Hanover MA Historical Society

History & Nature Walk Through Sylvester Field

Saturday, September 14, 2024, 1pm, 129 Washington Street, Hanover

Join Hanover Historical Society President John Galluzzo for a walking tour of Sylvester Field, one of the oldest historic landscapes in town. Sylvester Field was in use for centuries from the 17th into the 20th for farming and haying. This ten acre parcel located on Washington Street and stretching down to the Third Herring Brook has never been developed, and looks much like it has for the past few hundred years. It was purchased by the Wildlands Trust with help from Hanover’s Community Preservation Act funds and many individual donors in 2021. The tour will explore the history and wildlife of this preserved piece of Hanover’s agricultural past and its importance for today.

Parking is limited, so it is suggested to park at Four Corners and walk down to the Field.

The tour will take place rain or shine, unless the weather is extreme. Parts of Sylvester Field may be wet, marshy, or muddy, please dress accordingly.

Collections Highlights object of the month: Photograph of Horace S. Tower

The Hanover Historical Society has been digitizing a collection of Civil War veterans photographs this past summer. It will be turned into an online exhibit next month.

Horace S. Tower was born in Hanover on May 11, 1847, the first son of John and Nancy Sylvester Tower. He was living in Hanover and a ‘scholar’ of eighteen years old when he enlisted as a Private in Company L of the 4th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment on February 1, 1864. He was promoted to corporal on November 1, 1865, and mustered out on November 14, 1865, as Company K (presumably Company L was disbanded at that time).

He married Helen A. Barker, daughter of Lot P. Barker of Hanson (or Pembroke) in 1870 when she was only eighteen, and they had two children, one of whom died at less than four months old. They lived at the junction of Washington Street and Oakland Avenue at the Four Corners in a house that he constructed by himself.
He was a long-time Associate Editor of the Rockland Independent Newspaper, his father John being the long-time Editor of the same paper until his death in 1900.
He was a member and Commander for many years of the Hanover Joseph E. Wilder Post No. 83 GAR*. He died on August 30, 1920.

*Grand Army of the Republic

The Hanover Historical Society presents:

Historic House Workshop: Researching Your Historic Hanover Home

Wednesday August 28th, 6:30 pm at the John Curtis Free Library

Ever wanted to learn more about your historic Hanover building? This one hour workshop will introduce people to the basics of researching an historic house or structure in Hanover. The workshop will start with a quick guide to architectural styles and examples from the 17th to the 20th Centuries. The workshop will cover the most useful published materials for historic research, J.S. Barry Historical Sketch of the Town of Hanover (1853) and Jedidiah Dwelley and John F. Simmons History of the Town of Hanover (1910), both of which are online, and Barbara Barker’s Historic Homes of the Revolution (1976). Period maps such as the E. Whiting map of 1849, the Walling Map of 1857, and Plymouth County Atlas of 1874 and 1903 will be explored for their use in research. The workshop will also cover online resources such as the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds, online genealogical resources, the MACRIS database of cultural resources available from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and other useful online sites for more information.

Hanover Today and in History

https://www.hanover-ma.gov/about-our-town/pages/hanover-today-and-in-history #:~:text=Settled%20in%20or%20around%201649%2C%20the%20Town,in%20the%20Massachusetts%20General%20Court%20(the%20legislature).

Hanover Today and in History | Hanover, Massachusetts Settled in or around 1649, the Town of Hanover was incorporated as a municipality on June 14, 1727, through an Act passed by the Lieutenant Governor, Council and Representatives in the Massachusetts General Court (the legislature).

The Hanover Historical Society's Junior Curator Mary Sham has installed her first display at the John Curtis Free Library. Mary chose the objects, researched and wrote the text, and set up the display using an 1820s tea set from the estate of F***y Hitchcock Philips. Mary combined her love of Hanover history with her love of tea drinking to create the display. Mary will be attending the South Shore Charter School Junior High in the Fall. Congratulations Mary!

Learn more about The Prouty Plow: A Symbol of Hanover

The Prouty Plow The Prouty Plow: A Symbol of Hanover   David Prouty 1778-1846 David Prouty was born in Scituate on May 18th, 1778. He married Lydia Stoddard in 1795, and the couple had five children: Margaret…

The Hanover Historical Society Presents an author’s talk

Lee McColgan, A House Restored: The Tragedies and Triumphs of Saving a New England Colonial

Wednesday, July 24th , 6:30pm
The John Curtis Free Library, 534 Hanover Street, Hanover Center, MA 02339

Old houses share their secrets only if they survive. Trading the corporate ladder for a stepladder, Lee McColgan commits to preserving the ramshackle Loring House, built in 1702, using period materials and methods and on a holiday deadline. But his enchantment withers as he discovers the massive repairs it needs. A small kitchen fix reveals that the structure’s rotten frame could collapse at any moment. In a bathroom, mold appears and spreads. He fights deteriorating bricks, frozen pipes, shattered windows, a punctured foundation, and even an airborne chimney cap while learning from a diverse cast of preservationists, including a master mason named Irons, a stone whisperer, and the Window Witch. But can he meet his deadline before family and friends arrive, or will it all come crashing down? McColgan’s journey expertly examines our relationship to history through the homes we inhabit, beautifully articulating the philosophy of preserving the past to find purpose for the future.

Lee McColgan has worked on Boston’s Old North Church, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, and other buildings. His work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Boston Globe, and Wall Street Journal. He lives with his wife in the Loring House in Pembroke, Massachusetts. He can be found on Instagram .

Happy Fourth of July!

Revolutionary War Graves in Hanover's Center Cemetery

Saturday, July 6th, 2024, 1pm

Meet at the Center Cemetery entrance near the First Congregational Church

There were more than 180 men from Hanover who served during the American Revolutionary War. Among the graves are those of officers and enlisted men, the commander of the 2nd Massachusetts Regiment for five years, a minister who served as chaplain, a quartermaster, a surgeon, and common soldiers who were White, Native American, and African American. The Hanover Historical Society will lead a tour of the graves of Revolutionary War veterans in Hanover's Center Cemetery.

The tour will last one hour and will happen rain or shine.

This tour is sponsored by grant from the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.

Another successful Hanover Day at the Stetson House! Thanks to everyone who helped, especially Joe Grecco for the tent, junior curator Mary Sham, and Col. Bailey's 2nd Massachusetts Regiment of reenactors for the encampment.

Hanover Day at Stetson House
Saturday, June 22nd, 11am to 3pm
514 Hanover Street, Hanover Center

Historic Carriages & Wagons Display
The Historical Society’s collection of historic carriages and wagons will be on display featuring the restored Surrey Carriage, Doctor’s Buggy, Fire Wagon, and Hay Wagon. The display will be on the grounds of the Stetson House.

Colonial Crafts & Games
Try your hand at traditional early American crafts, toys and games like writing with a quill pen, nine pins, wooden tops, hoop rolling, graces and more. These family friendly activities will take place at the Stetson House Barn and Cobbler’s Shop.

Revolutionary War Encampment
Members of Bailey’s 2nd Massachusetts Regiment reenactor group will be setting up a military encampment showing life during the American Revolutionary war. Explore cooking demonstrations, life in camp, military drills, and more.

Volunteers are needed and welcome to join us for Hanover Day!

Everyone at the Hanover Historical Society is saddened to hear of the loss of our good friend Kenton Greene. He was a great supporter of the Society and often stopped by to share stories and insights on Hanover and its residents, and always with a smile on his face. He will be sorely missed.

Obituary for Kenton Greene at Sullivan Funeral Home- Hanover Kenton Greene of Hanover, MA Kenton Ken Greene, 92, lifelong resident of Hanover Ma, passed away after a brief illness on Sunday Jun 9th, 2024, at Pat Roche Hospice House, Hingham Ma. Ken was born June 6th, 1932, in Hanover Ma and spent his entire life in the town he

Collections Highlights Object of the Month:

Geo. N. Bigelow
Top Hat
White Beaver Felt
Boston, MA; ca.1850-1860
HHS 0000.0155; Gift of Mrs. Hugh K. (Eliza Salmond Sylvester) Hatfield

When the third grade classes visit the Stetson House every Spring they are always asked two questions about this hat. First is do you know of anyone who wore a stovepipe hat? This they answer easily—President Abraham Lincoln. The second usually stumps most of them—what is it made of? They answer wool, cloth, clay, wood, and several more creative answers. When they are told the hat is made of beaver felt, most are quite surprised.

They have little idea that beaver pelts, made from the skin of the aquatic mammals, are naturally water repellant and for centuries were prized for making the best hats. The fur trade bailed out the Pilgrims’ Plymouth Colony in the 17 th Century and built the fortunes for later entrepreneurs like John Jacob Astor and the Hudson Bay Company.

This hat is in the classic ‘stovepipe” shape made popular by President Abraham Lincoln, whose hat is preserved in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. What makes this hat special is the color; the beaver felt has been dyed white, a fashionable variation on the more usual black or brown. It measures eight inches tall by eleven inches wide. The shape and style place it firmly in the 1850s. A maker’s tag on the inside lists George N. Bigelow of Boston as the manufacturer. Bigelow was listed in the Boston Directory of 1855 as a maker of hats and caps working at 72 Hanover Street.

The stovepipe style of hat like this one was popular in the antebellum period, from roughly the 1820s to 1860s in a variety of materials. A straw stovepipe hat variation was popular summer wear during the period.

This hat was donated to the Hanover Historical Society by Eliza Salmond Sylvester Hatfield (1861-1942). She was the great granddaughter of Albert Smith (1763-1823) and Anna Lenthall Eells Smith (1765-1835) through their daughter Elizabeth Smith Salmond (1801-1891) and her daughter Mary Salmons Sylvester (1832-1864), the donor’s mother. The hat could have been worn by any number of the donor’s family members who were alive in Antebellum Hanover.

The Collection Highlights program is sponsored by Rachel Lovett, Executive Director of the Hanover Historical Society 2012-2014.

It was perfect weather for today's walk along the Rail Trail in West Hanover. Thanks to Board President John Galluzzo for the informative history of the railroad in Hanover and Steve Luoko for the updates about the trail's future.

Trail Walk: Hanover Branch Rail Trail, 1415 Hanover Street
Saturday, June 15th, 2024, 1pm

Do you remember seeing trains pass through the West Hanover intersection of Rt.139, Pleasant and Market Streets? Join Hanover Historical Society President John Galluzzo for a guided informative walk along Hanover’s Rail Trail. Hanover has preserved portions of the old train railway beds as walking trails. Learn about the years in the 19th and 20th Centuries when trains connected Hanover to Boston by exploring the trail together. The tour will last about an hour about an hour and will take place unless the weather is extreme. Meet at the Rail Trail parking lot on Hanover Street.

Collections Highlight: The Jacobs Box

The Jacobs Box
Benjamin Jacobs (1709-1792)
Wooden Box
Pine, iron
Dims: H 5” x W 8” x D 8”
Assinippi, Massachusetts, early 18th Century
HHS 0000.0045 Gift of the Heirs of Maria Jacobs

One of the oldest objects in the collections of the Hanover Historical Society is a small, 18th Century wooden box given to the Historical Society by the heirs of Maria Jacobs (1841-1929). Family tradition relates that the box was made by or for her great, great, granduncle Benjamin Jacobs (1709-1792). He was born in the Assinippi section of Scituate, now Norwell, and Hanover, as the tenth of David and Mary (Cushing) Jacobs’s eleven children. Benjamin married Mary Thomas (1718-1796) of Pembroke in 1736. They had seven children and later moved to the Greenbush section of Scituate where they are both buried in the Hatch Burying Ground. It
was Benjamin’s older brother Joshua Jacobs (Maria’s great, great, grandfather) who built the Jacobs Farmhouse in 1726 and constructed a grist mill and a saw mill on Third Herring Brook. Maria Jacobs’s father was Benjamin Jacobs (1815-1891) a part owner of the Farmhouse and Mill. His younger brother, Maria’s uncle Barton Richmond Jacobs (1820-1898), was the last of the family who lived and worked at the Farmhouse and Mill. His son Dr. Henry Barton Jacobs donated the House in 1939 to SPNEA, now Historic New England.

The box is constructed of six, small pine boards with dovetail corners. It has iron gimmel hinges and an iron plate with handle on the lid. It is missing the front lock plate but the inside lock portion is extant. The original key is lost. There are traces of black paint on the lid. It dimensions are 5” high by 8” wide by 8” deep. It was most likely made sometime in the years from 1730 to 1775. Its diminutive size, light weight, iron handle, and ability to lock suggest it was used as portable storage for valuable items like money or paper documents. Similar boxes with locks in other museum and historical society collections show a wide variety of sizes and decorations. A mid-18th Century “document box” in the collections of the Morristown National Historic Park in Morristown, New Jersey, is a similar example with an almost identical iron handle on the lid, but it is twice as large as the Jacobs box, and retains its original red paint. Solidly made and extremely useful, the Jacobs box is a rare survivor of an important domestic object from the 18th Century, preserved through generations, and valued for its craftsmanship and simplicity.

The Collection Highlights program is sponsored by Rachel Lovett, Executive Director of the Hanover Historical Society 2012-2014.

The newest monument in Hanover, honoring those who served in the American Revolutuon, was formally dedicated during today's Memorial Day parade. It stands just out the Stetson House.

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Stay up to date on the latest society events this summer and fall!

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Check out our online exhibit: From the Hearth, Food in Hanover 200 Years Ago

From the Hearth: Food in Hanover 200 Years Ago From the Hearth: Food in Hanover 200 Years AgoMeet John and Mary, two young historians. They wanted to learn more about what was eaten in Hanover 200 years ago.This is the hearth in the Historic Sa…

Historic Trails Workshop

Monday, May 13th , 6:30 p.m. at the John Curtis Free Library

The Hanover Historical Society has pledged to add six new walks to our portfolio this year. We have designed three, and are looking to the community for help in designing three more. Join us in the John Curtis Free Library lower-level meeting room with your ideas for new trails (what neighborhoods haven't we walked together?), reinterpretation of frequently walked areas (Hanover Center during the Civil War?) or rambles through our many open spaces with an eye to our community history.

This program sponsored by a grant from the Local Cultural Council

Hanover Town Meeting is tonight. Please show your support for the Hanover Historical Society by voting to approve our Community Preservation Act funding requests: ARTICLE 35. Stetson House– Cobbler's Shop Restoration $5,000; ARTICLE 36. Digital Collections Preservation project $10,000; and ARTICLE 38. Stetson House Interior Redesign project $9000. These applications have all been approved by Community Preservation Committee. Thank You!