Society News

2019
Happy New Year!

Patriots’ Path: Steps to Revolution Performance – CD’s Now Available

Littleton Historical Society announces that CDs of the successful performance of “Patriots’ Path: Steps to Revolution” on March 29, 2019 are now available. The CD s prepared by LCTV, can be purchased for $10 at LCTV at 37 Shattuck Street in the Town Office Building. Check office hours on the websitewww.littletonma.org/LCTV, or call 978-540-2488.

CDs are also available at the Historical Society, 4 Rogers Street, which is open on Wednesday afternoons from 1 to 4 pm. You can call 978-486-8202 or e-mail Littleton.HistSociety@verizon.net to let us know you would like to purchase a copy. Arrangements can be made for convenient pick-up.

Patriots’ Path: Steps to Revolution
An original short play that uses historical records to portray Littleton’s citizens in the shift from loyal British subjects to American revolutionaries.

Guided discussion following the play.

Friday, March 29, 2019
7:30 PM
First Church Unitarian
19 Foster Street, Littleton, MA

The Historical Society brings local history to life with a cast of local residents portraying actual men and women of Littleton who lived 250 years ago through the tumultuous events leading up to the Revolution. Some were Tories loyal to the crown; others were Patriots who protested British attempts to revoke their rights as colonists. One woman who was enslaved yearned for the freedoms others took for granted. As the story unfolds, characters reveal their feelings and tell about the impact these events had on their lives and those of their families.

During the decade between 1764 and 1775, colonists who were once loyal subjects of the British Empire and had fought with British troops in the French and Indian War made life-changing decisions to became Patriots who, little more than 10 years later, fought in the Revolution against the British. There will be time after the performance to ask questions and share ideas. The discussion will be moderated by Susan Harvey, member of the High School faculty, and Roland Gibson, retired educator.

The Society thanks the Littleton Cultural Council for its support. We would also like to thank the First Church Unitarian for providing the venue; LCTV and its director, Mark Crory; members of the Color Guard of the Boxborough Minutemen, and members of the 1st Regiment of the Foot Guards; and cast and crew of Littleton residents who generously gave their time and effort to the production. The performance is in conjunction with the Paths of Patriots Project of Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. The program is supported in part by a grant from the Littleton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

The Program is free and open to the public. The Church is handicapped accessible. Parking is available at the lot in back of the Fire Department across the street; and is also available at 300 King Street, just a short walk from the Church.

Information is also available on www.littletonhistoricalsociety.org and facebook.

FREE and Open to the Public

Play made possible with the help from the following sponsors:

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Littleton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency

Coming soon

Bus Tour of Littleton narrated by Carolyn Mueller

First Quarter – 2014
Happy New Year!

And what an exciting and busy year this will be for the Society and Littleton as we  celebrate and reflect on the past 300 years.  From Praying Indians and apple orchards to the best town in which to raise kids and everything in between, Littleton is an historic community  in which residents take justifiable pride.

To help celebrate our heritage, the Society will be sponsor several events including a presentation entitled “A New Look at Early Town History”; a guided bus tour of Littleton;  a tour of the Old Burying Ground; and, of course, the publication of the first history of  Littleton in over one hundred years.   

Let the party begin…

 

For more information on events planned by the 300th committee click on http://www.littleton300.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourth Quarter- 2012
Greetings from the President!

As the days grow short, the temperatures fall and steely gray skies offer up cheek-biting snow squalls, I am reminded of the seasonal song lyrics “Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.”  Sitting here in the Reading Room, I see the image of Margaret Thacher on the deacon’s bench facing the fireplace enjoying a hot cup of tea.  This, no doubt, was a rare moment for her as she spent many busy, fruitful years as town librarian as well as accurate town historian whose copious notes are a constant source of reliable historical facts we depend on.

This is also an appropriate time to acknowledge the many Littleton Legends stories written by Carolyn Furbush Webster, with able research provided by her mother, Avis Furbush.   Her skills as a journalist have afforded us with interesting, accurate accounts of times past in Littleton.  Her comfortable writing style and historical accuracy are appreciated by us all.

Time to close up and face the NW wind that is waiting just outside the front door.  May your winter be warm and your holidays be bright.  See you in the spring.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ~David A. Whitcomb

 

 

First Quarter – 2010
Greetings from the President!
I am pleased to report that the roof is finished after four months of hard work by Meadows Construction out of Byfield, MA. They were very cooperative in all aspects of the project. The rebuilding of the chimney is not complete as of this date. It will probably be done in spring, due to weather, unless we get a spell of warm weather. It has been sealed for leakage but in working order. The company was very cooperative in supplying us with a large quantity of used slates from the roof for our future fund-raising projects. The next project will be to repair the inside of the walls of the building from the leakage caused by the old roof. This has to be done at a later date when the moisture is out of the walls.

Reminder: The museum is open every Wednesday from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm and the second Sunday of each month from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Please drop by to say “hello”. The next membership program will be on the evening of March 18th. Please reserve this date.

Hoping all members and their families had a happy holiday season.

~ Earl Banks

The above is from Historically Speaking (2010 First Quarter), the newsletter for the Littleton Historical Society. Members can read more there about the roof repair project as well as a new feature of the newsletter; Found in the Collection. Below are a couple of links of interest:


 

FALL 2009

Hip, Valley, Hooray! Roof repair construction began on August 31st. It is estimated that construction will take about one month to complete. A Construction Timetable is available for you to track the progress of repairs.

This fall, the Society will sell Commemorative 1895 Slates made from original slate from the Houghton Memorial Building,

Slate-Signing events have been scheduled! Signatures on the backs of slate will be preserved on the roof of the Houghton Building well into the next century.

SPRING/SUMMER 2009

SUCCESS! The article requesting funds for the roof repairs PASSED at Town Meeting. The Houghton Memorial Building will be getting a new roof, thanks to the support of Littleton’s Board of Selectmen, Permanent Municipal Building Committee, Community Preservation Committee, Town Administrator, and voters at Town Meeting who passed the article unanimously.

Click on the link below to track the progress once repairs start or read more about the necessary repairs.

Construction Timetable
Commemorative 1895 Slate
Wave of Slate-signing


SUMMER 2008

This summer found the Society museum quiet but busy.  Volunteers are continuing to work on the archive project started last year with the installation of additional shelving in the attic storage room.  By the end of the year, we expect to have everything back in its place and our exhibition room ready to open again.

In February, we are hosting the Littleton Country Gardeners for a week’s exhibition of interpreting quilts with flowers.  The Gardeners have done similar exhibitions in recent years including interpretation of books which they exhibited at the library.  It should be a welcome bright spot during the winter months!

The last week of September, we again hosted the third grade for their annual trip to the museum and introduction to Littleton’s history.   Part of the third grade local history curriculum, we invited the classes to the museum for a talk on the overall early history of the town followed by volunteer-led tours throughout the museum.  Henry Dix Kimball’s giant shoe and the Patriot’s bullet holes in the doors from the Tory House are perennial favorites.  This year, David Whitcomb’s explanation of the early telephone office and making a call on a party line captured their attention.



FALL 2007

LITTLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY AWARDED GRANT FROM NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES

The Littleton Historical Society has been awarded a 2007 grant of $5,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The funds will be used to further the work of preserving materials in the collection and improving access to documents for use in research.

Grant funds will enable the Society to: 

  • Purchase additional shelves to make more efficient use of the storage area.
  • Buy archival supplies.
  • Hire an archivist as consultant.
  • Sponsor a workshop in October on Preserving Old Scrapbooks given by an expert from Northeast Document Conservation Center. 

In order to install new shelves on the second floor, items in the storage area will be temporarily moved to the first floor. The Society will select high school students, as part of their community service, to participate in the brigade that will hand the many boxes down the stairs, and shift the boxes back up the stairs to their permanent locations after the shelves are installed.

The Historical Society cooperated on two previous grants in 2003 and 2004 with the Reuben Hoar Library to survey and conduct preservation work with their collections, as well as those in the Town Offices and local churches. The Historical Society had also received a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Records Advisory Board (MHRAB) in 2005. The NEH Grant will further the work already begun in these earlier grants.