Boston Flora

Tag: Governor Of Massachusetts

  • Tuesday, February 13, 5:15 pm – 7:30 pm – Governor Francis W. Sargent: Fisheries Manager

    Francis Sargent was a Cape Cod fisherman. Fishing brought him into the government as Director of Fisheries, then head of Public Works, and, eventually, Governor of Massachusetts. In his positions, Sargent bridged the gap between working-class fishers and government. This paper examines Sargent’s ability to speak directly to fishermen, arguing that his post-1974 disengagement from public life robbed fishermen of an ally who might have soothed tensions created by late-1970s federal regulations. The Massachusetts Historical Society will welcome Benjamin Kochan of Boston University and Brian Payne of Bridgewater State University on Tuesday, February 13 at 5:15 pm at 1154 Boylston Street in Boston. To RSVP: email seminars@masshist.org or call (617) 646-0579.

  • Sunday, December 13 – Hancock Holiday Home Tour

    The Lexington Historical Society announces the Hancock Holiday Home Tour, which will take place Sunday, December 13, featuring beautiful homes on Hancock Street and Hancock Avenue in Lexington.  Advance sale prices for the tour are $15 for LHS members, $20 non-members.  Day of Tour: $20 members, $25 non-members.  To register, call 781-862-1703, or email office@lexingtonhistory.org. Below is a description of a Hancock Street house which should whet your appetite.

    The Hancock-Clarke House, built in 1737, is 1/4 mile from Buckman Tavern, on Hancock Street. On the evening of April 18, 1775, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, prominent leaders in the colonial cause, were guests of the Reverend Jonas Clarke in the parsonage. Fearing that they might be captured by the British, Dr Joseph Warren of Boston sent William Dawes and Paul Revere to Lexington with news of the advancing British troops. Arriving separately, they stopped to warn Hancock and Adams, then set off for Concord. Today Dawes is all but forgotten, but Paul Revere’s midnight ride has been immortalized by Longfellow.

    The Hancock-Clarke House was the home of the Reverend John Hancock and the Reverend Jonas Clarke – two ministers who served the spiritual and secular needs of Lexington for 105 years. The Reverend Hancock’s grandson John, a frequent visitor to this house, was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first Governor of Massachusetts. Succeeding Hancock as minister in 1752, the Reverend Jonas Clarke, who reared twelve children in this parsonage, was an eloquent supporter of the colonial cause. The Reverend Clarke’s fervent sermons were a source of inspiration to the citizens of Lexington during the crisis with Britain.

  • Thursday, June 25, 7:30 a.m. – 6:45 p.m. – Coast of Maine and Seacoast of New Hampshire Day Trip

    The Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture has organized a fabulous day trip on Thursday, June 25.  Meet in the Gray Parking Lot to carpool at 7:30 a.m.  Expected return time is 6:45.  The first garden stop is Braveboat Harbor Farm in York, Maine, the home of Cynthia and Calvin Hosmer.  These gardens were hay fields which rise from the rockbound coast.  Visit the formal front garden, a vegetable garden, an orchard, a woodland garden, and collections of hostas, lilacs and magnolias.  This bit of paradise was featured in last summer’s issue of “La Vie Claire” and has been a participant in the Garden Conservancy’s Open Gardens Day for the past eight years.

    The lovely home of Vance and Anne Mitchell Morgan on Gemish Island in Kittery Point will be the setting for lunch.  The garden, largely designed and created by them, overlooks a tidal inlet and features a rock garden, perennial beds, a fountain garden and a wonderful shady woodland garden.  Colorful containers on the deck show off choice plants.  The Morgans moved to Maine when Anne retired from the Wellesley College Alumnae Association.

    Fuller Gardens in North Hampton, New Hampshire, is a turn-of-the-century estate garden established by then-Governor of Massachusetts Alvan T. Fuller to please his wife, Viola, who loved flowers and especially roses.  Today Fuller Gardens is known primarily for its extensive collection of roses, and Garden Director Jamie Colen will give a short talk about the roses and other features of the Gardens.  A stop at the nearby home of Anne Sinnott Moore for refreshments preceeds heading back to Wellesley.  Members $48, Non-Members $60, includes lunch, snacks, and gardens.  To sign up, log on to http://www.wellesley.edu/WCFH/Courses/OnTheRoadJune09.pdf,  or mail a check to Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481-8203.