Massachusetts
Recent Articles
Union Oyster House
Walking along the Freedom Trail in Boston, it is easy to miss the plaque outside the Union Oyster House. But if you pass it by, you are missing not only a good meal, but an extraordinary chapter in American history. The Union Oyster House is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States, serving diners […]
Edgar Allen Poe Statue
This is a statue of Edgar Allan Poe on the sidewalk along Boylston Street in Boston. He is caught in mid-stride, coat swirling with a raven perched atop a stack of books at his feet. The placement of this statue is intentional and rooted in Poe’s relationship with the city where his life began. Poe […]
Bell System Icon
Walking through Wellesley, with my eyes turned to the ground, I took a moment to notice the iron cover in the sidewalk labeled: “Bell System”, this little iron circle tells a story of a different kind of infrastructure, one that once revolutionized the world. The Bell System was more than just a telephone company it was a […]
Revolutionary War Medallion
I enjoy wandering through old cemeteries and to the small symbols that mark the lives of people who came before us. Among the most powerful markers are the medallions places at the graves of Revolutionary War veterans, each one a reminder of the earliest defenders of our young nation resting beneath New England’s grass. As I explored these burying […]
Washington Doll
In the years immediately following the American Revolution, George Washington became a living symbol of a new nation. Across the young republic, admiration for him inspired countless small acts of devotion. This rare type of commemorative doll is an example of this admiration. It was crafted from wool in 1790. These were not toys but expressions of patriotism, Washington’s image […]
The Liberator Site
I had just stepped away from the busy Freedom Trail, when I came across the bronze plaque on a quiet Boston street. It read: “The Liberator Site – Boston uncompromising anti-slavery paper. The Liberator was founded on this site in 1831 by William Lloyd Garrison…..“ Standing at this spot, I realized that this was the birthplace […]
The Courage of Mary Dyer
The ability to sculpt is a remarkable gift. This gift allows an artist to give shape and permanence to something a society deems worth remembering. Our public spaces are filled with statues and memorials, each capturing a story, a value or a life that helped define who we are. The placement of these works also carries meaning for it […]
Water Fountain in Wellesley
Though I have walked the parks and paths of Wellesley, Massachusetts for years, I had not paused at this water fountain before. Growing up, I often drank from fountains because they were everywhere. The label on the base read: Murdock Manufacturing, Cincinnati, OH, a company founded in 1853. I learned that Murdock became one of […]
The Flag That Sparked Curiosity: Discovering History Hidden in Plain Sight
It was curiosity that led me there. Every day, on my drive to Wellesley Chiropractic Office, I noticed a small British flag beside a marker in the middle of an island. What was a British flag doing in the suburbs of MA? My first assumption was a simple one: perhaps it marked a site from colonial […]
