by the Watertown Community Foundation as part of its celebration of the 375th anniversary of the founding of our town.
www.HistoricWatertown.org

Treaty Day Celebration & Pow Wow

2006-06-29T07:58:00.000-04:00

Hear Ye!....... Hear Ye!......... Hear Ye!............
The Treay Day Celebration & Pow Wow is an event that honors the signing
of the first in the Nation Treaty signed just fifteen days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A treaty of friendship and alliance with our neighbors of the northern borders of what is now called Maine. The Mi'kMaq Nation and St John's Tribes were asked by General George Washington to secure and protect our northern border from the British Army.
Come and enjoy Colonial and Native American activities along with the reading of the Watertown Treaty. Sat & Sun, JULY 15 & 16th, 11am to 5pm. For more information call 617-923-6067...... Or visit website,
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepj3c6/

Deconstruction by North Bennet Street students

2006-05-31T05:54:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rFVJ8IEL1E

Historic Walking Tour, June 10th-1PM

2006-05-28T10:37:00.000-04:00

A walking tour of the Buildings & Grounds of the Watertown Arsenal. date: Saturday June 10th at 1 PM, meeting place: Harvard Vanguard parking lot, 485 Arsenal St. Rain date: Sunday June 11th. For more info call Joyce at 781-899-7239

Lowell Mills and American Textile Museum Bus Trip

2006-05-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

Hear Ye, Hear Ye,
come one, come all .............to the Lowell Mills and the American Textile Museum on Sunday, July 23, 2006 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with Lunch at the Athenian Corner, 207 Market Street. Choice of Baked Ham, Chicken Shish Kebobs or Baked Haddock. Call Mary to reserve a seat! 617-924-7773

Edmund Fowle House, a 50 second video clip

2006-04-05T23:24:00.000-04:00

Please watch this short video clip. Then let me know that you want more information. I'll send you our current newsletter, "The Town Crier." If you can and want to help us restore & preserve this historic landmark, then please consider becoming a member of the Historical Society of Watertown. 617-923-6067 or e-mail me at YeOldCrier@verizon.net . Thank you!!!

http://www.gofish.com/video.gfp?gfid=30-1017761

March Public Meeting

2006-03-01T21:26:00.000-05:00

The Council Chamber in the Edmund Fowle House

2006-02-27T17:45:00.000-05:00

The Council Chamber is part of the investigative study
that Andy Ladygo, an Architectural Conservator is
contracted by architects McGinley, Kalsow & Associates, to confirm the exact layout of said chamber. Mr. Ladygo gave members of the Historical Society a tour showing his discovery of the layout of most of the second floor. He also explained how he came to these conclusions:
1) A cornice between the ceiling and the wall surrounds the front and back room on the right side of the house. The cornice continues, unbroken, between the front and back - visible now because the wall between the two rooms has been taken down. It is also now apparent that this piece of the cornice has never had paint on it. The image of the cornice or the soffit, which is the underside of the cornice, continues in the bathroom of #28 where a section of the ceiling has been removed. He has also determined that the cornice was put up before the ceiling was plastered.
2) A small section of a plaster ceiling, separate from the L-shaped room, can be observed through the attic floorboards.
3) When the existing floorboards are lifted in the small hallway at the top of the staircase from the first floor on the #26 side, holes from hand-wrought nails can be seen going in a diagonal direction where it appears a threshold had been nailed down.
4) A section of the wall in this room has been removed revealing that the window has been relocated. The bottom landing at the foot of the attic staircase and the lower steps are not original, indicating that this might not have been the original point of exit. The stairs of the staircase, however, are original. The only other possible point of exit would be in this room.

The Edmund Fowle House under goes Dendrochronology

2006-02-19T20:22:00.000-05:00

Michael Worthington from Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory checking wooden beams in the basement of the Edmund Fowle House. Peter Benjamin is videotaping the process.

Dendrochronology

2006-02-19T19:12:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, February 18th at 9:30 AM, We had a team of investigators at the Edmund Fowle House. They were led by Daniel Miles and Michael Worthington of England's Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory along with Anne Grady of Lexington, and in attendance were HSW members of the Building Restoration Committee (BRC), Joyce Kelly(Chairwoman & Recording Secretary); Robert A. Childs(Local Project coordinator); Julia Donahue(Vice President); Mary C. Spiers(Corresponding Secretary); Karl H. Neugebauer(President) and guest Peter Benjamin, who videotaped the process of dendrochronology. Anyone that has counted the rings of a cut tree to figure out the age will understand the basic principle of dendrochronology. What Daniel Miles does is to drill into the wooden beams of the main framing of the house to extract a core sample to be analized back in England where his laboratory has an extensive database of statistical image analysis. Since the 1970s, steady advances in software technology and microscopes have made tree and timber dating easier and accurate.

The Edmund Fowle House was built in the 1740s, but to be sure and have the proof to back up the information we have on record, we decided to have this dendrochronolgy done while the house is in the first phase of our restoration and preservation project. This new technology usually costs between $1,500 and $2,500, but the cost may be more if a building is very complex. The Edmund Fowle House falls into this category and will cost us much more. This analysis will need approx. 40 to 50 core samples, taken from literally the ground up to the attic. The first 10 or more samples were drilled from timbers in the basement of the House and the final samples will come from beams, joists and supports in the attic area. Hopefully we will have in a couple of months the information about the trees age that were used in the construction of this very historic home of the American Revolution. But in the meantime, please check out these websites about dendrochronological studies.

Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY

http://ldeo.columbia.edu and

Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~arch0050

and

http://web.utk.edu/~grissino/

Thank you and stay tuned for more photographs and information!

2006-02-15T08:37:00.000-05:00

Watertown Cable Access Schedule for Comcast users... Phone # 617-923-8610

Project Sign 2005

2006-02-12T21:01:00.000-05:00

The posting of the sign denotes the begining of an Historic Preservation Project for the restoration & preservation of the Edmund Fowle House and Museum. The Building Restoration Committee (BRC) has selected McKinley, Kalsow & Associates as the Architect to oversee this three phase project. Please visit http://bloguru.com/EdmundFowleHouse for more information.

Historical Society of Watertown

2006-01-03T06:14:00.000-05:00

Historical Society of Watertown
Help preserve the rich history of Watertown. Enjoy the many benefits of an HSW membership
* Newsletter, "The Town Crier"

* Archives/research Tools

* Invitations to the HSW's public meetings in September, November, March and May

* Notification of the yearly celebraton of Treaty Day

* Invitation to the HSW's yearly holiday party

* Notification of special events sponsored by the Society

MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
* Individual $15.00
* Senior/Student $10.00
* Family $25.00
* Individual Sponsor $50.00
* Company Sponsor $100.00

To join, Call 617-923-6067
or
Mail check to: Historical Society of Watertown
attention- Ruth Arena, Treasurer
28 Marshall Street
Watertown, Massachusetts 02472