Planned Events on the 2014 CHS Calender
Historic Homes and Sites in Charlestown,
by Carl Zellner
Historian of the Charlestown Historical Society
Tuesday April 8, 2014 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Bunker Hill Museum, Auditorium.
Carl A. Zellner has created and presents this fascinatingl visual tour of Charlestown.
383 years old, Charlestown is full of history. It was the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and due to it’s small size, it is great place to walk and explore.
Carl begins with the rich history of City Square. Learn where the plaque is located that commemorates Elizabeth Foster Goose, who wrote ‘The Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe’. The tour goes to the Paul Revere and Galvin Memorial Park. You will learn about the memorial to the Charlestown victims of 9/11 as well as the plaque for Nathaniel Gorham, a signer of the U.S. Constitution. Discover the oldest House on Monument Square and much more.
Carl shares the history of Charlestown churches as well as the schools and important architecture. See the Salem Turnpike House as well as many other houses built in the late 1700’s and 1800’s to replace the complete destruction of Charlestown by the British.
The pictorial tour also includes the Navy Yard and the odd octagonal building. The tour goes up Harvard St to see the former Harvard School and the Harvard Mall.
Carl reveals the history of many interesting homes often owned by famous residents of Charlestown, and also introduces famous commercial properties such as the Charlestown Bank, and the Schrafft’s Candy Building.
Share his 30 years of history and research. Do not miss this chance to see every important park, memorial, church, school, cemetery and home in Charlestown – without having to actually Walk the Walk !!
Light refreshments will be provided.
Archaeology Walking Tour: From Bunker Hill Monument through the Big Dig to City Square
May 3, 2014 11am to 12 noon.
The Walking Tour will be led by Joe Bagley, City of Boston Archaeologist. The tour will point out the locations of past excavations and the significance to Charlestown today. The CPS, CHS, Friends of City Square and Friends of the Training Field will co-host the event.
The event will end at City Square, and then proceed to the Training Field for a Lunch hosted by the Friends of the Training Field.
Archaeological Investigation and Preservation of Training Field Park in Charlestown’s Winthrop Square
May 13, 2014 at 7:00-8:00 pm. Bunker Hill Museum
Joe Bagley City of Boston Archaeologist will speak for 45-50 minutes followed by questions. The talk will discuss the results of the recent eight new archaeological dig sites on the Training Field Park and how these findings explain the significance of the Training Field, as part of Charlestown’s History.
The Event will be included on the City Calendar and promoted by the CPS, CHS and Friends of the Training Field, to all their members. Snacks and coffee will be served.
Community Appreciation and Open House at the Bunker Hill Museum, The Bunker Hill Monument, and the Lodge.
May 21, 2014, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Bunker Hill Museum.
The National Park Service, Charlestown Militia and the CHS are co-sponsoring this event. It will appeal to both new and old families in Charlestown, especially Charlestown residents who have not been to the Battlefield, the Monument and the Museum.
Charlestown Scavenger Hunt
June 9, 2014 (Subject to Change) 1:30-3:00
Beginning at the Bunker Hill Museum, teams will set off into the Town, guided by devious clues, a map and hopefully their wits, to discover for themselves some obscure facts and stories about Charlestown’s history.
This activity is still in the cooking pot, but place a mark on your calender!
It is intended as a light hearted competition, and winners will be determined by a complex formula of clues found, locations photographed and items identified as well as completion time. Side treks will enable tie-breaking bonus points to be accrued.
There will be an entry fee per team, and the hunting packs will come to rest at a local watering hole where prizes will be presented – a few may even down a well earned libation – or two, or …..
Charlestown 1629-1692:From Deference to Defiance, by Roger Thompson, Author
June 24, 2014, (Subject to Change) 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Bunker Hill Museum.
Roger Thompson has spent thousands of hours researching the history of Charlestown in the 17th Century. Learn about the colorful history of the town’s settlement and governance, its relationship with land and sea, the church, local crime, violence and the role of women.
The presentation reveals the deeds and misdeeds of Charlestown’s early residents including merchants, mariners, heretics and holy men.