Edward Rodino is the 2019 Natick Historical Society Scholarship Recipient
Congratulations to Edward Rodino, recipient of this year’s Natick Historical Society Scholarship and a graduate of Natick High School class of 2019. At Natick High School, Rodino was deeply involved in varsity athletics and ROTC. He also served as Vice President of the Key Club and led multiple community service events. Teachers describe Edward as “passionate” about history. Edward plans to major in history at Stonehill College in the fall of 2019. Good luck, Edward!
Edward Rodino is the fourth recipient of the Natick Historical Society Scholarship Award, established in 2016.
Play Ball! Channel 5's Chronicle Features Natick's Baseball History
On April 2, 2019, Natick and the birthplace of modern baseball were featured in an episode of Chronicle on WCVB Channel 5. Natick Historical Society director Niki Lefebvre told the story and showed off some baseball artifacts in the Natick History Museum. To see the feature, CLICK HERE.
The artifacts pictured in the feature are currently displayed at the Natick History Museum.
Remembering Bancroft "Bats" Wheeler
We are saddened to announce the passing of Natick Historical Society board member Bancroft “Bats” Wheeler on March 21. Bats joined the NHS board in 2012 and served as its treasurer from 2012 to earlier this year. As treasurer, he led the effort to ensure the society's sound financial footing, and as a member of the board, he was a thoughtful and certain voice guiding the organization.
In addition to his contributions to the Historical Society, Bats was active in Natick, serving on the Advisory Board of Broadmoor, Massachusetts Audubon’s wildlife sanctuary, as a Town Meeting member, and as a member of Natick’s Open Space Advisory Committee.
A memorial service will be held in the Eliot Church of Natick on Friday, April 12, at 2:00 PM, followed by a reception at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at Elm Bank. Instead of flowers, Bats’ family has asked that donations be made to the Natick Historical Society, Metrowest Legal Services, or Broadmoor.
A complete remembrance can be viewed here.
Natick Historical Society Receives Grant from MutualOne Charitable Foundation
The Natick Historical Society has received a $5,000 grant from the MutualOne Charitable Foundation to revise, deliver, evaluate, and expand the reach of its field-trip program for third-grade students. The new program, On this Land: Algonquian and English People in Early Natick, will allow students to learn about how different people lived in the local area in the century before and after the town’s founding in 1651.
“Much like present-day New England, early Natick was home to many different people with many different experiences,” said Niki Lefebvre, Director of the Natick Historical Society. “By learning about the different languages spoken, the variations in how Algonquian and English people used the Charles River, and their differing burial practices, students will be able to see that there was more than one way to live in early New England.”
On this Land will be offered annually to all third-grade students in Natick public schools at no cost to the town. In 2020, the Natick Historical Society will begin offering the field trip for a fee to private schools, summer camps, scouting troops, and other youth organizations.
Valentine-Making Workshop Draws a Crowd
The Natick History Museum was filled on Saturday, February 2, as crafters of all ages gathered to make lovely, old-fashioned valentines from paper, lace, and ribbon. Check out the gallery below for event photos.
Valentine Workshop: View the photo gallery
You can view more photos, including many of the finished valentines, on our Facebook page.
Channel 5's Chronicle Features Natick Center Past and Present
On January 22, Channel 5’s “Chronicle” aired this segment on Natick Center. NHS director Niki Lefebvre discusses how the Great Fire of 1874 devastated the downtown and left its mark on present-day Natick Center.
Click here to watch the Chronicle segment.
Weekend of Celebration at Natick History Museum
Nearly 300 people celebrated the reopening of the Natick History Museum this weekend. We have been working since November 2017 to restore the 1880 museum at 58 Eliot Street, and we are thrilled to welcome the community back into the transformed space.
Member reception: View the photo gallery →
Open house: View the photo gallery→
Members and friends of the Society attended a special reception on Saturday, October 20, to preview the renovated museum and two new exhibits: Across the Centuries: Looking at Local Objects and Your Dream House: At Home in Postwar Natick.
On Sunday, October 21, more than 150 people visited the museum’s public opening in conjunction with Natick Artists Open Studios. Embroidery artist Mary Burke and basket weaver Ron Michael demonstrated their crafts to the delight of all visitors. Young children played with the blocks, books, and dollhouse in the Children’s Corner, and many enjoyed trying a circa-1930 typewriter and casting their votes in a 1905 Natick ballot box.
We thank the Natick Historical Society members for making our museum’s transformation possible!