Old Bridgewater Historical Society facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Memorial Building |
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Memorial Building
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| General information | |
| Town or city | 162 Howard Street West Bridgewater, Massachusetts 02379 |
| Country | United States |
| Construction started | 1900 |
| Completed | 1901 |
| Management | Old Bridgewater Historical Society |
The Old Bridgewater Historical Society is a group that helps keep history alive in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It started in 1894. This non-profit organization collects and shares old stories, documents, photos, and items from the past. They have a special library with family history records.
Contents
Exploring Historical Buildings
The Old Bridgewater Historical Society looks after two important buildings in West Bridgewater. These buildings help tell the story of the area. They are the Memorial Building and the Keith House.
| Reverend James Keith Parsonage | |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Colonial Saltbox |
| Town or city | 199 River Street West Bridgewater, Massachusetts 02379 |
| Country | United States |
| Construction started | 1662 |
| Completed | 1664 |
| Client | Proprietors of the Town of Bridgewater, MA |
| Management | Old Bridgewater Historical Society |
The Memorial Building
The land for the Memorial Building was given in 1899 by Francis E. Howard. He wanted a special building built there. It had to cost at least $5,000 to construct. A group of local leaders helped plan the building.
To raise money, the Society sold marble plaques. Each plaque cost $100. These plaques honored the first families of Old Bridgewater. You can still see them on the inside walls of the building.
The building was designed by Cooper & Bailey, an architect firm from Boston. It was built by Crowell & Briggs. The construction cost about $8,000. Work began on June 29, 1900. The building officially opened on June 13, 1901.
The Memorial Building has a colonial style. It has a large main room with a stage. There are two special areas called alcoves. One is the Keith Alcove, and the other is the Howard Alcove. They are named after early settlers. The building is made of red brick with a slate roof. This was done to protect the historical items inside from fire.
The Rev. James Keith Parsonage
The Keith Parsonage is another building owned by the Society. It works as a museum showing what a colonial home was like. Building of this house started around 1662. It was the home of Rev. James Keith. He was Bridgewater's first minister from Scotland. Howard and Jessie Anderson gave the house to the Society in 1961.
Society's Journey Through Time
The Old Bridgewater Historical Society started in 1894. It became an official organization on July 18, 1895. The first leaders included Benjamin W. Harris as president. They worked to preserve the history of the area.
Leaders of the Society
Many people have helped lead the Society over the years. Here are some of the past presidents:
- Benjamin W. Harris (1895-1905)
- Loring Puffer (1905-1907)
- Robert O. Harris (1907-1913)
- G. E. Dyer (1913-1921)
- Charles E. Lovell (1921-1924)
- Edward Keith (1924-1926)
- Abner Braley (1926-1938)
- Percival Churchill (1938-1939)
- Walter Stephens (1939-1945)
- Edmund Nutter (1945-1950)
- Laurist W. Reynolds (1950-1957)
- Ralph S. Bates (1957-1976)
- Robert E. Ashley (1976-1977)
- Robert D. Bevis (1977-1980)
- Francis J. Beary (1980-1985)
- Diana Lothrop (1985-1989)
- James F. Buckley (1989-1990)
- Lawrence "Larry" Conant (1990-1995)
- Diana Lothrop (1995-1999)
- Maureen Lynn (1999-2016)
- Shellie Karol-Chik (2016–Present)
