MA250

Revolutionary Tea on a Gambrel Roof
2025-05-21 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Tapley Memorial Hall, 13 Page Street, Danvers, MA, 01923, United States
A dramatization of ‘A Gambrel Roof’, a poem by Lucy Larcom. Reservations requested.
A creative multi-disciplinary theatrical presentation of a circa 1875 local poem about the historic Danvers Jeremiah Page House. Period music, and an art installation add to the illustration of the story:
In about 1770, when the British monarchy started taxing tea in the colonies, Jeremiah told Sarah that “no tea shall be drunk in this house”. However, while her husband was away one day, Sarah and two friends secretly had their tea ON the roof of the house. In Sarah’s words, “Upon a house is not within it”, so she was still obeying her husband’s wishes. This story was told to Anne L. Page, Jeremiah’s granddaughter, by a family friend many years later. Anne then told it to her friend Lucy Larcom, the famous Beverly poet. Lucy romanticized the story in the poem “A Gambrel Roof” written as the 100th birthday of our nation approached and published in the Atlantic Monthly.
Tapley Memorial Hall, 13 Page Street, Danvers MA. Wheelchair accessible building and parking available. Additional parking in the Elm Street lot.
Donations appreciated
We are proud to participate in Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program.
Danvers Historical Society: 978-777-1666 or E-mail to connect@danvershistory.org

French Material Culture in the Revolutionary Atlantic
2025-05-19 18:00 - 19:00 | Massachusetts Historical Society, Boylston Street 1154, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
This is a hybrid event. FREE for MHS Members. $10 per person fee (in person). No charge for virtual attendees or Card to Culture participants (EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare). The in-person reception starts at 5:30 and the program will begin at 6:00.
Lafayette’s tour of the United States in 1824-5 resulted in the production of objects—ceramics, textiles, prints, among others—all emblazoned with his name and visage. But like Lafayette himself, French impact on material culture dates to the American Revolution. Join us as Ashli White examines the influence of various French things on political movements throughout the revolutionary Atlantic world and considers how diverse populations turned to these items as part of their attempts to realize liberty and equality.

Deborah Sampson: A Revolution of Her Own
2025-05-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Martha Mary Chapel, Dutton Road 35, Sudbury, Massachusetts, 01776, United States
A Revolution of Her Own!
Deborah Sampson, the first woman to professionally fight in and be honorably discharged from the American Military, captivates audiences in an Immersive Living History Experience chronicling her life. An indentured servant by age five, Deborah grew up in a man’s world, where women were naught but second-class British subjects. As a self-educated, masterless woman, she felt a higher calling, and in the final years of the American War for Independence, Deborah bound her chest, tied back her hair, and enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Army, as “Robert Shurtlieff.”
A Revolution of Her Own! takes you back in time!
JUDITH “JUDE” KALAORA
Founder & Artistic Director
History At Play™
Judith is a professional educator & living historian. She graduated from Syracuse University Magna cum Laude and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting, along with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature, Language, & Culture. Judith completed the Globe Education Program at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. She founded History At Play™, LLC (HAP) in 2010 to chronicle the lives of influential and often forgotten figures. She researches, writes, produces, & performs original productions and has a repertoire of over 16 performances. In 2024, Judith was 1 of just over 100 civilians to attend the National Security Seminar at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA. Judith created HAP to engage audiences worldwide, surpassing the bar for hi-calibre in-person, virtual, & hybrid Immersive Living History to interpret connections between historical legacies and contemporary values.

Colonial Dance Tunes and Love Songs
2025-05-18 14:00 - 15:30 | Bedford Historical Society, South Road 16, Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730, United States
Dressed in the clothes of 18th-century itinerant musicians, Deirdre Sweeney and Al Petty will perform an extensive repertoire of historical dance music, as well as marches and laments, including 18th-century tunes such as “Mr. Isaac’s Maggot” and “Jack’s Health.” Their instruments include the flute, penny whistle, recorder, and fife. The music was gathered from manuscripts printed between the 17th and 19th centuries and arranged in counterpoint.
The two musicians, who sometimes appear with a third musician as the Colonial Minstrels, have long been active in related musical cultures, including American fife and drum and traditional Irish music. They are popular performers at the Paul Revere House Museum in Boston.
Doors open at 2 PM for a social period and refreshments; 2:15 PM Announcements and Annual Meeting, followed by the Guest Speaker.
This program is offered by the Bedford Historical Society as part of the Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History, an annual month-long celebration showcasing events and activities hosted by local partners celebrating the unique places, objects, and stories of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Hidden Treasures programs are free and open to the public. Learn more at freedomsway.org/hidden-treasures.

Battle of Grape Island
2025-05-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Hingham Bathing Beach, Otis Street 95, Hingham, Massachusetts, 02043, United States
Witness the only local battle of the American Revolution! On May 21, 1775, a skirmish broke out on Grape Island, then owned by Hingham loyalist Elijah Leavitt. To commemorate the 250th anniversary, the Hingham Militia, Wareham Militia, and the 64th Light Infantry will reenact this pivotal moment. Ceremonial remarks, historic narrative, music, and refreshments will be provided. Free.

Voices from the Grave: Heroes of the American Revolution
2025-05-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Springfield Cemetery, Maple Street 171, Springfield, Massachusetts, 01105, United States
Honor the legacy of the American Revolution and Springfield’s contribution at war and on the homefront, by joining us at our commemorative “Voices from the Grave: Heroes of the American Revolution” cemetery tour at Springfield Cemetery, on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Seven historical residents will be featured on the tour, including John Bryant III (1742-1816), first Armory Superintendent, who lost his arm in battle; Hannah Mason Bryant (1756-1829), who sewed flannel cartridges for the Continental army; Nathaniel Brewer (1711-1809), Deacon of First Church for 53 years, and a joiner by trade; and Susan Freedom (1784-1803), a Black indentured servant whose name poignantly symbolizes the struggle for freedom and identity among African Americans in the post-Revolutionary War era. Join the tour to see who else from Springfield’s revolutionary history will be highlighted! This tour will highlight the oldest gravestones and residents ever featured on the “Voices from the Grave” tours, ongoing for more than a decade. Hosted by the Springfield Preservation Trust and developed by historian Derek Strahan and SPT Secretary Michael Stevens, the “Heroes of the American Revolution” tour is an hour-long experience through Springfield Cemetery. It is led by docents who take visitors on a tour to graves of interesting cemetery residents, where costumed interpreters speak about each person of intrigue. Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street. Tickets are $20 for Springfield Preservation Trust members, and $25 for non-members. (Use promo code “SPTMember” if you are a Trust member, for the $5 discount.) Purchase a ticket through Eventbrite. This event is held rain or shine! This event is supported by a Massachusetts 250 grant, administered by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) within the Executive Office of Economic Development, in celebration of the American Revolution’s 250th Anniversary.

Abigail Adams Birthplace Open Hours
2025-05-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Abigail Adams Birthplace, Norton Street 180, Weymouth, Massachusetts, 02191, United States
Enjoy a guided tour during open hours at the Abigail Adams Birthplace on Sunday, May 18, 2025 from 1 – 3 p.m.
Built in 1685, the Abigail Smith Adams (1744-1818) Birthplace was home to this exceptional woman for the first twenty years of her life. It has survived two relocations and now stands as a monument to her extraordinary life.
Please note: Visits are by guided tour only. Tours begin on the half hour, with the last tour starting at 2:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 adults/$5 children and members are free!
For more information, please visit our website: https://abigailadamsbirthplace.org/

Hingham250 - Battle of Grape Island 250th Anniversary Reenactment
2025-05-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Hingham Bathing Beach, Otis Street 95, Hingham, Massachusetts, 02043, United States
The Battle of Grape Island or the Grape Island Alarm commemorates the May 21, 1775 provisions skirmish between militia from the South Shore of Boston – namely Hingham, Hull, Weymouth, Braintree, Scituate, and Abington – and the British who were occupying Boston Harbor and attempted to resupply on Grape Island at the invitation of Hingham Loyalist Elijah Leavitt. Militia chased the British off of Grape Island and then marched as an angry mob to Leavitt’s Hingham home. Leavitt and his wife, Ruth appeased the mob with rum and cake. On commemoration day, we honor this history with ceremony, a reenactment between the Hingham Militia Company and His Majesty’s 64th Regiment of Foot. Remarks, and refreshments for all. Free and open to the public.

Concord 250 Concert: Colonial Era House Music
2025-05-17 19:30 - 21:00 | Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street, Concord, 01742, United States
Come and enjoy a light-hearted concert of music that might have been performed in a parlor or for a social gathering in Concord during the colonial period and just afterwards. The program includes: songs composed by one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence from a collection dedicated to George Washington; a set of keyboard variations to the tune of “Yankee Doodle,” which reportedly was sung as a taunt by the colonists as the British troops retreated from Concord on April 19th and later served as the unofficial hymn of the Continental Army, as well as music by two Boston composers associated with King’s Chapel.
Featuring works by 18th-century American composers: William Selby, William Billings, Francis Hopkinson, and James Hewitt, as well as music by C.P.E. Bach and John Stafford Smith
Robert Barney, portative organ
Ellen Carlson-Dunmire, soprano
Ethel Farny, flute
Sally Sanford, soprano
Anne Hooper Webb, violin
The program will last about an hour.

Concord250 Event: Concord Triptych Film Screening
2025-05-17 15:00 - 17:00 | The Umbrella Arts Center, Stow Street 40, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
May 17, 2025, 3 p.m.
The Umbrella Arts Center Main Stage Theater 144
Five Sisters Productions and the Tufts University Half the History Film Project return to The Umbrella Arts Center to present a program of three locally shot short films about impactful women in Concord history.
The featured films will be:
–Margaret Lothrop and the Wayside (Premiere screening with new score)
–Ellen Garrison: Scenes from an Activist Life (Return engagement)
–Women of the Old Manse (Sneak peek)
Related family activities include optional childcare with teacher-led thematically related crafts during the screening, and a table display of Rise Up!, a new children’s book by Barefoot Books on revolutions and protest in U.S. history.
Partners: The Umbrella Arts Center, Tufts University Half the History Film Project, The Robbins House, Barefoot Books, Concord 250
FREE

Revolutionary Plymouth 250: “Revolutionary Voices: Plymouth Debates Liberty and Loyalty”
2025-05-17 15:00 - 17:00 | 1749 Court House Museum, Town Square 4, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 02360, United States
Co-produced by Plymouth Antiquarian Society and Mercy Otis Warren Society, this powerful short play brings to life the fierce debates of Plymouth’s Committee of Correspondence as they grappled with how to respond to the escalating tensions leading to the American Revolution. Performed in the very space where these deliberations once unfolded, the play draws from authentic resolutions, letters, and documents of the era. Adding depth and perspective, the play also features commentary from Mercy Otis Warren—Plymouth’s own trailblazing political thinker and one of the most influential women of the Revolutionary era. The performance will be followed by a discussion with the cast and Nancy Rubin Stuart, President of the Mercy Otis Warren Society and author of The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nation.

Revolutionary Tea on a Gambrel Roof w/tea & cake
2025-05-17 15:00 - 17:00 | Tapley Memorial Hall, 13 Page Street, Danvers, MA, 01923, United States
A dramatization of ‘A Gambrel Roof’, a poem by Lucy Larcom. Reservations required $20pp.
A creative multi-disciplinary theatrical presentation of a circa 1875 local poem about the historic Danvers Jeremiah Page House. Period music, an art installation, historic tea blends and signature cakes add to the illustration of the story:
In about 1770, when the British monarchy started taxing tea in the colonies, Jeremiah told Sarah that “no tea shall be drunk in this house”. However, while her husband was away one day, Sarah and two friends secretly had their tea ON the roof of the house. In Sarah’s words, “Upon a house is not within it”, so she was still obeying her husband’s wishes. This story was told to Anne L. Page, Jeremiah’s granddaughter, by a family friend many years later. Anne then told it to her friend Lucy Larcom, the famous Beverly poet. Lucy romanticized the story in the poem “A Gambrel Roof” written as the 100th birthday of our nation approached and published in the Atlantic Monthly.

Red Lion Tavern Tour
2025-05-17 14:00 - 17:00 | Red Lion Tavern, West Street 621, Carlisle, Massachusetts, 01741, United States
The Carlisle Historical Society is excited to offer a special tour of the historic Red Lion Tavern in Carlisle, Massachusetts. The tavern is still in private hands after nearly 250 years and this tour marks the first time in recent history that it has been open to the public.
Visitors will have a chance to learn about taverns in colonial times and also learn about John Heald (the Tavern’s proprietor) and his father who both served in the Revolutionary War. The tour will include the history of the building as well as some discussion about colonial architectural practices. After touring the tavern, visitors can explore the 65 acre property including the site of the old “powder mill”, rumored to be where Carlisle’s militiamen produced and stored their supply of gun powder in 1775. Militiamen re-enactors will also be drilling and firing muskets on the lawn.
The tour will take place on Saturday, May 17th and visitors are welcome to drop in between 2:00-5:00 pm. The event is free and complimentary food and drinks will be provided. The tour is supported in part with grant funding from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, MA250, and the Carlisle Cultural Council.

Springham
2025-05-17 14:00 - 17:00 | Hingham Heritage Museum, Main Street 34, Hingham, MA, 02043, United States
Live Music, family activities, drinks from Vitamin Sea Brewing, and the opportunity to explore our Visitor Center and Museum Shop. Join us as we celebrate SPRINGHAM 2025!
Join popular local performers Tequila Tim and Thirsty Boots for an afternoon of music and community. FREE. Fun for all ages. In partnership with the Hingham Downtown Association and Hingham Anchor.

Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts
2025-05-17 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-16 11:00 - 16:00 | Congregational Library & Archives, Beacon Street 14, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, United States
The Congregational Library & Archives presents a new in-person exhibition, “Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts.” The exhibition highlights the stories of Massachusetts Congregationalists drawn from the CLA’s important collections.
By the time the war began, many Congregationalists had embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. They believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified, sacred rebellion. Through sermons, books, poems, songs, and letters, Congregationalists shared their stories, reflected on their moral obligations to each other, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. But consensus was elusive, and implementation proved difficult and unsatisfactory to many, especially those on the margins.
These discussions shaped the legacy of Congregationalism and the way the Revolutionary War is remembered today, 250 years later.

Mansfield's 250th Grand Parade
2025-05-17 11:00 - 15:00 | Massachusetts
Mansfield is hosting its 250th Grand Parade on Saturday, May 17th starting at 11am. Community partners, sponsors, and onlookers will line the streets of Mansfield’s Downtown area to delight in the sights and sounds of our Grand Parade in celebration of our beloved hometown’s 250th Anniversary. Join us in celebrating this momentous occasion, generously sponsored by our Pillar of the Community Sponsor: Bluestone Bank.

"Spies Among Us" year long exhibit opening on February 6th 2025
2025-05-17 10:00 - 14:00 | Golden Ball Tavern Museum, Boston Post Road 662, Weston, Massachusetts, 02493, United States
“Spies Among Us” will open on Thursday, February 6th at 10 a.m. during the museum’s first Thursday opening hours. We will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 6th and will be open every Thursday going forward from 10-4. We will also showcase the exhibit during our February Second Sunday Open House on Sunday, February 9th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The exhibit will recall the story of General Gage’s spies who visited the Tavern in 1775, explore examples of espionage on both sides, and examine the many ways of spying that were used during the American Revolution.
Spycraft played a pivotal role during the American Revolution, with both the Continental Army and British forces using intelligence operations to gain strategic advantages. The Golden Ball Tavern and its proprietor Isaac Jones, played host on a few occasions to British spies sent, by General Thomas Gage, to survey the towns that were scattered around the area from Boston to Worcester. This was just one of the British military’s tactics for keeping the Patriots in line. On the American side, espionage was essential in countering the British military’s superior resources and manpower.
The spycraft of the American Revolution was marked by its ingenuity, the use of civilian networks, and the blending of military and civilian espionage tactics. Though it was often risky and unreliable, intelligence-gathering operations played a critical role in the eventual success of the American cause, allowing the Continental Army to take advantage of British vulnerabilities and ultimately secure victory.
Join us as we introduce our new exhibit and our new Thursday opening hours. The museum will continue to be open every second Sunday of the month for our Second Sunday Open House Tours and will now be open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
We look forward to welcoming you!

Hingham's Revolutionary Weekend
2025-05-17 - 2025-05-18 | Hingham Heritage Museum, Main Street 34, Hingham, MA, 02043, United States
Keep the revolutionary spirit alive with the Hingham Historical Society! Join us for Hingham’s Revolutionary Weekend May 17-18, 2025, celebrating ordinary people who did extraordinary things and unwittingly became authors of American History. To commemorate this incredible milestone, the Hingham Historical Society, Discover Hingham, the Town of Hingham, and the Hingham Militia have partnered to launch the inaugural Hingham Revolutionary Weekend! This family-friendly event, with a special MBTA ferry service from Boston to Hingham, will feature guided tours, fife and drum performances, bell ringing, Springham!, a Taste of Americana pop up, kite flying, and more games and activities for revolutionaries of all ages. The weekend culminates in the 250th commemorative reenactment of the Battle of Grape Island, the oft overlooked “second” battle of the American Revolution.

Paul Revere's Bike Ride for the Concord Museum
2025-05-17 | Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Paul Revere’s Bike Ride for the Concord Museum will be held on Saturday, May 17th to mark the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution.
Registered participants will enjoy a recreational ride through Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Bedford, and Carlisle. Starting at the Concord Museum, cyclists can choose to ride a 21.3- or 32.4-mile loop on paved roads, passing many historic sites including the North Bridge, the Lexington Green, and the Paul Revere capture site. A post-ride party with food, drink, and entertainment will be held on the Museum lawn at the end of the Ride.
All net proceeds from the events will support the Museum’s educational programs, making it possible for more than 14,000 school children to learn from the Museum’s unique collection and expert educators.

Concord250 Event: Period Music Concert
2025-05-16 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street, Concord, 01742, United States
Musicians of Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street will offer a concert of music from the 18th c at the church on Friday, May 16th at 7:30 PM. Performers will include musicians from Concord, and surrounding towns. Music performed will be by composers whose music may well have been performed in and around Concord at the time of the historic battle, including those from Europe and the Colonies, including William Billings of Boston.

Concord250 Event: “Freedom, Courage, and Love” Tanya Bartevyan Piano Recital
2025-05-16 19:30 - 21:00 | TriCon Church, Walden Street 54, Concord, Massachusetts, 01742, United States
Concord250 Event: “Freedom, Courage, and Love” Tanya Bartevyan Piano Recital
May 16 @ 7:30 PM
Tanya Bartevyan Piano Recital: “Freedom, Courage, and Love”
Featuring: Florence Price Piano Sonata in E minor, Beethoven Pathetique Sonata, and other works.
Mass Cultural Council

Abigail Adams as performed by Sheryl Faye
2025-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Adams Free Library, Park Street 92, Adams, Massachusetts, 01220, United States
Join us for an evening with Abigail Adams as performed by Sheryl Faye.
Thursday, May 15, 6 p.m. at Adams Free Library (92 Park Street, Adams, MA 01220)
Join the Friends of The Adams Free Library in celebrating the life of Abigail Adams, the first First Lady to reside in the White House, with her husband, President John Adams, in November 1800.
Sheryl Faye becomes Abigail Adams, the woman who instructed her to “Remember the Ladies… if particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies, we are determined to foment a Rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.”
Light refreshments will be served at 5 p.m. in the Lower Level.
Performance will begins at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Room
Tickets are $20.00 with limited seating. (NO Tickets will be sold at the door)
Tickets may be purchased at the Adams Free Library front desk, or by contacting Ed or Pam St. John 413-743-5603 or by email at estjohn1@roadrunner.com

Letters from Chelsea and the Siege of Boston
2025-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Governor Bellingham Cary House, Parker Street 34, Chelsea, MA, 02150, United States
Join us for a presentation by Mimi Graney at 6:30 p.m.
During the Siege of Boston, as war and hardship consumed the city, Chelsea became an unexpected refuge. This presentation brings the crisis to life through firsthand accounts that reveal the uncertainty, fear, and resilience of those caught in the turmoil. At the heart of these accounts are the letters of Colonel Loammi Baldwin, who reported directly to General George Washington while overseeing the flood of desperate civilians escaping Boston via the Winnisimmet Ferry. Baldwin’s correspondence provides a vivid record of the refugee movement, the surveillance of British ships, and the challenges of defending Chelsea during this pivotal moment in the Revolution.
About Mimi Graney
Mimi Graney is a trustee of the Bellingham Cary House and formerly worked for the City of Chelsea where she focused on public art and local initiatives for community building and economic development. She is the author of Fluff: The Sticky Sweet Story of an American Icon, which traces the history of Marshmallow Fluff while exploring broader themes of American culture, industrialization, and advertising.

The Cape & Islands in the Revolution – Little Known Facts & Events
2025-05-15 16:00 - 17:30 | Falmouth Museums on the Green, Palmer Avenue 55, Falmouth, MA, 02540, United States
The Cape & Islands in the Revolution – Little Known Facts & Events
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 4pm
Museum on the Green Falmouth Historic Society
The Revolutionary War was a period which was not only centered in the well-known venues of Boston Philadelphia, New York State, Virginia, and beyond, but also included key events and individuals on Cape Cod and the Islands who played important parts in the fight for Independence. This special presentation on a lesser-known topic will feature highlighted events and people from the period 1761 (end of the French and Indian Wars) to 1783 (the Treaty of Paris) as they unfolded on and involved people of the Cape and islands. Included also will be details on the Battle of Falmouth of April 1779. David Martin, Editor of a new book, “The Cape and Islands in the American Revolution—The Antecedents, the Rebellion, and the Conflict”, will provide the presentation, and the book will also be available for purchase.

Plymouth in the Revolution Lecture Series 2025
2025-05-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Plymouth Public Library, South Street 132, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 02360, United States
Two hundred years ago, on 19 April 1775, American history changed. Colonial forces faced the British army at Lexington & Concord … and won. Word spread rapidly, and two regiments of Plymouth “Minute Men,” led by Colonel Theophilus Cotton, rallied to the Patriot cause. For the next six years, Plymoutheans participated in America’s battle for independence.
Although not the site of any great battles, nor the home of any triumphant generals, Plymouth is filled with the stories of the lawmakers and lawyers whose rhetoric inspired the Patriot cause, of the men who risked their lives and livelihood in military service, and of the civilians who kept the home fires burning, as well as of the Americans who, valuing loyalty above all, continued to support the King. They illuminate the complex and fascinating history of Massachusetts’ earliest town, as it embraced the movement for American independence, and the lasting impact it made on the Town’s historical landscape.
April 2: Stephen O’Neill – Plymouth’s 1749 Courthouse: Revolution in the Courts
April 9: Peggy Baker – Benjamin Warren’s War: A Plymouthean in the Continental Army
April 30: Patrick Browne – “Patriotism in a High Degree Zealous”: Ephraim Spooner & the Home Front
May 7: Mark Schmidt – Choosing Sides: Loyalists in the American Revolution
May 14: Donna Curtin – Dr. James Thacher & Plymouth’s Revolutionary Generation

Siege of Boston 250th Special Anniversary Tour
2025-05-14 10:00 - 12:30 | Massachusetts
Join Hub Town Tours as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Siege of Boston, the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. We will explore life in and around Boston during its occupation by British troops in 1775 and highlight the efforts of Provincial forces led by General George Washington. This 2.5-hour walking tour will travel along the Freedom Trail and follow in the footsteps of Colonial Bostonians, all of whom grappled with the difficult – yet essential – question of loyalty or rebellion to crown and country. As we travel past historic landmarks from Revolutionary Boston, your guide shares the gripping story of a small colonial town careening toward war with the British empire.

Historic Clothing Parlor Talk: “Clothing of the Revolutionary Era”
2025-05-13 14:00 - 15:00 | Hedge House Museum, 126 Water Street, Plymouth, MA, 02360
Part of a series highlighting pieces from our Historic Clothing Collection which is undergoing considerable conservation work this year. This discussion will explore examples of the styles and fabrics of the late 18th century, revealing how fashion reflected social status and the daily challenges of life during the Revolutionary Era.

Reimagining Paul Revere: A Conversation with Narragansett Artist and Community Activist Sage Carbone
2025-05-10 14:00 - 15:30 | Arlington Historical Society, Jason Street 7, Arlington, MA, 02476, United States
Join us for a special viewing and discussion with Boston-based artist Sage Carbone about her Indigenous beadwork reimagining of Cyrus Dallin’s Paul Revere statue. This piece was commissioned by the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum for display in the Euro-American Figures Gallery with the support of a grant from Arlington Commission on Arts and Culture. Carbone will share how her art relates to her efforts to elevate the histories and perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Greater Boston today through such work as the Indigenous Languages Visibility Project in Cambridge and annual Red Sox Native American Celebration.
Sage Carbone is a member of the Northern Narragansett Tribe and has Nipmuc and Mi’kmaq ancestry. This program is offered in conjunction with Freedom’s Way Hidden Treasures program and Arlington 250. Carbone views the semi quincentennial as an opportunity to envision what the next 250 years could look like when we engage with history in ways that lift up everyone.
Registration is not required.
This program is offered by Woburn Public Library as part of the Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History, an annual month-long celebration showcasing events and activities hosted by local partners celebrating the unique places, objects, and stories of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Hidden Treasures programs are free and open to the public. Learn more at freedomsway.org/hidden-treasures.

Painting the Town 250: Curators’ Talk & Reception
2025-05-10 14:00 - 15:30 | Old Schwamb Mill, Mill Lane 17, Arlington, Massachusetts, 02476, United States
The Old Schwamb Mill is partnering with ArtsArlington to show examples of diverse public art projects to be installed around Arlington as part of the 250th commemoration of the American Revolution.
The artworks include 12 banners on light poles along Mass Ave., painted horses and utility boxes, sculptural pedestals, and a timeline project connecting past and present.
Public Arts Curator Cecily Miller will lead a discussion of the challenges, complexities and rewards of developing public artworks for Arlington 250.
See ArtsArlington.org for more information about the artists and other public art projects.
This program is offered by Woburn Public Library as part of the Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History, an annual month-long celebration showcasing events and activities hosted by local partners celebrating the unique places, objects, and stories of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Hidden Treasures programs are free and open to the public. Learn more at freedomsway.org/hidden-treasures.
