Category: Program Announcements

Westborough Historical Society Program: “Three Turning Points That Changed American History,” Monday, January 13, 2020, 7:00 p.m., Westborough Public Library Meeting Room. Prof. Edward O’Donnell of the College of the Holy Cross will discuss landmark movements and events that have irrevocably altered the direction of the nation. Some were groundbreaking political concepts; some were dramatic military victories and defeats. Still others were religious movements or technological innovations. Can you guess the three most important turning points?

Prof. Edward O’Donnell, chair of the History Department of the College of the Holy Cross, is an expert in Irish-American history and the Gilded Age. He holds a Ph.d. in American history from Columbia University and  taught at Hunter College, CUNY from 1995-2001. In 1986 he joined the faculty of Holy Cross and hosts the podcast, “In the Past Lane,” which explores topics in U.S. history. Professor O’Donnell is known for providing historical commentary for PBS, the History Channel, ABC World News, NPR, and the BBC. He has curated major exhibits on U.S.history across the nation. Among his books are “101 Things Everyone Should Know about Irish-American History, ”Henry George and the Crisis of Inequality,” and “Visions of America: A History of the United States.”

Next Meeting of the Westborough History Working Group: Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 2:00 p.m. on the 3rd floor of the Westborough Public Library.

Are you interested in working with historical documents and records held at the Westborough Center for History and Culture? Come to this meeting to help out. If you plan to attend, please e-mail Anthony Vaver, Local History Librarian, at avaver@town.westborough.ma.us.

Brand New: The Early Development of Westborough through Church and State: A Walking Tour

Looking for a fun activity to do with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday? Click on the link to this tour on your smart phone and use it to learn about the separation of church and state and how it affected Westborough, MA in this self-directed online walking tour of Westborough’s downtown. The tour starts at the Westborough Rotary and was created by Emily Bartee and Kayla Niece of Girl Scout Troop 30551 as a Silver Award project.

First Meeting of the Westborough History Working Group. Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 2:00 p.m. at the Westborough Public Library. Do you want to help the Westborough Center with its historical documents and records? Come to this inaugural meeting, where we will start adding dates to historical photographs that lack them and then plan how we want to go forward in the future. If you plan to attend, please e-mail Anthony Vaver, Local History Librarian, at avaver@town.westborough.ma.us, so that we can adequately plan space for us to work.

If you plan to attend the architecture tour on Sunday, make sure you download the booklet that will be used during the tour. Hope to see you there!

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British Influences on Westborough’s Architecture Walking Tour, Sunday, October 6, 2019, 1:00 p.m. at the Library steps.  Join R. Christopher Noonan and Luanne  Crosby as they talk (and sing!) about the interplay and influences of the British Empire’s architectural traditions on Westborough’s buildings, neighborhoods, and even cemetery design. This program is part of the Westborough History Connections series on Westborough and India under the British Empire.

Tonight (Weds., 10/2):

Introduction to Indian Classical Music, Its Overlaps and Differences with Western Music, Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room. Learn and engage in a 90-minute interactive workshop on Indian classical music. This program is part of the Westborough History Connections series on Westborough and India under the British Empire.

Sunday (10/6):

British Influences on Westborough’s Architecture Walking Tour, Sunday, October 6, 2019, 1:00 p.m. at the Library steps.  Join R. Christopher Noonan and Luanne  Crosby as they talk (and sing!) about the interplay and influences of the British Empire’s architectural traditions on Westborough’s buildings, neighborhoods, and even cemetery design. This program is part of the Westborough History Connections series on Westborough and India under the British Empire.

Can you put a date (or a span of potential dates) on this image of West Main Street in Westborough?

• Image Title: Business Section – Westboro Massachusetts
• Format: Postcard
• Date: ????

Even if you can’t add a date to this image, come join the NEW Westborough History Working Group!

The Westborough History Working Group will be an informal gathering of people with an interest in history in general, and Westborough in particular, to work together on various projects in the Westborough Center for History and Culture at the Westborough Public Library. Projects may include:

• Adding dates to historical photographs to the best of our collective ability.
• Organizing collections and conducting research for exhibits and programs.
• First peaks at new donations as they are opened for the first time.
• A forum for sharing your knowledge and experiences about living in Westborough, both yesterday and today.
• Informal (or formal) conversation about history topics in general with people who enjoy talking about history.

The general idea is for us to get together on a regular basis (however we want to define that), help the Westborough Center with its local history collections, and have fun doing so. We will start with trying to attach dates to the many historical photographs that lack them in our collection. We can then decide together what other activities we want to tackle. If you have ever wanted to see what it is like to work with rare collections in a library or museum, this is your opportunity.

All are welcome, whether you are a long-time Westborough resident or just moved here!

If you are interested in joining this group, please e-mail Anthony Vaver, Local History Librarian at avaver@town.westborough.ma.us to express your interest. Please include the following information:

• Your Name
• Your E-mail Address
• Your general meeting time preferences (please indicate days of the week AND mornings, afternoons, or evenings on those days)

I will try to accommodate as many people as possible in identifying meeting times.

Tonight (Sept. 18, 2019):

• Minerals of Massachusetts, Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room. Learn more about where you live. Author and collector Peter Cristofono will talk about the many minerals that can be found in Massachusetts and the best places to find them.

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019:

• National Registration Voter Day, Tuesday, September 24 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. at the Westborough Center for History and Culture. Stop by and register to vote, if you haven’t already!

A Special Exhibit Book: “Westborough: Portraits of a Town” by Brandin Tumeinski is now on display at the Westborough Center for History and Culture in the Westborough Public Library.

See the results of Brandin Tumeinski’s year-long project as the 2018-2019 Photographer-in-Residence in a spectacular book of portraits of Westborough residents that he took over the course of the year.

This special book is currently on display at the Westborough Center for History and Culture at the Westborough Public Library and will be available for viewing until the end of September.