Littleton Historical Society Inc Massachusetts

05/12/2019

There are still seats available on Saturday's historic sites bus tour! Sign up to reserve your space now! Tours will leave from behind the Shattuck Street building (41 Shattuck St) at 10:00 and 11:30 am. Please email [email protected] or leave a message at 978-486-8202. Name, phone#, number of seats you'd like and the time. Tour will last approximately one hour and is free of charge.

Part of the Freedom's Way National Heritage Hidden Treasures program. We thank them for sponsoring this event.

04/28/2019

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04/13/2019

Did you Google something today?

Google’s logo was celebrating the 100th anniversary of Bauhaus, a German school of art, design, and architecture, founded in 1919 by architect Walter Gropius.

This reminded me of Littleton’s connection to Gropius. Having fled Europe prior to WWII, Gropius eventually settled in Lincoln, Mass and became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in 1944. He was a founding member of The Architects’ Collaborative with a group of young architects who believed in a collaborative approach to architectural projects.

The Architects’ Collaborative was hired by the Town of Littleton in early 1956 to design a new school building to house 600 students and relieve the overburdened Shattuck Street School.

That building became the Junior -Senior High School on Russell Street, which opened to students in September 1957. The school eventually held only high school classes until the end of its life when grades seven and eight were integrated back into the school.

Fifty years after it was built, in 2007, the Bauhaus-inspired “modern” school building was demolished to make way for a new Middle School. Only the gymnasium remains. From all reports, it was a problem-plagued building, almost from the get-go, but did we appreciate it for what it was?

Littleton and Walter Gropius. Who knew?

03/26/2019

Two cousins: Aquilla and Aaron Jewett. Aquilla, a lieutenant in charge of a company of militia marching to Concord, serving seven days and returned home to Littleton. Aaron, a lieutenant who served over four months, marched to Saratoga, and returned to be a founder of the Harvard Shakers. How did their experiences shape their lives?

Find out by joining us on Friday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Church Unitarian (19 Foster St, Littleton, Mass) for an original play "Patriots' Path: Steps to Revolution." The story of what happened in Littleton during the decade that ended in 1775 when the Minutemen faced the British troops in armed combat to start on the path to independence. Free.

03/24/2019

Imagine you are the Rev Daniel Rogers in 1774. Your parishioners are gearing up for a fight to win independence from oppressive taxes and governance from a country they increasingly had no ties to. You, however, are not on their side. What would be in store for you? For your family?

Find out by joining us on Friday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Church Unitarian (19 Foster St, Littleton, Mass) for an original play "Patriots' Path: Steps to Revolution." The story of what happened in Littleton during the decade that ended in 1775 when the Minutemen faced the British troops in armed combat to start on the path to independence. Free.

03/14/2019

03/03/2019

Cornerstone ceremony at Shattuck Street School during construction of new wing 1938.

02/08/2019

Did you work at Herpy's Ice Cream stand? Is this you? Photo isn't dated or labeled. Great interior shot!

12/01/2018

Join us at the Annual Holiday Bazaar at the Littleton Middle School (57 Russell St) from 9-3pm. Holiday tradition for us and many non-profit groups from Littleton. Lots of gift ideas!

11/20/2018

The museum will be closed on Wednesday, November 21 so our volunteers can clean their houses and bake their pies. We will reopen on November 28. Enjoy!

11/15/2018

The Historical Society program for November 15 has been cancelled due to the predicted weather. (How crazy is that on November 15?)🤨

11/11/2018

I Wear My Poppy With Pride

11/11/2018

Long shot: Does anyone have a photo of either of the "caves" or root cellars that were on Tahattawan Road (at the Foster Street intersection) or at Warren Street? Fingers crossed!

10/21/2018

☘️☘️Passing on this info for the genealogists out there:

Tom Toohey is giving several lectures on "Irish Genealogy Before 1800". These are the dates and times:
Beebe Library, Wakefield, MA Nov. 5,2018 @ 7 pm Townsend Library, Townsend,MA Nov 6, 2018 @ 7:00 pm Rogers Library, Hudson, NH Dec. 14, 2018 @ 1:30 pm

Mr. Toohey is well known in genealogy circles as a local authority on Irish genealogy. ☘️☘️☘️☘️

10/08/2018

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10/08/2018

What is your vision?

Design Open House on Thursday, October 11 between 6:30-8:30 p.m. (drop in-drop out), at the Littleton Middle School (55 Russell Street)

Join the Master Plan Implementation Committee and the Fort Point Associates' consultants to discuss the revitalization of Littleton Common. Input is needed from the community, so let your voice be heard.

Your comments will help draft the roadmap to improving the Common and surrounding area, including zoning and regulation changes that may be required.

09/18/2018

Join us for a historical look at Littleton Common on Thursday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Congregational Church (330 King St).

Littleton Common has been in the forefront of discussions lately so we thought it was an opportune time to take an historical look at the Common area. Old photos will give us a glimpse to what the Common area looked like and how much it has, or hasn’t changed. Today, it is a blend of commercial buildings and residences much like it has been for years, just a lot busier. We will trace some of the changes and look back to when it truly was a New England Common.

08/22/2018

Reminder: Peach Social tonight 6:30-8pm. Rain or shine although it isn't going to rain. At least MY forecast says so!

08/12/2018

Our doors will be open Wednesday evening from 7-9 p.m. A chance to stop by and look at our "Country Roads Take Me Home" exhibit, browse our postcard collection, or check out our permanent exhibits. By the way, we're open on Sunday 8/12 from 2-4pm as well!

07/17/2018

The Society Museum will be open Wednesday evening July 18 from 7-9 p.m. We have our "Country Roads Take Me Home" exhibit with photos of the beautiful homes on our main streets plus our permanent displays. Take the opportunity to stop by!

07/03/2018

We will be closed on July 4th but join us at the Unitarian Church (19 Foster St) for a community-wide event. Festivities begin at 1 p.m., and include music, poetry written by the 6th grade on "What America Means to Me", ice cream for attendees, and a reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Littleton resident Robert Barney will play 18th-century musical selections on an organ that might have been heard during a early-America Independence celebration.

Information on the African American soldiers from Littleton who participated in the Revolution will be on display.

Funded by a grant from the Littleton Cultural Council

06/20/2018

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06/20/2018

The Historical Society museum will be open Wednesday night June 20 from 7-9pm. Come see our "Country Roads Take Me Home" exhibit. See the beautiful homes that line the main roads in town. Or check out our permanent exhibits.

05/17/2018

Littleton Conservation Trust

Join us on May 19th for Hidden Treasures!!

03/13/2018

We are all stuck at home today but I do have this snowy photo to share. Can anyone guess where this is?

01/28/2018

Here is a neat, although somewhat tilted, photo of the depot from Harvard Road.You can see the Conant grain store just beyond the depot building, the nice wide dirt road, and that beautiful tree in what is now Brad Miller's garage parking lot. if you look closely enough on the right, you can see the drinking fountain we all remember fondly.

01/09/2018

Buying local 1950s style. Some receipts from the Mannion archive.

12/15/2017

We also have our 2018 calendar - Littleton Recreation for sale - $12

12/15/2017

Need a unique gift idea? The museum will be open Saturday 12/16 from 9:30-noon for you to pick up a Littleton themed gift.

Dish towel/banners ($10); etched-glass ornaments of the Houghton Building ($18); Book: Littleton 300 Years of History ($43); Images of America photo book ($20); historic village blocks & ornaments ($10); magnets and post-it notes for stocking stuffers...and more!

12/04/2017

Great day at the holiday bazaar yesterday! Thank to everyone who stopped by. The museum will be open on Sunday, December 12 (2-4pm) if you missed us. Some great Littleton gifts and stocking stuffers including our etched-glass ornament of the Houghton Building, a dishtowel or banner with the "Entering Littleton" road sign - makes a great banner for a dorm room, books, village blocks and more.

11/30/2017

Don't forget the Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, December 2 from 9-3pm at the Middle School at 55 Russell Street. Stop by our table. No village block this year but we have a new calendar of Littleton Recreation, an etched glass ornament, and an "Entering Littleton" dish towel. Plus all the usual stuff! A great tradition of many non-profit groups and school organizations in town. Santa Claus arrives at 10 am.

11/21/2017

This photo of Abbie S. Billings (1842-1926) is a new addition to our collection. I was first introduced to Abbie when I noticed on the Joseph Priest family gravestone, that bears her name, the inscription "A devoted member of the Priest family for seventy years." A marker for her is right in the middle of the family markers. I was intrigued.

Abbie was born in Acton to William and Hannah Billings. They lived at 4 Strawberry Hill Rd in what is now the Sager Animal Hospital. William died in 1849 when Abbie was just seven years old. Her brothers William and Albert were only five and two. Although Hannah remarried, she would only live another ten years herself.

After Hannah's death the boys lived with their grandmother Billings and Uncle James in Acton. Abbie moved to Littleton when she was twelve to help in the Priest's household near the current MBTA station on Foster Street. Her brother James was living with them in the 1865 census, presumably working on the farm. She remained with the Priest family and was known as Aunt Abbie to the Priest children and grandchildren. She never married and served the family up until her death in 1926. At the end of her life, she looked after George Priest in his home near Fay Park.

The date on the back of the photo is 1897 although she looks older than 55! I was really excited to acquire it because I am so drawn to Abbie's story. She looks like a kind, gentle woman which pleased me too. It isn't often we can put a face with a name from our past. I'm glad we can for Aunt Abbie.

11/01/2017

Littleton Independent

Littleton Independent

Third graders from the Russell Street School recently toured the Littleton Historical Society Inc Massachusetts.

09/26/2017

Benefit Yard Sale

The Littleton Historical Society will hold a yard sale on Saturday, Sept 30 (9am-2) and Sunday, Oct 1 (10am-1) on the lawn of the Houghton Memorial Building at 4 Rogers Street.

We are looking for donations so if you've been cleaning house this summer and have a pile of gently used items to discard, save them for us!

We will be accepting donations Thursday and Friday Sept 28-29 from 6:00-7:00pm.

Or, for a $10 donation, you can have your own spot on the lawn and keep your proceeds.

Call (978) 486-8202 to reserve a space or for questions.

09/23/2017

Eleven Taylor Street is up for sale again. Wouldn’t it be awesome if someone renovated this house and returned it to its turn-of-the-century glory? And loved it again? I think it is our only example of a Second Empire home and could be such an asset to the depot area. Check out the photos - including interior views - online at any real estate site.

I spent today at a preservation conference and saw a few case studies of houses being saved from demolition. The Fowler-Clark-Epstein house in Roxbury was just one of them. I’d love for this to be one of Littleton’s cases. (Full of optimism tonight, what’s up with that?)

I took these photos in July. Look beyond the crusty exterior...

09/19/2017

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09/15/2017

Harvard Shaker Cemetery Talk
Thursday, September 21, 2017
7:30 p.m. at the Congregational Church in Littleton 330 King St

Harvard historian and Shaker expert Roben Campbell will explain this unique cemetery, its history, burial patterns, and how it came to look the way it does.

In 1792, after the Shaker Village Meetinghouse was constructed, the Shakers began building their cemetery. At least 331 Shakers were buried here between 1792 and 1929. In 1879, they began replacing individual stone markers with cast-iron “lollipop” markers. This is the only cemetery where the iron markers remain.

09/12/2017

Witnessed another historic house demolition today. This was 323 King Street across from the Congregation Church. It was damaged in a fire last December. The Greek Revival house was once part of James Kimball's farm until he sold it in 1844. I still have some digging to do to find out if Kimball had the house built. It was in the Whitcomb, Robbins, and Phelps families,among others, over the years.

08/29/2017

This isn't the clearest photo but the view is from standing on Great Road looking toward the Common. Donelan's is just visible on the left and Acton Toyota would be on your right but, here, it is Herpy's Dairy. What struck me is that you can't see through the trees. Trees! Takes the edge off the commercial stretch of road. If only.... (Dated 1966)

08/24/2017

The crew getting ready for another successful peach social on a beautiful evening last night while attendees wait for the peaches to be opened. Thanks to all who came and shared the fellowship. Thanks to to Jamie Cruz and Springdell Farm for supplying the peaches and all of the volunteers who cut, served, and set up.

07/26/2017

You think times have changed? Check out this cartoon by Hal Coyle from the Budget-Wise October 16, 1958 edition. As appropriate now as it was then....

07/23/2017

Wish I had remembered this for July 4th. Fred Kimball and son, John Adams Kimball, as Uncle Sam during the 200th Town Anniversary in 1914. They lived on Newtown Road where the telephone tower is. John was known as "Chicken Kimball" and had a large coop on his house at the corner of Newtown and Nagog Hill Roads.

07/06/2017

Veterans Corner Project Littleton MA

These are the three plaques currently located at the Veterans Corner. We need to update these plaques to add names and conflicts since Vietnam. We are challenging all Littleton MA Veterans to support this project! Two ways to donate! Go Fund Me @ https://www.gofundme.com/veteranscornerhonorrollproject or forward a check payable to "Town of Littleton - Veterans Corner" c/o John Boroski, Veterans Agent, 37 Shattuck Street, Littleton, MA 01460. Thank you for your support!

05/18/2017

Reminder of tonight's program:

All Men Created Equal: Slavery in Massachusetts

Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. at the Congregational Church 330 King Street, Littleton. Free.

05/15/2017

All Men Created Equal: Slavery in Massachusetts

Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. at the Congregational Church 330 King Street, Littleton. Free.

In 1638, a ship named The Desire arrived in Boston Harbor carrying tobacco, cotton, and enslaved Africans. Thus began the history of slavery in Massachusetts, a practice that continued for nearly 150 years, through the signing of the Declaration of Independence and most of the Revolution. Massachusetts became the first state to abolish slavery in 1783. But what happened between the beginning and end of slavery in Massachusetts?

Eventually, abolition grew from a fringe belief to a widely accepted position, and Boston became a hotbed of abolition activity. This talk will explore the origins of slavery in the Commonwealth, the subsequent protests against it, and why Massachusetts ultimately became the first state to abolish the practice.

Presented by Shawn Quigley, a park guide for the National Park Service at Boston African American National Historic Site.