Open Houses During Covid Emergency
Customarily the Heald House Museum at 698 Concord Street, Carlisle, is open 2:00 – 5:00 pm on the third Sunday of each month. Under current conditions – with various restrictions in place because of the Covid pandemic – we are still maintaining this schedule but with certain restrictions. Docents and visitors are expected to wear masks and adhere to social distancing. The portions of the exhibits in the Heald House itself are closed, but the outdoor sites of the Carlisle copper mine and rocks from the Carlisle quarry are open, as are the exhibits in the barn
Help Document Carlisle during the Corona Virus Pandemic
While contemporary times do not feel like history, the present soon becomes the past, and those in the future will surely look back on the time of the Pandemic as a historically important period. With that in mind, the Society is planning to establish a collection of documents, photos, recordings, and artifacts that will make the memory of the Pandemic and its impact on the Town vivid for those who come after us. If you have anything along these lines to provide to the collection, please get in touch with an officer or a member of the board.
Donate an Artifact
The Historical Society’s principal mission is gathering and sharing records and artifacts that illustrate the history of our Town and its residents. Do you have an item related to Carlisle’s past or an item related to a Carlisle resident or family? We are looking for such items (ordinary or extraordinary) to add to our collections. If you have something to donate, please contact John Troast III, Curator email jtroast3@icloud.com
Frank Rigg’s talk on Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride at our 2020 Annual Meeting
Frank Rigg, Former Curator of Museum Collections, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.
New: Carlisle History Research Portal
The Carlisle Historical Society is proud to announce a new addition to the website- a local history and genealogy portal containing many digitized items including the Wilkins Notebooks, historic maps, church records, and vital records. The portal can be accessed here.
Research Portal Link
John Adams Speaks at Carlisle Historical Society Annual Meeting
In December, The Carlisle Historical Society held its annual board meeting where the year’s projects and new developments were shared with members and Carlisle residents. Following the brief business meeting, John Adams reenactor, Jim Baker, presented a wonderful talk on the relationship between Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
John Adams reenactor, Jim Baker The Carlisle Historical Society Celebrates the Armistice Centennial
Most people in Carlisle are aware that November 11th marked the Centennial of the Armistice. The Carlisle Poppy project produced the wonderful art installation of thousands of handwoven
poppies to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the conclusion of World War I. In addition, the Carlisle Historical Society took out a full page in the Mosquito to remember the people of Carlisle who served in the Great War along with their service histories. Also appearing in this newspaper was an account of the original Armistice celebration in Carlisle from 1918. Since the Armistice, the Carlisle Historical Society has worked diligently to assemble objects which tell the story of Carlisle in World War I, now a part of our exhibit, Echoes of the Armistice. The exhibit contains pins, medals, photographs, an authentic Doughboy uniform, a German helmet, and the Diary of Oscar E. Pedersen. Individuals interested in Carlisle history are encouraged to visit this exhibit to learn more about the role their town played in one of the largest wars in US History. The exhibit opened on November 11th, 2018 (the Armistice Centennial) and will conclude on June 28th, 2019 (the Centennial of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles).-j
Right to left: restored Carlisle Honor Roll sign, trunk, and uniform of medic Dana. D. Woodbury on loan from descendent Dana Booth, German Helmet awarded to Kenneth Duren for selling the most liberty loan bonds.
Norman Kennedy, Master Weaver Visits Carlisle Historical Society
In October, Master Weaver Norman Kennedy of the Marshfield School of Weaving visited the Carlisle Historical Society to inspect our Acadian Loom and give a special talk on weaving. This event was organized by Nancy Kronenberg and the Weavers Guild of Boston.
Norman Kennedy spinning raw flax into a thread for weaving
Cemetery Restoration Talk
In October the Carlisle Historical Society hosted a talk on cemetery restoration led by Tom Giffen of the Vermont Old Cemetery Association. There was a brief lecture held in the Carlisle School Community Room followed by a walk to the Central Burying Ground. Here visitors had a chance to try dousing, cleaning tombstones, and repairing broken graves. The well-attended event was co-sponsored by the Carlisle Historical Commission and was open to both members and anyone in town who was interested.
Tom Giffen (center) of the Vermont Old Cemeteries Association addressing a crowd in the Central Burying Ground
