BRAINTREE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Upcoming Events

 


Braintree Historical Society

Craft Festival

October 5th 2019

Thayer House Grounds

9AM – 1PM

The Braintree Historical Society is sponsoring a craft festival to raise funds for our many projects. All proceeds with benefit the programs the Society offers. Handicapped pathway will be installed. 

Fee: $30 one table space;
$35 includes a table

The Beer Garden will be on site from Noon to 5 PM.

CLICK BELOW TO reserve your space

CRAFT FAIR

Braintree Beer GardenEvery Saturday through

October 26th

Thayer House Grounds

12 - 5PM

Hosted on the Thayer House Grounds, the Braintree Beer Garden boasts 5+ types of beers provided by Craft Beer Cellar Braintree, and different Massachusetts-based food trucks every Saturday. 

Family Friendly           Dog Friendly

History of the Braintree Municipal Golf Course

November 13th, 2019

7PM - 8:30PM

Join us in learning more about the founding and history of the Braintree Municipal Golf Course with John Donovan.

More information to come!

PARANORMAL TOUR 2019

November 16th 2019

3PM - 11PM
Click here for Details


Book Now to Reserve Your Spot (limited capacity)

$50 per Person


Join us for a night of Ghost Hunting at the Thayer House, Gallivan House, and the Barn on the Thayer House Campus.


Tour Meets at the Mary Bean Cunningham Library and Resource Center


New and Noteworthy

What's New at the Library and Resource Center?

Click here to find out!


OUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION




Braintree High School Social Studies Department/Braintree Historical Society Partnership 2018/2019

The Braintree Historical Society is happy to have the opportunity to partner with Braintree High School in support of this year’s History of Braintree course.  Students enrolled in this semester-long, research-based course will research and examine the history, geography, economy, government, and politics of the Town of Braintree, Massachusetts, from its founding in 1625 to the present day. Beginning with discussions in the 2017/2018 school year, Gorman Lee, Director of Social Studies for Braintree High School is partnering with Braintree Historical Society as a part of this year’s class. 

On Wednesday, September 26, 2018, students in the History of Braintree course, Mr. Lee and Bob Harris of the Society’s Board of Directors, met at the Civil War Monument on the Town Green.  After a brief discussion of the monument, Dr. Harris reviewed the Society’s three homes on Washington Street in a short walk to the Society’s Gilbert L. Barn Museum and Mary Bean Cunningham Historical Resource Center at 31 Tenney Road.

Students had an opportunity to tour the Society’s newly relocated historical library and genealogical resource center, to look at historical items on exhibit on the building’s ground level, including a Roman oil lamp, circa 70 – 100 AD (currently on loan to the Society), and to look at some of the items in storage in the building’s newly restored lower level climate-controlled collections storage area and lower level library.

Students will be exploring, investigating, and analyzing various primary source documents and artifacts that collectively tell the story of their hometown, including items in the Society’s collection. Students will contribute in developing the primary text for this course and will also complete a culminating final research project (or paper). 

The Braintree Historical Society is pleased to support Dr. Lee, his students and Braintree High School in this initiative and in collaborative efforts in future years.



CATS Academy/Braintree Historical Society Partnership

The Braintree Historical Society is excited to partner with students from CATS Academy in their year-long initiative to support the Braintree Historical Society with community service. 

CATS Academy, an international boarding school with locations in Great Britain and Braintree, MA provides a college preparatory curriculum with an emphasis on academic rigor and English proficiency, drawing students from across the world.  (See July 2019 Lantern Online Then & Now article.)

 The Academy, located in the newly-renovated former Norfolk County Hospital for the Treatment of Tuberculosis, has reached out to the Braintree Historical Society with an offer to volunteer time and effort in all areas of the Society’s needs for volunteers.

Ms. Darcy Daniels, of the CATS Academy History Department, met initially with Society Board Members, Bob Harris and Aziz Karsan to explore the opportunity for CATS students to volunteer at least one afternoon a month over the course of the 2018/2019 school year.  Ms. Daniels offered to support a group of 10 to 12 students to assist the Society in tasks varying from electronically documenting collection items, to tech and social media support, to events preparation and to grounds maintenance – an offer that is welcomed with open arms!


Twelve students, Ms. Daniels, Mr. Karsan and Dr. Harris met for the first time on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 26, 2018, for the students to receive the Society’s recently-developed Volunteer Orientation presentation, to answer student questions and to tour the Society’s collection displays on the Barn’s ground level.  The students, from Asia, Mexico and South America, had many questions and ideas, including how to “hook us (BHS) up” with an Instagram account with which each of the students will share their 1000 followers (a potential total of 12,000 contacts for a BHS social media Instagram account).

The CATS students and Ms. Daniels will be volunteering once weekly to help prepare for the Society’s Grand Reopening of the Gilbert L Bean Barn and Mary Bean Cunningham Historical Resource Center.  The Society looks forward to energetic and enthusiastic contribution of these young volunteers.





HS - Thayer Academy - 2018 Intern Program:

BHS was pleased to host Senior Max Wagner from Thayer Academy during the month of May 2018 for a student internship as a part of his year-end senior project.

Max worked at the Society’s Gilbert Bean Barn & Mary Bean Cunningham Resource Center 5 mornings a week, supporting BHS Directors, Curators and Librarians, Bob Harris, Mary Frazier, Ruth Powell, Claudia Shutter and Claudette Newhall with a variety of tasks critical to the Society’s reorganization of the 31 Tenney Road location.


Max toured the Society’s General Sylvanus Thayer House & Museum and the Gallivan House, had the opportunity to view many of the Society’s collection items and had the opportunity to learn about both famous and infamous aspects of Braintree’s history. In addition to working to relocate and restore the Society’s computer and internet systems, Max played a major role in moving collection items stored in the Barn loft and the attic, in reorganizing spaces on the first and basement floors of the building and in repairing parts of the building and collection items.

Max’s efforts were central to making significant progress toward the Society’s goal of reopening to the public the Gilbert Bean Barn and Mary Bean Cunningham Resource Center in the fall. While those who worked with Max will miss him, they and the Society wish him the best as he graduates, enters college, and moves forward with the next major step in his young life.


Girl Scouts Program






Boy Scouts Program

In collaboration with the Braintree Historical Society and the Braintree Public Schools 3rd and 5th grade students will visit the General Sylvanus Thayer Birthplace during the first two weeks of June 2018 for their annual "Braintree, Our Town" field trip.           
Two other stops of this Tri-Visit Program include visits to the Braintree Fire Station for a tour and fire truck exploration and a visit to Braintree Town Hall, where they meet the Mayor, view the original Indian Deed to the Town of Braintree, and tour the operations of their local town government first hand.   
      
At the General Sylvanus Thayer birthplace, children will be greeted by a costumed volunteer and after a brief introduction about General Sylvanus Thayer and the 1720 home in which he was born, they will begin their educational tour stepping back to the period of 1785. 

 Through guided talks by volunteers and demonstrations of the crafts and chores necessary for everyday living, they will experience what life was like for Sylvanus as a little boy growing up in Braintree at that time.


What is it?   October

HINT: Made entirely of wood, probably elm, this item is  approximately 6” wide with a 5” handle.


What was it ?  September

This is a carriage jack.  The wood fame  jack with iron serrated edge was used to lift your wagon, carriage or cart when the wheel broke or fell off or the axle was damaged. They were in extensive use throughout the world until the beginning of the 20th century.



Go to Curator's Corner to see more of our collection:SEE MORE

GRADUATION PARTY

On Sunday, August 26th, the Bowes-Andrews family of Braintree hosted a Graduation Party on the Society's campus for their daughter,  Alyssa, celebrating her graduation this year from Stonehill College with a major in history.
Fifty family members and close friends attended a delightful gathering featuring a catered buffet dinner with beverages and desserts. 
In addition to enjoying the ambiance of a historical venue, guests were able to see artifacts of local and national historical significance on display in the Society's newly reorganized Barn. And over 30 guests participated in guided tours of General Sylvanus Thayer Birthplace, an 18th century home and museum, with period furnishings that captures what home life was like for a middle-class family in the 1700s.
The 3 hour celebration took place under the shade of the campus's old trees, with a pleasant breeze and a perfect blue sky. The day and the celebration could not have been better!



John A. Dennehy was born and raised in Braintree. He is a former member and past chairman of the Braintree Board of Selectmen and past president of the Braintree Historical Society. He is an attorney and a history professor. On Thursday afternoon, August 30, 2018, John presented a Photographic History of Braintree to residents of Glen Manor Estates, an assisted living facility in Braintree, which offers activities at their location for residents. 
An enthusiastic group were reminded of how the face of Braintree has changed from its formative years to today.
First settled in 1634 Braintree was primarily a farming community for almost three centuries and home to a number of water-powered mills and businesses, which prospered along the banks of the Monatiquot River. Horse ridden paths gave way to trams and cable cars later to be replaced by classic motor cars for the wealthy until Henry Ford introduced mass produced vehicles that now smother our roads. 
With the arrival of the railroad in the mid-19th century, several manufacturing plants were built near South Braintree Square. Farming and manufacturing have since been replaced by white-collar businesses and retail establishments. Since World War II, Braintree has become home to a larger and increasingly diverse residential and business population due in part to its proximity to Boston and three major highways.
John painted vivid images of life then, supported by his photographs, stories and his passion for history. He included many previously unpublished photographs from the archives of the Braintree Historical Society. These sparked so many memories of life then by this retired community!

Over the last month, BHS launched a new Volunteer Initiative.  We hosted two very successful Volunteer Orientation sessions. We had a full house of Volunteers bringing new energy, ideas, enthusiasm, and learning about the incredible history and legacy of the Braintree Historical Society, founded in 1930.  Our goal for this Initiative is to increase our volunteers to 100 over the course of the coming year. Won't you join us? Volunteer  

Gilbert L Bean Museum & Mary Bean Cunningham Historical Resource Center

Open Tuesday & Wednesday 9:30 AM -12:30 PM; Saturday Noon to 4 PM; Other Days & Times By Appointment

Tours of The Thayer Birthplace

Available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 AM - 2 PM - BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Appointments should be made at least two days in advance
by emailing BHS at braintreehistoricalevents@gmail.com to confirm availability. Group Tours are encouraged.

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