Around Town

New Signage for Paintings in City Hall Provides a Historical Perspective

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The historic paintings in Watertown City Hall now have signs with information about the town’s history. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The entry lobby in City Hall is beginning to look like a room at the Museum of Fine Arts, with the addition of signs to accompany the recently restored historical paintings of Watertown. The foyer of City Hall has long been home to a pair of paintings depicting Watertown, one showing the town in the 1630s when it was founded, and one in the 1930s, around the time when City Hall was built. The signs have been installed in front of the paintings that hang on either side of the entryway off of Main Street. The Historical Society received money from the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) to pay for the creation and manufacturing of the signs. The contents went through several iterations before reaching the final version, said Watertown Community Preservation Coordinator Lanae Handy.

Around Town

Grand Opening of Historical Society’s Exhibit About Watertown’s Dairies at the Police Station

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Joyce Kelly and Todd Rivers of the Historical Society of Watertown installed the display on Watertown’s dairies at the Watertown Police Station (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The following announcement was provided by the Historical Society of Watertown:

A few months ago, the Historical Society of Watertown was contacted by a couple of the police officers in Watertown. They wondered if we would be interested in partnering with them and installing an exhibit in one of the display cases in the police station lobby. We said “Yes – we would love to partner with you!”

After mulling over several ideas, we decided on an exhibit about the different dairies that were in Watertown over the years. These include Andrews Milk Co., Green Meadows, Shick/Watertown Dairy, Speedwell Farms and Woodland Dairy

Items on display include several photos and advertisements for the dairies. Also on display are many of the milk bottles from these dairies that we have in our collection at the Edmund Fowle House.

Around Town

Historical Society Hosting Watertown During Revolution Tour, Documentary on Quabbin Reservoir

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Sunday is a day for history buffs in town as the Historical Society hosts a walking tour of Revolutionary War sights around Watertown, and a screening of a documentary film about the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir and the four towns that now lie beneath the surface. See more in the announcements provided by the Historical Society of Watertown. Walking Tour of Watertown During the Revolution

The Historical Society of Watertown invites you to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the fight for American Independence by taking a walking tour of “Watertown During the Revolution” Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 10 a.m.

Meeting Place: Zussman Memorial Park beside 66 Galen St. (The tour will be cancelled for rain.)

Join Historical Society of Watertown walking tour leaders Lynne O’Connell and Beth Houston for a 90-minute walking tour to learn about the important role that the town played during the American Revolution. After the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the Provincial Congress assembled in the town’s Meeting House, making Watertown the seat of the Massachusetts government for 18 months.

Entertainment

WEEKEND FUN: Grandparents Ice Cream Party, Art by Rock Musician, Meditation, Historical Society Events

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This weekend starts off with an ice cream party for grandparents at the Senior Center on Friday morning. (Yes, it’s OK, at least for some, to eat some ice cream before lunch today! It’s National Grandparents Day.) Mount Auburn Cemetery is holding a sunset sound meditation on Saturday at 5:30. It’s such a peaceful beautiful place for mediation. There are two events this Sunday put on by the Watertown Historical Society this weekend, a walking tour in the morning, and in the afternoon, a one-woman show, as Michele Gabrielson portrays Mercy Otis Owen, the first historian of the American Revolution at the library.

Entertainment

Historical Society Hosting Revolution Walking Tour & Performance by Historic Re-enactor

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Historic interpreter Michele Gabrielson will do a live performance as Mercy Otis Warren on Sept. 7. (Courtesy Photo)

The public had two chances to take the Historical Society’s Watertown During the Revolution walking tour, and the Historical Society is also hosting an event with the Watertown Library with a live reading of American Calliope: Mercy Otis Warren & the Writings of a Revolutionary. See the announcements from the Historical Society below. Historic Tours

The Historical Society of Watertown invites you to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the fight for American Independence by taking a walking tour of “Watertown During the Revolution.”

Around Town

Learn About Historic Events in Watertown in July 1776 at Historical Society’s Presentation

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Charlie BreitroseA colonial re-enactor listens to a reading of the Declaration of Independence from the Edmund Fowle House on Marshall Street during the Historical Society of Watertown’s celebration in 2015. This year’s event will be at the Watertown Senior Center. The Historical Society of Watertown will host “Historic Events in Watertown, July 1776” at the Watertown Senior Center, 31 Marshall St., on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, from 5-6:30 p.m. See details in the event announcement below. Please attend this special program presented by the Historical Society at the Watertown Senior Center, honoring two important events: the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Watertown. The Treaty of Watertown was the first international US treaty.

Around Town

Historical Society of Watertown Offering Historic American Legion Artifacts to the Public

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The following announcement was provided by the Historical Society of Watertown:

Three or more decades ago, when American Legion Post 99 closed, the Historical Society of Watertown acquired a quantity of their documents and artifacts. It is a sad fact that small museums, such as ours, have limited space for proper storage and now that we are slowly cataloging our accumulated collection, it has become clear that while it is appropriate that we keep some of these items, we lack the room to house them all. The next step in cases like this is to offer the items to another appropriate party or organization. Last month, we donated a photo from 1930 to the Shutt Detachment, Marine Corp League, depicting the dedication of the WWI memorial stone out in front of their building at 215 Mt. Auburn St., which was occupied by the American Legion Post 99 at that time.

Around Town

Historical Society Leading “Watertown During the Revolution” Walking Tour

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The following announcement was provided by the Historical Society of Watertown:

The Historical Society of Watertown invites you to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the fight for American Independence by taking a walking tour of “WATERTOWN DURING THE REVOLUTION.”

Join Historical Society of Watertown walking tour leaders Lynne O’Connell and Beth Houston for a 90-minute walking tour to learn about the important role that the town played during the American Revolution.  

After the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the Provincial Congress assembled in the town’s Meeting House, making Watertown the seat of the Massachusetts government for 18 months. As a result, many prominent Revolutionary War figures boarded in town, including Paul Revere and Joseph Warren.  

On the tour, we’ll visit the sites of important dwellings (many of which are no longer standing), public spaces, monuments and plaques as we make our way to the 1772 Edmund Fowle House, where the Executive Council of the Provincial Congress met. Participants will be invited to enter the house and view the current exhibit that celebrates the 250th anniversary of both the Fowle House and the fight for American independence. The tour ends here at the Edmund Fowle House.