Around Town

Watertown Celebrating 2 Historic Events During Virtual Event

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Charlie BreitroseA re-enactor from the Historical Society of Watertown reads the Declaration of Independence from the same spot it was first read in 1776, the second floor of the Edmund Fowle House during a Treaty Day Celebration from a previous year. The Historical Society of Watertown announced that the 2022 Treaty Day celebrations will be held virtually. The event marks not just one, but two events of historic significance in the local, state, and the national history. In the past, the event has been held at the Edmund Fowle House on Marshall Street where re-enactors read the Declaration of Independence and members of the modern groups that descended from those that took part in the signing of Treaty of Watertown attend the event. This year, due to multiple reasons, the event will be held virtually.

Around Town

New Marker Recalls Former Home of First Jewish Dairy Farmers in Watertown and the State

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Charlie BreitroseHistorical Society of Watertown member Bob Bloomberg glances at the new historic marker near the former location of the Shick House. The marker was dedicated on June 26. A shiny, new blue sign with gold lettering now sits feet away from where a farmhouse stood for about 170 years. The historical marker is the only reminder of the home owned by the family that ran the first Jewish-owned dairy in Massachusetts and of Watertown’s rich agricultural history. The Historical Society of Watertown unveiled the new marker for the Shick House on Sunday afternoon.

City Council

Council Holding Special Meeting on Creating Historic District, Changing Name of Delta & Community Preservation Projects

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown’s City Hall. Three items will be covered during a special City Council meeting next week: a petition to create a historic district on Main Street, a petition to change the name of the delta in Watertown Square, and to consider the recommended project from the Community Preservation Committee. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 21 at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chamber in Town Hall, 149 Main St. The name of the delta will discussed first, followed by the historic district proposal, and then the CPC projects. People can also participate in the meeting on Zoom.

Around Town

Boston Tea Party Participant from Watertown to be Honored

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Boston Tea Party Ships & MuseumA grave marker for participants in the Boston Tea Party will be placed on the burial site of Watertown’s Samuel Barnard. It will look like the one placed at Paul Revere’s grave in Boston’s Granary
Burying Ground in 2018. On Dec. 16, 1773, Watertown’s Samuel Barnard joined the group that took part in one of the key moments leading up to the American Revolution: The Boston Tea Party. He will be honored this month with the placing of a marker at his gravesite commemorating his place in American history.

Around Town

Ceremony, Marker Planned to Commemorate Historic Shick House

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Historical Society of WatertownThe Shick House used to stand on land on Grove Street, and will be commemorated at a ceremony on June 26. The following information was provided by the Historical Society of Watertown:

On Sunday, June 26, 2022 the Historical Society of Watertown will hold a public unveiling of an interpretive marker adjacent to the site of the Shick Farm at 183 Grove St. in Watertown. Jacob and Mary Shick purchased this farm in 1914 and operated a dairy here and grew the business until their 200 cows required larger acreage in Wayland. “They were the archetypical immigrant success story,” says Historical Society board member Bob Bloomberg, “backbreakingly hard workers, with a fierce determination to succeed, and a willingness to take chances.

Around Town

Watertown’s Shick House to be Remembered with Historic Marker

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Watertown Free Public LibraryThe Shick House has been located on Grove Street since the 1800s. It was home to the owners of one of the few Jewish farmers in Massachusetts. Bob Bloomberg recalls the first time he got to look inside the Shick House. The house oozed history, but it was clear then, he said, that the home of the owners of one of the few Jewish-owned farms in Massachusetts was not in good shape. “I was in the house twice, the first time was about a year ago, and at that point we could go to the second floor,” said Bloomberg, a member of the Historical Society’s board who has researched the history of the house.

Around Town

Learn About the Surprising History of a Historic House in Watertown

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Find out the surprising history of the Gilbert Payson House in Watertown. The Historical Society of Watertown announced it will host “The Gilbert Payson House: A Watertown Reinvention Story,” a slideshow lecture by David J. Russo, on Sunday November 21, 2021 at 2 p.m. at the Watertown Library. Built in 1882 and designed by the noted firm of Van Brunt & Howe, the Payson House hasa significant and surprising history that includes housing, schools and even a library. Learnthe compelling survival story of how this building evolved to meet the demands of the changing environment around it. David J. Russo, J.D. is passionate about Watertown history and architecture.  He becameinterested in one of Watertown’s most famous native sons: Charles Brigham.

Around Town

Historic House Reopens to the Public, Features New Sign & Labels for Pieces Inside

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Charlie BreitroseMembers of the Historical Society of Watertown celebrate the official unveiling of the new sign at the Edmund Fowle House. On Sunday, the public got a chance to look inside one of Watertown’s oldest homes for the first time since the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, and the Historical Society celebrated the debut of a couple of new features. A new sign sits next to the Edmund Fowle House on Marshall Street. The home is the second oldest in Watertown, after the Browne House in West Watertown, and it was the site of the signing of the first treaty signed by the United States with a foreign power, the St. John’s (a.k.a. Maliseet) and Mi’kmaq Tribes of Nova Scotia, the Treaty of Watertown, in 1776.