March Public Program

Jordan Marsh: New England's Largest Store
A slideshow lecture by Anthony Sammarco

Sunday, March 24, 2024
2:00 PM
Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room
Watertown Free Public Library
123 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Anthony Sammarco will reveal the fascinating history of Boston's beloved Jordan Marsh.  The retailer opened its first store, which sold assorted dry goods, on Milk Street in 1851.  Do you remember the blueberry muffins and the Enchanted Village?

Referred to as the "Balzac of Boston History" by the Boston Globe, Anthony Mitchell Sammarco is a Boston native, noted historian and author of over seventy books on the history and development of Boston, topics on which he lectures widely.

This event is free and open to the public.  Parking is free in the library lot on Sundays.  For more information, please contact Joyce at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This program is funded by a 2023 grant from the Watertown Community Foundation.

November Public Program

Revolutionary Decisions – Allegiance: The Life and Times of William Eustis
A slideshow lecture by Tamsen George

Sunday, November 12, 2023
2:00 PM
Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room
Watertown Free Public Library
123 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472

William Eustis's (1753-1825) adventures as a young apprentice to Dr. Joseph Warren took him from the genteel society of Boston to the bloody siege lines at Bunker Hill.  He also served as surgeon in the Continental Army in the Hudson Highlands with General George Washington.  At West Point, he was in the room when Benedict Arnold's treachery was discovered.  Later, as Governor of Massachusetts, he cleared the way for consideration of construction of the Cape Cod Canal.  Although little known today, Eustis was an eyewitness to many important events.

Following a career in cultural education and historic preservation, Tamsen George became executive director of the Shirley-Eustis House Association.  While there, she realized that much was known about British Royal Governor William Shirley, builder of the estate, but little was known about a later owner of the home and unsung patriot William Eustis.  After retirement, Ms. George launched a period of discovery that led to authorship of Allegiance: The Life and Times of William Eustis, which addresses his extraordinary experiences with the difficult decisions and issues of his day.  Tamsen resides on Cape Cod, served as president of Falmouth Museums on the Green for more than six years and is currently a member of the Falmouth Historical Commission.

This event is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

This program is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Joyce at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Special Public Program

Living in the Edmund Fowle House
A talk by Paul Brennan

Saturday, October 28, 2023
1:00 PM
Edmund Fowle House
28 Marshall Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Please note that attendance is limited to 20 and registration is required (see below).

To commemorate the 251st year of the Edmund Fowle House and in conjunction with the Historical Society's current 250 Years of the Edmund Fowle House exhibit, Paul Brennan will present a talk describing what it was like to live in this historic home.

A history lover since his youth, Mr. Brennan grew up in Watertown and became President of the Historical Society of Watertown in 1987, when he was still in his 20s.  He lived in the Edmund Fowle House as caretaker from 1988 to 1992.  Of his time there, Paul said, "I was always poking around the house from top to bottom and even around the grounds.  I think the first or second issue of The Town Crier published the finding of an underground well/cistern ... It was in my nature to be curious and still is."  He will recount his experiences in the house, the upgrades made to the structure and the initiatives he enacted while he was President.

Following the talk, the 250 Years of the Edmund Fowle House exhibit will be available for viewing from 2:00 - 4:00 PM.

This program is free and open to the public, but attendance is limited to 20 and registration is required.
For more information or to register, contact Joyce at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 781-899-7239.

September Public Program

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: I Dissent
A live performance by Sheryl Faye

Sunday, September 24, 2023
2:00 PM
Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room
Watertown Free Public Library
123 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472

The Historical Society of Watertown in partnership with Watertown Free Public Library presents Sheryl Faye in this one-woman performance that brings Justice Ginsberg to life.  Ginsburg was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in September, 2020.  She objected to different expectations for men and women and prejudice against minority groups.  She stands out for her willingness to dissent, disapprove and disagree with conditions of unfairness and inequality.  This show is the inspiring story of how she changed her life--and ours.

Ms. Faye attended Emerson College, where she received a BFA in acting.  She is currently touring ten one-woman shows to schools, libraries, historical societies and senior centers throughout the United States.  Sheryl writes and performs with StageCoach Improv and keeps busy working in films, television and theater in Boston and New York.

This event is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

This program is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Joyce at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..