Calendar of Events
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Sat22May20219:00am - 3:00pmBrooks Academy Museum - 80 Parallel Street, Harwich Center
Take a stroll down Parallel Street and support Harwich history with the Harwich Historical Society in this fun and educational fundraiser.
This family event will be safe and socially distant.
Walkers will start off from Brooks Academy Museum on the hour, in limited small groups to ensure a safe experience for all. Children welcome and encouraged! There will be games and prizes for everyone throughout the day.
Our first walkers of the day will start at 9:00 am and our last group starts at 2:00 pm
$10 for Adults $5 for Kids 12 & under
Registration in advance is a must!!!
***Click HERE to reserve your time slot, and check out our online apparel shop***
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Fri18Jun202110:00 amBrooks Academy Museum - 80 Parallel Street, Harwich Center
Looking to get out of the house this summer?
The Harwich Historical Society is looking for volunteers for the 2021 museum season!We are looking forward to reopening Brooks Academy Museum and the A. Elmer Crowell Barn to visitors this year, but we can’t do it without your help!Volunteers may come once a week, once a month, or however their schedule allows – we are happy to have you here whenever you are available. The museums will be open on Thursdays from 3pm-6pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am-3pm, June 26th through October 9th.Duties will include greeting visitors, taking admission, and informing guests about our 2021 exhibits featuring artwork by C.D. Cahoon, the carvings of Elmer Crowell, and of course, Cranberry Culture in Harwich! Training and a handbook will be provided to docents so they can help others learn about Harwich history and the collections of the Harwich Historical Society.Docents for the A. Elmer Crowell Barn are also encouraged to bring their own supplies and demonstrate bird carving if desired. The opportunity to carve in the actual workshop used by Crowell is one of a kind!If you can't make this info session but are interested in helping out, please contact info@harwichhistoricalsociety.org or 508-432-8089The Harwich Historical Society has implemented procedures to ensure the health and safety of our members, volunteers, and the community. We take our responsibility very seriously and are complying with state recommended guidelines for workplaces. -
Sat26Jun202110:00 amBrooks Academy Museum Lawn
On the agenda will be a brief review of the 2020 year, the budget from 2020 and the first five months of 2021 as well as approving changes to the Society bylaws.
The meeting will take place on the lawn of Brooks Academy to accommodate the maximum number of people in a safe and socially distant environment. Please bring your own chairs.
The Society seeks the interest and support of all members and its many friends. Attendance at the Annual Meeting is a welcomed indication to staff and the many volunteers that their efforts are recognized and appreciated. Hope to see you there!
Following the meeting will be the Grand Reopening of Brooks Academy Museum and the A. Elmer Crowell Barn for the 2021 season.
Rain date TBA
2021 Meeting Agenda, 2020 minutes, Budget Report, Investment Report Updated By-Laws
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Sat26Jun202111am-3pmBrooks Academy Museum - 80 Parallel Street, Harwich Center
Brooks Academy Museum and the A. Elmer Crowell Barn are reopening for the season on June 26th following the Harwich Historical Society’s annual meeting.
The Harwich Historical Society is pleased to present their 2021 exhibits, “A Tale of Two Artists” featuring the works of painter Charles D. Cahoon and decoy craftsman Anthony Elmer Crowell. The stories of these two local artists and contemporaries provide a glimpse into Harwich’s rich history and culture.
The Society is showcasing its collection of Cahoon paintings and sketches, including Cahoon’s work on the Town Seal of Harwich. Also featured in the Crowell Barn is the debut of the recently acquired complete 25 piece set of Crowell waterfowl miniatures, generously donated by Joe Ellis of West Cornwall, CT. All of the items on display this season are from the Society’s permanent collection, including the most complete exhibit of Cranberry Culture on Cape Cod.
The museums will be open in conjunction with the Harwich Farmers Market on Thursdays from 3pm-6pm starting on July 1st, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am– 3pm, through October 9th.
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Sat17Jul202111:00 amWest Harwich Baptist Church
Saturday, July 17, 11:00 am
$7 HHS members, $10 non-members
Join historian J. Duncan Berry on a walk through Captains’ Row—the stretch of Route 28 in West Harwich from the Herring River to the Dennis town line. This mile of Route 28 wears its deep historical and cultural significance in its wide array of buildings, each a fine example of a major style of American residential architecture from the 1740s to the 1940s. This walking tour discusses these amazing buildings, explaining the architectural styles and details, and noting the Harwich families who built them and lived in them. Captains’ Row is a multi-generational dialogue about the good life, played out in architecture, from the colonial days through the age of the great sea captains, and on to early motorized tourism.
Duration: 50 minutes
Meet in the parking lot of the West Harwich Baptist Church. -
Wed21Jul20216:00 pmBrooks Academy Museum
Wednesday, July 21, 6:00 pm
Lecture at Brooks Academy Museum$7 HHS members, $10 non-members
What is the difference between "primitive" creations of the past and "art" of the present? Is modern art different from the artifacts that were created hundreds and even thousands of years ago? We, as humans, have the same inherent desires, imaginations, and capabilities our ancestors did. So why do we treat art so differently? Early civilizations represented the world around them through lines, form, and color, representative of the concept they wanted to express. Abstract art is no different. This lecture by archaeologist and HHS Museum Director Marie Kesten Zahn weaves a narrative of abstract art from the past to the present.
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Sat31Jul202111:00 amPine Grove Cemetery
Saturday, July 31 - 11:00 am
$7 HHS members, $10 non-members
West Harwich resident and HHS life member J. Duncan Berry will be leading an "illustrated tour" of the Pine Grove Cemetery in West Harwich. Making use of the Historical Society's vast collection of digitized photographs and other sources, Berry will present a cross section of the village's more colorful and historically significant individuals, families, and institutions. Beginning with the Chase family's multi-generational role in the preeminence of the village, the tour will present highlights from several of the many noteworthy sea captains buried here as well as a discussion of the two ministers who maintained the vitality of the Baptist Church for a century. Some of the more interesting and overlooked town characters, from physicians and talented artists, will also be discussed.Duration: 50 minutes
Meet at the tall marble obelisk at the Cemetery. Parking is available along Pine Grove Road. -
Sat21Aug202111:00 amWest Harwich Baptist Church
Saturday, August 21, 11:00 am
$7 HHS members, $10 non-members
Join historian J. Duncan Berry on a walk through Captains’ Row—the stretch of Route 28 in West Harwich from the Herring River to the Dennis town line. This mile of Route 28 wears its deep historical and cultural significance in its wide array of buildings, each a fine example of a major style of American residential architecture from the 1740s to the 1940s. This walking tour discusses these amazing buildings, explaining the architectural styles and details, and noting the Harwich families who built them and lived in them. Captains’ Row is a multi-generational dialogue about the good life, played out in architecture, from the colonial days through the age of the great sea captains, and on to early motorized tourism.
Duration: 50 minutes
Meet in the parking lot of the West Harwich Baptist Church. -
Sat28Aug202111:00 amPine Grove Cemetery
Saturday, August 28 - 11:00 am
$7 HHS members, $10 non-members
West Harwich resident and HHS life member J. Duncan Berry will be leading an "illustrated tour" of the Pine Grove Cemetery in West Harwich. Making use of the Historical Society's vast collection of digitized photographs and other sources, Berry will present a cross section of the village's more colorful and historically significant individuals, families, and institutions. Beginning with the Chase family's multi-generational role in the preeminence of the village, the tour will present highlights from several of the many noteworthy sea captains buried here as well as a discussion of the two ministers who maintained the vitality of the Baptist Church for a century. Some of the more interesting and overlooked town characters, from physicians and talented artists, will also be discussed.
Duration: 50 minutes
Meet at the tall marble obelisk at the Cemetery. Parking is available along Pine Grove Road. -
Wed06Oct20216:00 pmBrooks Academy Museum - 80 Parallel Street, Harwich Center
Wednesday, October 6, 6:00 pm
at Brooks Academy Museum
$10 non-members, $7 HHS membersThe Harwich Historical Society Presents: Looking back at the Harwich Exchange Building 1885-1964. Historian Nancy Viall Shoemaker gives a visual tour of a building that served its community for many years. Featuring special video footage inside the Exchange Building and an exclusive interview with Virginia Doane.
This is an in-person program at Brooks Academy Museum. Audience members will be asked to wear masks regardless of vaccination status for the safety of all participants.
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Fri15Oct20215:00, 5:30, 6:00 pmBrooks Academy Museum - 80 Parallel Street, Harwich Center
Costumed characters from Harwich’s past tell their stories on this walking tour in Harwich Center. Visit with the spirits as they share their memories as you are guided through the gravestones.
Tours offered on Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 23. Groups will be dearly departing from Brooks Academy Museum at 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 pm. Each tour will last approximately one hour. Reservations are required, space is limited. $10 per person.
Contact info@harwichhistoricalsociety.org or 508-432-8089 to register.
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Sat23Oct20215:00, 5:30, 6:00 pmBrooks Academy Museum - 80 Parallel Street, Harwich Center
Costumed characters from Harwich’s past tell their stories on this walking tour in Harwich Center. Visit with the spirits as they share their memories as you are guided through the gravestones.
Tours offered on Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 23. Groups will be dearly departing from Brooks Academy Museum at 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 pm. Each tour will last approximately one hour. Reservations are required, space is limited. $10 per person.
Contact info@harwichhistoricalsociety.org or 508-432-8089 to register.
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Sat06Nov20215:00, 5:30, 6:00 pmBrooks Academy Museum - 80 Parallel Street, Harwich Center
Costumed characters from Harwich’s past tell their stories on this walking tour in Harwich Center. Visit with the spirits as they share their memories as you are guided through the gravestones.
Groups will be dearly departing from Brooks Academy Museum at 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 pm. Each tour will last approximately one hour. Reservations are required, space is limited. $10 per person.
Contact info@harwichhistoricalsociety.org or 508-432-8089 to register.
