Around Town

New Historic Marker to be Unveiled, Celebrates Day That Watertown Welcomed a Key Figure in the Revolution

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A new historic marker celebrating the visit to Watertown by the Marquis de Lafayette in 1784 will will be unveiled on Sunday, April 19. The public is invited to the unveiling of the Lafayette Trail Revolutionary War Marker. The Lafayette Trail is partnering with the Historical Society of Watertown to host the event which will take place on the green-space triangle by the walking path next to the Halfway Café at 394 Main St., Watertown, on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 10 a.m.

The new marker was donated to the City of Watertown by The Lafayette Trail, Inc., with funding from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. It is one of 170 markers on the Lafayette Trail, which stretches from West Point to Yorktown and from sites up and down the Mississippi River and Eastern seaboard commemorating Lafayette’s farewell visit 200 years ago, according to the Lafayette250.org website. During the Revolutionary War, the Frenchman served as a general in the Continental Army under George Washington.

Around Town

UPDATED: Watertown Representatives Help Mark 250th Anniversary of Important Event in American Revolution

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A replica of one of the cannons hauled from Ft. Ticonderoga, New York, to Boston, through Watertown, in 1776. (Photo by Marilynne Roach)

Marilynne Roach, president of the Historical Society of Watertown, and State Rep. Steve Owens recently joined the reenactment and commemoration of an event that helped turn the tide of the American Revolution. In February the anniversary of Henry Knox and his “Noble Train of Artillery,” when cannons were hauled from Lake Champlain in New York to Boston, was celebrated and Roach took part in parts of the nearby celebration. The commemoration started in Upstate New York in December.

Entertainment

Meet “Abigail Adams” at Historical Society Event at Library

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

The Historical Society & Watertown Free Public Library Present “Abigail Adams – Liberty & Legacy” performed by Sheryl Faye on Sunday March 29, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library – Watertown Savings Bank Room, 123 Main St., Watertown. Abigail Adams is sometimes considered to have been a founder of the United States and is now designated as the first Second Lady and second First Lady of The United States. Adams’s life is one of the most documented of the first ladies: she is remembered for the many letters she wrote to her husband while he stayed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Continental Congresses. John frequently sought the advice of Abigail on many matters, and their letters are filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics. In one of her more famous letters she implores her husband and his colleagues, all of whom were male, to, “…remember the ladies … If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.” Her letters also serve as eyewitness accounts of the American RevolutionaryWar home front.

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.”