Stoneham Historical Society & Museum

Sky View - Stoneham from the Sky with Joe Turner
2024-10-10 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | MA
We’re accustomed to viewing buildings, historic sites, and colorful venues by looking at them straight ahead. What if you could see those same familiar sites from above, from a Sky View? This photography presentation by local photographer and drone pilot, Joseph Turner, offers images from a unique point of view. It includes photographs of local historic buildings, houses of worship, parks, light houses, and other colorful sites from a view most people have never seen before – the aerial photographer’s viewpoint. Joe Turner will demystify the use of drones, illustrate their variety of uses in the public sector, and highlight the FAA’s emphasis on safety.
Doors open at 6:45 for visitors to tour the museum. A brief business meeting at 7:15 is followed by the talk at 7:30. Free and open to the public.
About the Speaker:
Joseph Turner is a professional photographer and FAA 107 Certified and licensed Drone Pilot He is a member of the Boston Society of Architects, and a project management consultant. Involved in all aspects of photography for over 30 years, he teaches introductory and drone certification courses at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island and Northern Essex Community College(NECC) in Haverhill, MA. He is a professional photographer also specializing in portraits, events, and weddings on location or at his Stoneham studio. You can view his work at www.JosephTurner.Smugmug.com and JoeTurnerPhotog.Smugmug.com.

Town Day
2024-09-21 11:00 - 16:00 | MA
Join us at Stoneham’s annual Town Day. Sept 21, 2024 on Stoneham Common. The image above is of the 2021 Town Day by Joe Turner, who will speak at our October meeting.

Monthly Museum Opening & National History Day Exhibit
2024-09-15 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-08-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us at 36 William Street on the Third Sunday of the month from 2-4 pm to view both our temporary and long-term exhibits on the history of Stoneham.
For September and August, we are featuring the State Champion for Junior Exhibits in the National History Day contest, Operation Manna Chowhound: Humanitarian Efforts of World War II, researched and created by Maggie Xu and Nora Kennedy from Stoneham Central Middle School. Thousands of students and schools across the country compete in the annual history contest, which teaches historical research and presentation skills to both middle and high school students. Come check out their award-winning work! In September, Maggie and Nora will be on hand to discuss their exhibit and what they learned about this lesser-known airlift effort.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
2024-09-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
How many of the famous “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” can you name off the top of your head? When were these colossal buildings and monuments constructed? What methods were used in their creation? Who assembled this list, and why is it so renowned? How many of these architectural feats still exist today? Join biblical scholar and archaeologist Nate Ramsayer as he leads audience members on a brief tour of the ancient Near East, stopping at all seven locations. Each of these creations produced a sense of awe for the beholder and great sentiment of pride for the community and culture who created them—come share in the fascination of the most renowned monuments in all of history!
Doors open at 6:45 for visitors to tour the museum. A brief business meeting at 7:15 is followed by the talk at 7:30. Free and open to the public.
About the Speaker:
Nate Ramsayer is a freelance biblical studies instructor, giving guest lectures at churches, synagogues, senior communities, schools, and universities around the country. He holds an M.A. degree in Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East from Brandeis University. He is also an active archaeologist who has excavated at seven sites around the world, focusing mainly in Israel during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Nate’s scholarly research interests include: biblical composition and manuscript history, ancient Near Eastern myths, and exploring points at which the archaeological record confirms or is at tension with the narrative found in the Bible. He has also worked extensively in the field of the Dead Sea Scrolls, presenting papers, giving lectures, working with museum exhibits, and even researching at the Qumran caves where the scrolls were found. Additionally, Nate is an accomplished professional singer in Boston, performing regularly with the BSO and Boston Pops, as well as being active in musical theater. Other Nate fun facts: he is a former karaoke host, samurai sword tournament champion, and one of America’s top-scoring Ms. Pac-Man players.

Monthly Open House and Museum Opening
2024-07-21 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-16 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-03-17 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-02-18 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-01-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us at 36 William Street on the Third Sunday of the month from 2-4 pm to view both our temporary and long-term exhibits on the history of Stoneham

Children's Hands-on History Programs - Colonial Trades and Colonial Sampler
2024-06-25 10:30 - 14:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
We’re excited to offer two free short children’s programs this summer, that let kids learn about colonial history with fun hands-on activities.
Registration is required by June 18th. Programs will run from approximately 10:30 to noon and 1 to 2:30 pm.
Led by educational staff from Historic New England, each program is about 1 1/2 hours and children may sign up for one or both.
The morning program Colonial Trades lets children barter has a pre-program activity which can be sent in advance or before the program starts that morning. It will work best for slightly older children (Grades 3-6). The afternoon program, Colonial Sampler, shows what life was like for children in the 1700s. It works best for slightly younger children (Grades 1-5). Lunch is not provided. You can sign up for just one or for both sessions.
Colonial Trades – What did people do for work in colonial times?
Students learn what life was like during the years leading up to the Revolution. A pre-visit activity based on Colonel Samuel Pierce’s account book allows students to take on the roles of real Dorchester residents, including farmers, shoemakers, weavers, and blacksmiths.
Kids will learn about the goods and services each of their characters provided to the community and play a bartering game that mimics the economic system of colonial Massachusetts. Hands-on spinning and weaving activities allow them to further explore the production of goods using colonial resources and technology.

Colonial Sampler – What was it like to be a child in colonial times?
Learn what life in colonial times was like for children in New England. A series of hands-on activities teach about the work, education, and play of the Pierce children in eighteenth-century Dorchester. Students will see reproduction clothing that boys and girls wore in the past. Each student will make an herbal sachet, write with quill pens and play historic toys and games.
We are able to provide these programs free of charge due to the generosity of the National Coalition for Education & Cultural Programs and the Stoneham Business and Community Educational Foundation (SBCEF).
Register for the event

The Fabulous Tigerbelles - Women's Track Olympic Legends
2024-06-13 19:15 - 20:30 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Members of the Tennessee State Tigerbelles women’s track team pose with dozens of the trophies they won.

Join us for the epic story of the Tennessee State University all-Black women’s track team and their fight for women’s athletics, racial equality in the Jim Crow South, and Olympic glory. Wilma Rudolph, who in 1960 became the first woman to earn 3 Olympic Medals at a single Olympic Games, was only one of the stars of the legendary track team.
Author Aime Alley Card combined archival records with interviews of team members to tell the in-depth story of the Tigerbelles, who dominated Track and Field for decades, winning over 23 Olympic Medals, setting world records, and trailblazing for women’s sports.
Doors open at 6:45 for visitors to tour the museum. A brief business meeting at 7:15 is followed by the talk at 7:30. Free and open to the public.

The Most Hated Man in Revolutionary Boston
2024-06-04 19:00 | Stoneham Public Library, 431 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us in welcoming historian and author John Bell to speak on “As yet Unhanged”: Ebenezer Richardson and the Coming of the American Revolution. The focus is on Ebenezer Richardson, a customs agent and British informer convicted of shooting and killing a boy protesting outside of his house in 1770, making him “the most hated man in Boston.” The incident provoked a similar response as the Boston Massacre less than two weeks later, and played a large role in turning public sentiment toward supporting an open rebellion. Over 1,000 people attended Seider’s funeral procession from Boston’s Liberty Tree.
Richardson was a well-known scoundrel with many connections in and around his native Woburn- including Stoneham, where his mother Abigail Johnson Richardson Gould, moved after her remarriage.
About the speaker: John Bell (who writes as J.L.Bell) is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults and just published a book, The Road to Concord, which follows the fate of 4 cannon smuggled out of Boston to Concord – helping spark the Revolution. Mr. Bell has been a consultant for History Detectives, contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park and has produced other material for the National Park Service. His research can be found at at https://boston1775.blogspot.com/

This program has been made possible by a grant from the Stoneham and Massachusetts Cultural Councils.

Charlestown End Stone Walls - Preservation Month Meeting
2024-05-23 19:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
What do all those stone walls in the Middlesex Fells represent? How did Stoneham become Stoneham?
How did colonial English colonists parcel out land once held in common by the Pawtucket along the shores of Spot Pond? The answer lies in the stone walls and range lines of Charlestown End – what became Stoneham.
Join us as Alison Simcox and Doug Heath as they talk about the remnants of these range lines still existing and still marked by stone walls centuries later in the Middlesex Fells.
This is the annual joint meeting with the Stoneham Historical Commission for National Historic Preservation Month. (Note this meeting is the 4th Thursday of the Month, not our typical Second Thursday).

Alison C. Simcox and Douglas L. Heath are environmental scientists with an interest in local history. They are the authors of several books on local history, including the Middlesex Fells, Haywardville, Breakheart Reservation and Lake Quannapowitt.

Mural Reveal and Museum Opening
2024-05-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Enjoy the first chance for the public to view the spectacularly restored Richard Gibney mural: Stoneham: Yesterday and Today.
Conservators working to stretch the mural canvas
Join us at 36 William Street on the Third Sunday of each month from 2-4 pm to view both our temporary and long-term exhibits on the history of Stoneham.

Postponed - Research Your House Day
2024-04-21 13:00 - 16:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Due to ongoing construction, Research Your House Day, has been postponed. We will repost the new date once decided.

Come learn more about the history of your home and who might have lived in it during our annual research your house day. We will have our extensive collection of maps, street directories, tax info, and more available. Free admission.

April Monthly Meeting - Cancelled
2024-04-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Due to construction, the April meeting has been canceled.

Frances Perkins: The Unsung Hero Behind the New Deal
2024-03-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Stoneham Public Library, 431 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us at the Stoneham Public Library for The Unsung Heroine Behind the New Deal, an historical portrayal by Lady J. This program describes Frances Perkins’ rocky road to Washington. She was the architect of Social Security, the first female in the US Cabinet, and an object of admiration and contempt from her male colleagues. Frances Perkins was an unstoppable force in advocating safety and justice for working adults, children, and retirees.

Walk with Frances as this Massachusetts native celebrates hard-won victories, ploughs through political quagmires, and finesses gender-related quandaries in her mission to make government an ally of exploited workers, and forgotten retirees. Free admission. No registration required.
Note that this event is in the Marcy Room at the Stoneham Public Library, 431 Main Street, Stoneham,

Bare-knuckled Boxing at Spot Pond
2024-03-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us as we return to monthly evening meetings on the 2nd Thursday of the Month. Doors open at 6:45 for Museum viewing, with a short business meeting at 7:15 followed by the evening’s speaker.
Thursday, March 14 – speaker – Frank Hughes – “Illegal Bare-Knuckle Boxing Matches on Spot Pond”

How seeing a mural behind a bank counter as a youth led to a passion for history for this Medford native. The curiosity about the image on the mural of the men boxing on Great Island in Spot Pond unexpectedly resurfaced decades later when he learned that the mural had been removed and would be restored and permanently on exhibit at the Museum. His interest was rekindled and research resumed for a possible book. Did great heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan fight on Spot Pond ? Why did artist Gibney include this scene on the mural ? There are so many questions. Join us to learn some of the answers.

Christa McAuliffe- History at Play Performance
2024-02-22 18:00 - 19:30 | Stoneham Public Library, 431 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22 6:00—7:30 PM Marcy Room, Stoneham Library, 431 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180
“Discover the true story behind the incredible teacher, the American pioneer, and the internationally recognized heroine in a program made possible due to the generosity of the Bob Jolly Charitable Trust. The performance has been approved by the McAuliffe and Corrigan Families.”- History at Play TM
This performance is for ALL AGES; kiddos to adults! The program will be abridged to 60 minutes for the attention spans of our younger patrons, but will interest everyone.
CAREGIVERS: please see the Educator Prep Kit here before the program. The performance will discuss the Challenger tragedy, so we suggest that kids are prepped with some information prior to the program.
Sign up required on the library site.

Monthly Open House and Museum Opening
2023-12-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us for our monthly Museum opening on the 3rd Sunday of each month, from 2-4 PM. You can view both our permanent exhibits and our monthly revolving exhibits.
Date/Time
Date(s) – Sun: Dec 17, 2023
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Holiday Shopping Hours & Open House
2023-12-14 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-12-05 10:30 - 13:00, 2023-11-28 10:30 - 13:00, 2023-11-25 12:00 - 16:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us to SHOP LOCAL for Stoneham-related gifts from our gift shoppe. You’ll also have an opportunity to visit our Vietnam: Hometown to Hanoi exhibit.

Monthly Open House and Museum Opening
2023-11-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us for our monthly Museum opening on the 3rd Sunday of each month, from 2-4 PM. You can view both our permanent exhibits and our monthly revolving exhibits.
Date/Time
Date(s) – Sun: Nov 19, 2023
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Vietnam War Exhibit - Hometown to Hanoi
2023-11-11 11:30 - 14:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
October will see the mounting of a new temporary exhibit at the Society Historical Society Museum of photographs, artifacts, & memorabilia from our collections -donated by John Russell as well as loans from military ollector Mike Sallese.
Free & open to the public at Fall 2023 Programs & Open Houses –

Tuesdays – Nov 28, Dec 5— 10AM-1PM,
Thursdays- Oct. 12, Nov.9, Dec 14—6:45-9 PM
Saturdays. Nov. 11, 11:30AM-2PM; Nov 25, noon-4 PM
Sundays – Oct. 15, Nov 19, Dec 17—2-4 PM

The Magical Flying Santas
2023-11-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us for a talk on the The Magical Flying Santas: The story behind Christmas deliveries to New England Lighthouse families.
Free and open to the public.
Doors open at 6:45. There is a short business meeting at 7:15, followed by the program at 7:30 pm.
New England’s Flying Santas
During the Great Depression, aviator Capt. William “Bill” Wincapaw began the tradition of “The Flying Santa.” Born in Friendship, Maine, Wincapaw oversaw flight operations for the Curtiss Flying Service in Rockland, Maine. He came to admire Maine’s lighthouse keepers and their families for standing the watch in isolated and often inhospitable locations.
To show his appreciation for their dedication and self-sacrifice, Wincapaw decided to deliver gift parcels to local lighthouses on Christmas Day. Early in the morning on Dec. 25, 1929, Wincapaw loaded packages of Christmas gifts into his vintage Travel Air A-6000-A airplane, which featured a single radial engine and wicker seats. That first year, he airdropped Christmas gifts to a dozen lighthouses along Maine’s coast.
Wincapaw continued the tradition the following year. Over time, he came to be known as the “Flying Santa” and the “Santa of the Lighthouses.” He began to dress the part and enlisted his son, Bill Jr., to pilot additional Christmas Day flights. His gift parcels included basic items such as newspapers, magazines, coffee, tea, candy, tobacco, soup, yarn, pens, and pencils. By 1933, the program proved so popular that Wincapaw expanded it to include 91 lighthouses from Maine to Rhode Island and Connecticut. He even found commercial sponsors to underwrite the cost of the parcels and the flights.
Santa flights continue to this day.

Monthly Open House and Museum Opening
2023-10-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
Join us for our monthly Museum opening on the 3rd Sunday of each month, from 2-4 PM. You can view both our permanent exhibits and our monthly revolving exhibits.
Date/Time
Date(s) – Sun: Oct 15, 2023
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Inferno: The Boston Fire of 1872
2023-10-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Stoneham Historical Society & Museum, 36 William Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180, United States
In October, the Stoneham Historical Society & Museum welcomes back noted Boston historian Anthony Sammarco, speaking on the Fire that Reshaped Boston: the Boston Fire of 1872.
The Fire laid waste to large parts of downtown Boston ranging almost all the way from the Boston Common to the Harbor. The fire killed 20 people, destroyed 775 buildings and caused millions of dollars in damage to Boston’s commercial section. The conflagration ranks among the most destructive fires in American history
Anthony Mitchell Sammarco is a noted historian and author of over sixty books on the history and development of Boston, and he lectures widely on the history and development of his native city. He commenced writing in 1995, and his books Lost Boston, The History of Howard Johnson’s: How A Massachusetts Soda Fountain Became a Roadside Icon, and The Baker Chocolate Company: A Sweet History are among his many books that have made the bestsellers list.
Mr. Sammarco is employed by Boston-based Payne/Bouchier, Inc. and since 1997 he has taught history at the Urban College of Boston, where he was named educator of the year and where he serves on the Leadership Council.
