Events



	Program for 2008 - 2009

	NEW MEMBER OPEN HOUSE Saturday, October 4 10:00 am to noon Grout-Heard House The spotlight will be on Wayland Center’s Historic District when we welcome new members Saturday morning, October 4. Preservation Planner Gretchen Schuler, Historic District chairman, will point out the Center’s lovely old buildings as she leads short walking tours of the District. Also planned are tours of the period rooms in the Grout-Heard House. Drop in any time after ten o’clock for coffee, blueberry muffins and a chance to meet old friends and new. Kate Jenney will be hostess. A PROGRAM WITH STONEHILL COLLEGE PROFESSOR GARY HYLANDER Monday, October 20 7:30 p.m. Wayland Public Library During this election season, the Wayland Public Library, the Wayland Council on Aging, and the Wayland Historical Society are jointly sponsoring a timely program on the history of the Electoral College. Join us as we examine why the framers of the Constitution decided that the best way to elect a President and Vice-President was through the Electoral College rather than by the direct election of the people. As a matter of fact, the framers believed that most presidential elections would be settled in Congress! The decision to elect our presidents through the Electoral College was only one of many compromises made at the Constitutional Convention. As Benjamin Franklin put it, we spend a great deal of time “sawing board to make them fit.” This program is presented by Dr. Gary Hylander who is a Professor of American History at Stonehill College, where he specializes as a Presidential Historian. He is a frequent presenter at library forums, historical societies, senior centers, and civic and professional organizations. KIRKSIDE TOUR Sunday. November 9 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. 221 Boston Post Road For Members only, a chance to visit that beautiful old house beside First Parish Church. Chris and Joan Hagger will open their historic home, parts of which date from the Seventeenth Century, for the Historical Society members’ visit. Among the interesting rooms is the forty-foot long ballroom with its 1845 French wallpaper depicting landscapes from arctic, temperate, and tropical landscapes. The house was featured on Public Television’s “This Old House” program several years ago. Minnette Harrington will be in charge of refreshments. HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Sunday, December 7 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Grout-Heard House Once again, the Wayland and Woodridge Garden Clubs’ decor will evoke holiday times of earlier years with simple, lovely decorations. Once again, all the Girl Scouts in town will make ornaments for the Stone Room alcove. Once again, there will be songs by the Madrigals, home-made holiday goodies, and a chance to see old friends. Celebration of the holiday season would not be complete without a visit to our traditional community open house. Co-chairmen are Aida Gennis and Molly Adams assisted by Deborah Stubeda. BACH AND HIS LEGACY First Parish Church 8:00 p.m. Revered as pedagogue as well as composer and performer, Johann Sebastian Bach attracted students who aspired to learn from the master’s technical prowess and expressive force while forging works in their own unique styles. This program by the Musicians of the Old Post Road will present exquisite trio and solo sonatas by J. S. Bach, his sons Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philip Emmanuel, and his star pupils Johann Philipp Kirnberger and Johann Gottlieb Goldberg. Admission charged. This concert is supported in part by the Wayland Cultural Council. Hosts will be George and Marney Ives and Lynn Poisson. LYDIA MARIA CHILD AND THE TRIUMPH OF HUMANITARIAN SPIRIT Sunday, March 8 2:00 p.m. Grout Heard House Nineteenth century author and reformer, Lydia Maria Child was recently inducted into the National Abolition Hall of Fame in Peterboro, New York. At a commemoration ceremony in October, Historical Society member Jane Sciacca presented a talk on Mrs. Child that paid tribute to her monumental efforts to end slavery and aid oppressed people. Much of the presentation emphasized her life and works during her nearly thirty-year residence in Wayland--years that included John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. This repeat of that talk will include an exhibit of Child artifacts from the Historical Society collections. Janet Schmidt will be hostess. HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND STONE WALLS Tuesday, April 7th 7:30 p.m. On Tuesday, April 7th at 7:30 p.m. Professor Robert M. Thorson will talk about the history of New England stone walls, with an emphasis on eastern Massachusetts. Thorson will describe the historic and technological stages that led to the phenomenon now considered to be the signature landform of rural New England. The talk will be followed by a question and answer period and general discussion. Copies of his three books will be available for purchase, signing, and inscribing. This program is co-sponsored by the Wayland Public Library. Location: Raytheon Room. COCHITUATE HOUSE TOUR Sunday, April 19 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Join us for a tour of one of Cochituate’s oldest houses, the Isaac Damon House at 357 Commonwealth Road. The house was built about 1765 and remained in the Damon family for almost 200 years. Recently, the Yankee Craftsman store has been located in the barn behind the house. Parking will be in the lot of the Celebration International Church, across the street. Following the house tour, we will meet at the Grout-Heard house for an exhibit and a talk on the Damon Family by Pauline DiCesare. Refreshments will be served. ANNUAL MEETING Tuesday, May 12 7:30 p.m. Grout-Heard House A short business meeting will be followed by an exhibit on the history of the Wayland Public Library and an introductory talk by a member of the Library staff.