Exhibit of donations for the Elmer Crowell Barn; railroad, cranberry & maritime displays. Bird-carving demonstration.

Free

Local historian Joan Maloney walks through the process of researching historic homes.

$5; $4 members

J. Duncan Berry discsses the architecture of West Harwich and lives of former residents who built the grand homes.

$5; $4 members

Bob Zaremba of Maps of Antiquity discsses the history and preservation of the largest and most detailed map of the area from the mid-19th century, recently preserved with funds from Community Preservation Funds.

Free for Harwich residents.

Verbal appraisals provided by Eric Mulak of Eldreds Auction Gallery Dennis.

Fee to be determined

18 week market offers seasonal, locally grown produce, meats, breads, baked goods, farm related products and more. Museum exhibits open during market.

Thursdays

Features exhibits on shipwrecks, Hannah Stokes, railroad, cranberries & more.

Free

Led by local historian Joan Maloney

$5; $4 members

Explore the sights and stories of historic Harwich with a costumed reeaactor. Includes admission to museum and barn.

$5; $4 members

Jim Parker looks at the wealth of bird carvers on Cape Cod.

$5; $4 members

Juried show & sale of crafts by local artisans on Museum grounds.

Lobster roll lunch at First Congregational Church.

We regret that Jeanne Marie Carley's talk has been postponed until September.

Author and Cape Cod historian Jim Coogan looks at the Cape's experience during the American Revolution in this 240 anniversary of American Independence.

$5; $4 members

Explore the sights and stories of historic Harwich with a costumed reenactor. Includes admission to museum and barn.

$5; $4 members

Author Susan Playfair discusses the history and cultivation of America’s famous native fruit.

$5; $4 members

Juried show & sale of crafts by local artisans on Museum grounds.

Lobster roll lunch at First Congregational Church.

All homemade, all delicious. Proceeds benefit the Society.

30+ quality dealers; Verbal appraisals from Noon until 3 PM; lobster roll lunch available.
At Harwich Community Center. Proceeds benefit the Society.

Admission $6

Tour explores West Harwich history with Carole DeChristopher.

$5; $4 members

Sunday October 9, (rain date Oct. 10)

Guided tour of a working cranberry bog during the harvest season & Start at the museum at
1 PM to view the museum's extensive cranberry exhibit and hear an introductory talk by cranberry grower Bev Thacher. Then proceed to the Gingras bog for a tour.
Registration required. Limit 50 people.

$5 adults; $2 kids & students

Meet the spirits of Harwich past on a guided lantern tour of the Congregational Church Cemetery,
Harwich Center, with costumed re-enactors. No children under 10 please.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED
$10 adults; $5 kids & students

Postponed from earlier this summer. Author Jeanne Marie Carley talks about the wealth of folk art on Cape Cod.
$4 non-members (Members $3)

Meet the spirits of Harwich past on a guided lantern tour of the Congregational Church Graveyard,
Harwich Center, with costumed re-enactors.No children under 10 please. Meet at the Brooks Academy Museum.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED
$10 adult, $5 kids and students.

Bring your decoys or bird-related items for an oral appraisal by decoy expert Theodore Harmon of Decoys Unlimited, Inc.
Verbal appraisals are $5 per item $10 for 3 items. Maximum of 3 items.
Donuts and cider will be served and the restored Elmer Crowell Barn will be open for viewing.

For additional information call the Harwich Historical Society at 508-432-8089.

Holiday decoations, crafts, gifts, baked goods & more.

Exhibits, Crowell Barn & more.

Opening day is free.

Exhibits, Crowell Barn & more.

Exhibits, Crowell Barn & more.

Come meet the farmers who grow those delicious veggies sold at our Farmers' Market! Can SPRING be far behind?

A talk by author Gigi Hopkins, author of The Decoy as Art, and conservator of painted wood antiques, specializing in decoys. Admission $5.

Our Farmers' Market features local produce, herbs, baked goods, items from our Museum Shop and more. Occasionally we have music. Museum is open, too.
EVERY THURSDAY June 8 thru early October.

Our Farmers' Market features local produce, herbs, baked goods, items from our Museum Shop and more. Occasionally we have music. Museum is open, too.

We re-open for the season! New exhibits: "Cape Cod Pictorial and the Magic Lantern" and "How Harwich Did It: Vignettes of life back in the day." Also, Monomoy HS student art: "The Exchange Building," as featured in Cape Cod Life. FREE ADMISSION TODAY!

A one-hour guided tour led by historian Dr. Joan Maloney who tells all about local characters buried here. Meet at Cemetery entrance. Admission.

Come dance to the music Elmer loved, the Big Band sound of the Swing Era, with Cape Cod favorite, The Sound Dunes!  Admission $10, $5 for kids under 18. Park along the street or across Sisson Road in the lot for Cape junior theater, or at Morris-O'Connor-Blute funeral home.https://sounddunes.org/

Walking tour of historic Harwich Center by a costumed guide. Begins at the Brooks Academy Museum and includes free Museum admission.

Visit out table at Brooks park, featuring treasures from "Sidney's Attic." You may find just what you've been looking for. Proceeds from our table benefit Harwich Historical Society.

Decoy expert Ted Harmon of Ducks Unlimited will be available to give oral appraisals of your decoys, bird carvings, and related artwork.  $5 per item , 3 for $10.

Learn about the little-known history of aviation on Cape Cod with author Howard L. Bonington.

All homemade, all delicious! All proceeds benefit Harwich Historical Society. Warning! Come early to avoid disappointment. Pies sell out fast!

The best dealers on the Cape. Delicious lunches available. Proceeds benefit Harwich Historical Society.

Three renowned speakers on decoys and decoy carvers. Details and schedule to come. Watch this spot!

Do you have a house over 100 years old? Do you look for ghosts in the closet? Do you wonder who walked its floors before you? Join us in learning how to date the house and research who lived there, with historian Dr. Joan Maloney. (Note that date has been changed from that in our brochure!)

CANCELLED!  Will be rescheduled in the Spring. Guided walking tour by Harwich local historian Carole DeChristopher. Learn about the residents of Harwich's past buried in this historic graveyard.

Guided tour of a working cranberry bog begins with a talk at the Museum's Cranberry Culture exhibit. Sponsored by Gingras Cranberries. Registration required. Call in September to register. Please note date change!

   Meet the Spirits of Harwich Past on our Lantern Tour of the Congregational Church Cemetery. Three tours starting at  6 pm. $10 each, no young children, please.  Tours start at the Brooks Academy Museum, 80 Parallel Street, Harwich Center.

Reservations are a MUST. Call 508-342-8089 to reserve a spot.

Celebrate Christmas at the Brooks Academy Museum. See the Christmas tree decorated by Harwich Elementary Schoolers in our Victorian Captain's Parlor, and bid a last farewell to our HO model railroad with the Last Train to Harwich.

Three Saturdays: Dec. 2, 9th, 16th. (Admission free on the 2nd)
1 to 4 PM.
Refreshments served, and the Gift Shop will be open.

Talk: Forbidden Waters: Harwich's Captain John Kendrick and the First American Voyage to Japan. Author and historian Scott Ridley discusses the recent discovery of a 225-year-old ship's log that set off a celebration in Japan, plus information on the Kendrick family of East Harwich. Admission $5, members $3.

Were Cape Cod sea captains involved in the slave trade?  Come hear Meadow Hilley's talk and decide whether the evidence  proves it!   1 PM at the Harwich Cultural Center, Sisson Road.

Did Cape Cod sea captains buy and sell human beings?  Uncovering the history of Cape Cod’s involvement in the slave trade, with Meadow Hilley.  Admission Free.

Every Thursday, June 7 through October 4, from 3 PM until 6 PM in the grove opposite the Museum. Seasonal local produce: vegetables, fruit, baked goods and more from your favorite local vendors. Occasional music. Museum and Crowell Barn open.

Opening Day! Come see what's new this year, including an exhibit in the Barn about the life of Elmer Crowell. Toys from the 1950s, the Pleasant Lake General Store, and more! Admission free today.

A talk by Jay Stradal of the Nauset Model Railroad Club. Learn how the coming of the railroad changed life on Cape Cod. Admission $5, members $4.

One hour tour by a costumed guide who tells the stories and points out the sites in our historic village. Tour begins at the Museum. Fee of $5 includes Museum admission.

We join our neighbors Rain and Justine Ryder and Brian Murphy in this special Harwich event. See the Ryder and Murphy gardens AND the Brooks Academy Museum/Crowell Barn all one $10 ticket.  Start at either the Museum or at the Ryders' on Forest Street right off of Main Street.  All proceeds benefit the Harwich Historical Society. 

Meet Harwich Cemetery Administrator Robbin Kelley at the Brooks Academy Museum and then go on a walking tour of Island Pond Cemetery and Arboretum. Hear about the plans for this beautiful natural area. Admission $5, $4 for members.

One hour tour by a costumed guide who tells the stories and points out the sites in our historic village. Tour begins at the Museum. Fee of $5 includes Museum admission.

Got a decoy tucked away in the attic that you wonder about? Could it be a rare Crowell or a Joe Lincoln, or maybe something from the Mason Decoy Factory?  Bring it on over.  Ted Harmon of Decoys Unlimited will appraise decoys and bird carvings. $

30 + dealers. Delicious lunches available. All proceeds benefit the Harwich Historical Society. $6, $5 with newspaper ad or card.

One hour tour by a costumed guide who tells the stories and points out the sites in our historic village. Tour begins at the Museum. Fee of $5 includes Museum admission.

Celebrate the 10^th anniversary of finding the famous “Piano in the Woods.”

Enjoy the performances of three pianists on our famous piano while watching members of the Guild of Harwich Artists paint. All on the grounds of the Brooks Academy Museum. Come join us for music and art. Paintings will be raffled off at the end of the day.

One hour tour by a costumed guide who tells the stories and points out the sites in our historic village. Tour begins at the Museum. Fee of $5 includes Museum admission.

Meet the spirits of Harwich Past on an at-dusk lantern tour of the Congregational Church Cemetery in Harwich Center. $10.  REGISTRATION REQUIRED.   Call 508-432-8089 for times and to register.

Tour of the Museum's cranberry exhibit and guided tour of Gingras cranberry bog. NOTE: THIS IS A NEW DATE . REGISTRATION REQUIRED.  $10.

Author Jack Sheedy tells tales of the strange, hard-to-explain, and downright mysterious happenings on Cape Cod. Admission $5. Members $4.

Author Jack Sheedy tells tales of the strange, hard-to-explain, and downright mysterious happenings on Cape Cod. Admission $5.

Pies and other baked goods. All home-made, all delicious!  Come early, (starts at 10)  pies sell out FAST!  All proceeds benefit the Harwich Historical Society.

Come enjoy and exhibit of Cape Cod folk art and shop for holiday gifts in the Museum gift shop. Open December 1, 8, 15th. 1 PM until 4 PM.

Learn how fiber is prepared, watch a demonstration of spinning, learn the different types of fibers that can be spun, and what you can do with hand spun yarn. You’ll have a chance to try it yourself, too. Admission $5, ($4 for members)

Learn how fiber is prepared, watch a demonstration of spinning, learn the different types of fibers that can be spun, and what you can do with hand spun yarn. You'll have a chance to try it yourself, too. Admission $5, ($4 for members)

Celebrate the 175th birthday of the Brooks Academy building on our Opening Day.  See our new exhibits and have a slice of birthday cake!  Admission is free today.

A costumed guide points out the sights of historic Harwich Center. One hour tour begins at the Museum with a brief orientation at 2 PM. $5 fee includes Museum admission.

Author Frank Haddleton will speak about his book, Walker's Key, and sign copies.  Haddleton writes of his family’s roots in Harwich and Chatham and what happened, or what might have happened, to his ancestors in Tampa Bay.  “Walker’s Key” is a great read, with murder, sibling rivalry, adventure, and romance thrown in, and even a bit of fascinating history.

A free, Friday@ 5 event!

Tour of the Island Pond Cemetery  and the arboretum with Cemetery Director Robbin Kelley. Meet at Brooks Academy Museum. $5.

Architectural historian Dr. J. Duncan Berry tells the stories of the sea captains who lived in West Harwich's historic homes. $5 fee includes admission to the Museum.

Learn what life was like for kids who went to sea on a sailing vessel in the mid 19th century. Learn the secret code of nautical flags, sample hardtack, and learn to tie knots like sailors did. For kids age 8 to 11 years old. $6 per child. Reservations a must.

Architectural historian Dr. Duncan Berry leads a walking tour of Captains' Row in West Harwich. See examples of at least seven styles of architecture in this historic area. $5.

Have you always wondered about the worth of that old decoy grandpa left? Do you have a bird carving you bought at a yard sale?  Bring them on over and let decoy and carving expert Ted Harmon of Decoys Unlimited give you an oral appraisal.

Get there early to choose your delicious pie, because when they are gone, they are gone!  All sales benefit Harwich Historical Society.

Donna Bevans, who grew up in Harwich, talks about her recently published novel,                  The Captain’s House, which takes place in Harwich. The setting is an old sea captain’s house, haunted by ghosts. The book is filled with suspense, mystery, and romance and sure to be of interest to visitors and residents of the Cape.   Admission is free.

30+ dealers. Delicious lunches available. All proceeds benefit Harwich Historical Society.

Admission $6.

Curious about your ancestors? Have you always wanted to research your family tree but weren't sure how to begin? Experienced genealogist Janet Cassidy will show you how to get started using free resources. $

Guided tour of a local working cranberry bog!  Tour goers meet at the Museum, view our  unique Cranberry Exhibit, and then drive to a local cranberry bog where they will see how cranberries are harvested.

DATE is approximate (it all depends on Mother Nature!) so watch this spot and local media for an update. Registration is required since space is limited. $

The Society is looking for help in identifying persons, places, and activities in photos dating from the 1940s-50s-60s and earlier. These "history mysteries" will be on display Friday, February 14th from 1pm-3pm. If you think you might help identify the subjects in any of the photos please call the office at 508-423-8089 or email harwichhistoricalsociety@verizon.net to sign up.
This event is FREE

While it's not quite summertime and the season for outdoor markets, many local vendors and farmers will be at the Harwich Community Center on Saturday, March 21st from 12-3pm. You’re invited to the 11th Annual “Meet Your Local Farmers” event to kick-off the 2020 growing season, meet local farmers from around Cape Cod, and learn more about locally grown products. This event is free and open to the public. There will be live music and some of the most beautiful show livestock with Seawind Meadows’ highland cattle & Fluffy Butt Farm’s Royal Palm turkeys & other poultry, Alpacas, Pigs, a Horse, & goats.

Farmers will be selling all sorts of interesting and delicious items including:
Honey, Beeswax candles and creams, fresh cut lavender, potted lavender, lavender gift items, In season fruits and veggies, Free range chicken and duck eggs, Exotic eggs including Emu, turkey, coturnix, & king quail, Cranberry products, Jams & jellies, Hot sauce, Peppers, Spice mixes, Fresh juice, Coffee beans & coffee, Cheeses, Fresh local meats: pasture raised chicken, pork, grass fed beef, & seafood, and much more!
This event is FREE

This event is now virtual! We will be sharing videos of carving demonstrations, as well as activities for children, on our website and social media. Please do NOT visit us at the A Elmer Crowell Barn on May 9th as we will be hosting this event online. 

Harwich Historical Society will open the A Elmer Crowell Barn for a special day celebrating the craftsmanship and artistry of bird carving! Watch live carving demonstrations in the original workshop of renowned decoy maker A Elmer Crowell. Select decoys and miniatures from the Museum’s collection will be on display for this event. All carvers are welcome to join us, but please bring your own tools and supplies! Hands-on activities for children will also be available.

Decoy Coloring Book

Click the link above to experience our collection in a different way with these coloring book pages of our decoys!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc-Hqo1pjXo

The premiere of Part One of our video series on The Artistry of Bird Carving! We will be releasing new videos over the next few weeks as we journey through the process of carving a decoy, with museum docent and carver, Paul Phillips.

ONE NIGHT ONLY POP-UP DRIVE-IN AT CAPE COD LIGHTHOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL

The parking lot at the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School welcomes motorists to a pop-up drive-in movie on the evening of Wednesday August 12.

Join us for the premiere open-air screening and Q&A with the filmmaker! The 90-minute film Stephano: The True Story of Shakespeare's Shipwreck follows the story of the only Mayflower passenger who had been to North America previously.

A decade earlier, Stephen Hopkins had been aboard a Jamestown-bound ship that wrecked on Bermuda, inspiring Shakespeare's final play, The Tempest. Shot on location, the intrepid Hit and Run History crew retraces Hopkins’ life crisscrossing the Atlantic. Two-time Emmy-nominated producer and host Andrew Giles Buckley, a Hopkins descendant, grew up hearing stories that New Plymouth’s iconoclast tavern keeper may have the model of The Tempest’s drunken and mutinous Stephano. In their Gumshoe Historian style, Buckley and crew of Hit and Run History seek out the reality of a man who was everywhere at the founding of America.
RESERVE YOUR VEHICLE SPOT HERE.

This FREE program is co-hosted by the Harwich Historical Society and the Chatham Historical Society , and supported in part by grants from the Harwich Cultural Council and the Chatham Cultural Council, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Come watch on our new 9'x16' screen and tune in on your car radio to listen -- nothing could be safer or simpler! We will have only two rows of cars for this venue. To ensure the health and safety of our guests, we ask you to register so that we can maintain social-distance for all attendees.

The parking lot will open at 7:15 PM and the program begins with a short introduction by Hit and Run History creator Buckley at 8:00 PM.

Watch the trailer here!

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Saturday, October 3, 2020. 2:00pm
Rain Date: Sunday, October 4 2:00pm

West Harwich resident and Harwich Historical Society Life Member 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 discussion of two of the 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.

A donation of $7 to the Harwich Historical Society is requested.

Due to COVID-19 there will be certain restrictions and rules in place for this walking tour.

• Reservations will only be offered in advance. Please email info@HarwichHistoricalSociety.org or call 508-432-8089 to reserve your spot on this tour.
• Attendance will be limited and is open to all age groups, keeping in mind this is an hour long walking tour.
• Contact Tracing information will be taken at the time of your reservation.
• An appropriate face mask covering nose and mouth must be worn at all times. HHS will not provide face masks at the event.
• Social distancing will be exercised at all times.

Parking is available along Pine Grove Road.

Join us as we wave a fond farewell to the 2020 museum season at the A. Elmer Crowell Barn. We'll have live carving demonstrations and docents on hand to discuss the two exhibits currently on display in the Barn, featuring Crowell decoys and selected works of artist Helen Lay Strong.

The Barn will be closing early to allow visitors to attend a special presentation by Museum Director Marie Kesten Zahn to end the season.

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***

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

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.

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.

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.

Saturday, July 31 - 11:00 am

$7 HHS members, $10 non-members

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.

Saturday, August 28 - 11:00 am

$7 HHS members, $10 non-members

Wednesday, October 6, 6:00 pm
at Brooks Academy Museum
$10 non-members, $7 HHS members

The 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.

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.

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.

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.

Saturday, May 7, 2022
10:00 am-12:00 pm

Drop in at the Crowell Barn this Saturday to watch the students at work. The Art of Decoy Making Workshop, led by Master Woodcarver, painter, and decoy maker, Paul Phillips, demonstrates the traditional folk art of bird carving and painting. Visitors will be able to view our carvers at work in the original woodshop of world-renowned decoy artist Anthony Elmer Crowell, and learn about future opportunities to sign up for decoy making classes at the Barn! Select pieces from the Harwich Historical Society’s collection will also be on display. Free Admission!

Be sure to visit our Gift Shop for our Spring Sale!

Join the Harwich Historical Society for a special collaborative day of history with the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth on Tuesday, May 17

Registration is required - $10 per person

1:00-1:50 pm – Guided walking tour of Historic Old King’s Highway in Yarmouth Port

Historic homes—many owned by sea captains—old inns, houses of worship, taverns, and quaint shops are just some of the things you'll find along the historic Old King's Highway in Yarmouth Port

As the road winds its way under a canopy of shade trees you'll pass an almost endless collection of historic homes, some dating from the 1600s. From modest Capes to stately Colonials, these homes—still lived in or converted to inns, B&Bs, and even a museum—have been carefully, lovingly preserved by generations of owners and restored to their original character.

2:00-2:50 pm – Visit the Captain Bangs Hallet House Museum

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the centerpiece of the Society’s properties, this home is a stately, fully-furnished sea captain's home, circa 1840. It is the only one like it on Cape Cod regularly open to the public, providing an intimate glimpse into how sea captains' families lived and entertained in the Victorian era.

The home is arranged as if Captain Hallet was just returning from one of his many voyages to China and features period furnishings, silk, porcelain, and other antique pieces plus an extensive maritime exhibit.

Enjoy this guided tour and experience lively stories of Yarmouth sea captains' hair-raising adventures at sea during the Golden Age of Sail when clipper ships helped open the world to international trade on a global scale and made Cape Cod sea captains famous.

To learn more about the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth visit www.hsoy.org

The 2022 Harwich Historical Society Annual Meeting

On the agenda will be a review of the 2021 year, approving the Board of Directors, 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!

Rain date TBA

Saturday, July 9 - 11:30 am

$7 HHS members, $10 non-members

Saturday, July 16 - 11:30 am

$7 HHS members, $10 non-members

Saturday, July 2, 11:30 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 Schoolhouse

To reserve a spot on this tour, please fill out the form below:

Saturday, August 6 - 11:30 am

$7 HHS members, $10 non-members

Saturday, July 16 - 11:30 am

$7 HHS members, $10 non-members

Saturday, August 27

$10 HHS members, $12 non-members

Hear from the spirits of Revolutionary War veterans and their families as they share their stories. Groups will be 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.

Saturday, September 10,  10:00-11:30 am

$10 HHS members, $12 non-members

Wednesday, September 14,  6:00 pm

$7 HHS members, $10 non-members

The 2023 Harwich Historical Society Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 29 from 1:00-3:00 pm at the Brooks Free Library.

On the agenda will be an update on the Brooks Academy Museum construction project.

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.

Minutes HHS Annual Meeting 2022, Investment Committee Report, Treasurer's Annual Report documents for review.

Please RSVP using the form below:

Sunday August 18th, 2024  at 10 am

$10 per person

Saturday, Aug 10th, 10:00 am

$10 per person

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.

To reserve a spot on this tour, please go to...https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/553265/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

Saturday August 24th  - 10:00 am

$10 per person

Saturday, August 3 at 10:00 am

$10 per person

Saturday, July 20th  - 10:00 am

$10 per person

Saturday, August 19

$10 HHS members, $12 non-members

Have you ever looked at a cemetery and wondered about who is there, what they did, and how they died? This year our Lantern Tours will encounter sea captains, suffragettes, and people who met a dramatic end in West Harwich. Explore Pine Grove Cemetery with us and meet some of the folk that make West Harwich fascinating!

Tours will take place at 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 pm. Park and meet at the Pine Grove Cemetery in West Harwich. Each tour will last approximately one hour. Reservations are required, space is limited.

Saturday, August 17 at 2:00 pm

$10 per person

Sunday, July 20th at 2:00 pm

$10 per person

Friday, October 13th

$10 HHS members, $12 non-members

Have you ever looked at a cemetery and wondered about who is there, what they did, and how they died? This year our Lantern Tours will encounter sea captains, suffragettes, and people who met a dramatic end in West Harwich. Explore Pine Grove Cemetery with us and meet some of the folk that make West Harwich fascinating!

Tours will take place at 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 pm (6pm time slot is now FULL). Park and meet at the Pine Grove Cemetery in West Harwich. Each tour will last approximately one hour. Reservations are required, space is limited.

Saturday, October 21st

$10 HHS members, $12 non-members

Have you ever looked at a cemetery and wondered about who is there, what they did, and how they died? This year our Lantern Tours will encounter sea captains, suffragettes, and people who met a dramatic end in West Harwich. Explore Pine Grove Cemetery with us and meet some of the folk that make West Harwich fascinating!

Tours will take place at 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 pm. Park and meet at the Pine Grove Cemetery in West Harwich. Each tour will last approximately one hour. Reservations are required, space is limited.

Saturday, July 6, 2024

$10 per person

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.

To reserve a spot on this tour, please go to :https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/553265/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

Sunday, July 14th  10:00 am

$10 per person

Tour of the West Harwich Baptist Church Cemetery. Park along Depot Street west and in the empty lot across. Special focus on the families connected with deep Cape roots: Mayflower and Winthrop Fleet families who settled here in the 1630s, and a special focus on the role of the Baptist Church in Harwich and on Cape Cod during the American Revolution, the Second Great Awakening, as well as the rise of the Abolitionist movement. Talk will be illustrated with digital photos and artifacts.
Tour will place on July 20th @10 am & August 24th @ 10 am
Cost of tour is $10.00. To reserve tickets got to; https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/552979/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

Join former State Senator Paul Doane ,who has called Harwich his home town for over 80 years, on this fact-filled, engaging stroll while revisiting the people, sites and fierce politics that shaped this Historic village. The two hour tour covers the four early centers of generational activity, Pine Grove Seminary, South Parish Meetinghouse, Exchange Hall, and the Broadbrooks commercial block. You’ll learn about and visit the homes and final resting spots of leading families of our first 200 years, Broadbrooks, Underwood, Chase and Snow as well visit locales of residents whose popular commercial endeavors stretched “abroad”. Individual earpieces makes the tour a most enjoyable and engaging summertime afternoon experience for both visitors and residents alike, that want to learn more about this remarkable community.
Tours start at 2 p.m. July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17 and during Cranberry Festival days September 14 &15. from the A.E Crowell Barn Museum parking area.
Tickets are $10 and may be purchased via the Society’s website, harwichhistoricalsociety.org or at the meeting site.To reserve tickets go to;https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/553568/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

Join former State Senator Paul Doane ,who has called Harwich his home town for over 80 years, on this fact-filled, engaging stroll while revisiting the people, sites and fierce politics that shaped this Historic village. The two hour tour covers the four early centers of generational activity, Pine Grove Seminary, South Parish Meetinghouse, Exchange Hall, and the Broadbrooks commercial block. You’ll learn about and visit the homes and final resting spots of leading families of our first 200 years, Broadbrooks, Underwood, Chase and Snow as well visit locales of residents whose popular commercial endeavors stretched “abroad”. Individual earpieces makes the tour a most enjoyable and engaging summertime afternoon experience for both visitors and residents alike, that want to learn more about this remarkable community.
Tours start at 2 p.m. July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17 and during Cranberry Festival days September 14 &15. from the A.E Crowell Barn Museum parking area.
Tickets are $10 and may be purchased via the Society’s website, harwichhistoricalsociety.org or at the meeting site.To reserve tickets go to;https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/553568/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

Tour of Pine Grove Cemetery; park by tallest white marble obelisk. Discussion of special families linked to West Harwich’s enduring legacy of blue water, ocean going sea captains as well as locally prominent — and notorious — characters. Illustrated with period photos of the deceased and their dwellings in the village.
Tours will take place on July 14th @ 10 am & August 18th @ 10 am.
Park by tallest white marble obelisk. Cost of tour is $10.00. To reserve tickets please go to; https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/553256/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

For Tickets go to: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/563726/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

For Tickets go to: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/563726/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

For Tickets go to: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/563726/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

Tour of the West Harwich Baptist Church Cemetery. Park along Depot Street west and in the empty lot across. Special focus on the families connected with deep Cape roots: Mayflower and Winthrop Fleet families who settled here in the 1630s, and a special focus on the role of the Baptist Church in Harwich and on Cape Cod during the American Revolution, the Second Great Awakening, as well as the rise of the Abolitionist movement. Talk will be illustrated with digital photos and artifacts.
Tour will place on July 20th @10 am & August 24th @ 10 am
Cost of tour is $10.00. To reserve tickets go to; https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/552979/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

 Registration for Our Long-Awaited Fall Workshops are now OPEN!
Class size is limited, so don't wait! All skill levels welcome!

Decoy Carving Workshop
(10 weeks)
Fridays: Sep. 13 - Nov. 15
9am-12pm

Saturdays: Sep. 14 - Nov. 16
9am-12pm

Decoy Painting Workshop
(6 weeks)
Wednesdays: Sep. 18 - Oct. 23
9am-12pm

Learn to make a working decoy in the original wood carving studio of renowned decoy artist Anthony Elmer Crowell! Students will learn traditional bird carving techniques and complete their ten-week course having created a working decoy.  We are also offering a Decoy Feather Painting Workshop on Wednesdays.

These workshops will be led by Master Woodcarver, painter, and decoy maker, Paul Phillips, who has over 30 years of experience and has been demonstrating his craft at the Harwich Historical Society since the Crowell Barn Museum first opened to visitors. Through these carving and painting classes, the Society is dedicated to preserving this traditional folk art within the local community.

Students will be provided with introductory tools, wood, and additional supplies.

Fees: full payment due at time of registration
Decoy Carving: $375 non-members/$325 members - Click here to sign up now! 
Decoy Painting: $200 non-members/$175 members - Click here to sign up now!

Registration for Our Long-Awaited Fall Workshops are now OPEN!
Class size is limited, so don't wait! All skill levels welcome!

Decoy Carving Workshop
(10 weeks)
Fridays: Sep. 13 - Nov. 15
9am-12pm

Saturdays: Sep. 14 - Nov. 16
9am-12pm

Decoy Painting Workshop
(6 weeks)
Wednesdays: Sep. 18 - Oct. 23
9am-12pm

Learn to make a working decoy in the original wood carving studio of renowned decoy artist Anthony Elmer Crowell! Students will learn traditional bird carving techniques and complete their ten-week course having created a working decoy.  We are also offering a Decoy Feather Painting Workshop on Mondays.

These workshops will be led by Master Woodcarver, painter, and decoy maker, Paul Phillips, who has over 30 years of experience and has been demonstrating his craft at the Harwich Historical Society since the Crowell Barn Museum first opened to visitors. Through these carving and painting classes, the Society is dedicated to preserving this traditional folk art within the local community.

Students will be provided with introductory tools, wood, and additional supplies.

Fees: full payment due at time of registration
Decoy Carving: $375 non-members/$325 members - Click here to sign up now! 
Decoy Painting: $200 non-members/$175 members - Click here to sign up now!

Join former State Senator Paul Doane ,who has called Harwich his home town for over 80 years, on this fact-filled, engaging stroll while revisiting the people, sites and fierce politics that shaped this Historic village. The two hour tour covers the four early centers of generational activity, Pine Grove Seminary, South Parish Meetinghouse, Exchange Hall, and the Broadbrooks commercial block. You’ll learn about and visit the homes and final resting spots of leading families of our first 200 years, Broadbrooks, Underwood, Chase and Snow as well visit locales of residents whose popular commercial endeavors stretched “abroad”. Individual earpieces makes the tour a most enjoyable and engaging summertime afternoon experience for both visitors and residents alike, that want to learn more about this remarkable community.
Tours start at 2 p.m. July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17 and during Cranberry Festival days September 14 &15. from the A.E Crowell Barn Museum parking area.
Tickets are $10 and may be purchased via the Society’s website, harwichhistoricalsociety.org or at the meeting site. To reserve tickets go to;https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/553568/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

For Tickets go to: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/563726/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

For Tickets go to: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/563726/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

For Tickets go to: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/harwichhistoricalsociety/items/563726/?full-items=yes&flow=1041222

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

Please click here to purchase tickets!

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

Please click here to purchase tickets!

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

Please click here to purchase tickets!

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

Please click here to purchase the tickets!

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

Please click here to purchase tickets!

It's that time again, and our ghosts are talking! This year we will visit with ghosts in the North Harwich Cemetery. Our ghostly hosts will be a variety of mariners, Revolutionary War soldiers, and towns folk. Each has a unique tale to tell. You can visit with them August 17th, September 21st, October 19th and 25th at 5, 5:30, or 6 PM. Make your reservations now - space fills quickly!

Please click here to purchase tickets!