Boston Flora

Tag: Paul Revere

  • Wednesday, August 27, 7:00 pm – Boston Beer: A History of Brewing in the Hub

    Porter Square Books, 25 White Street in Cambridge, will host Norman Miller, author of Boston Beer: A History of Brewing in the Hub, on Wednesday, August 27, beginning at 7 pm. Free, but please rsvp at www.portersquarebooks.com. 

    Since before Patriots like Paul Revere and Sam Adams fermented a revolution in smoky Beantown taverns, beer has been integral to the history of Boston. The city issued its first brewing license in 1630, and breweries like Haffenreffer Brewery and American Brewing Company quickly sprung up. This heady history took a turn for the worse when the American Temperance Movement championed prohibition, nearly wiping out all of the local breweries. In 1984, the amber liquid was revitalized as Jim Koch introduced Samuel Adams craft brews to the Hub and the nation. Shortly after, Harpoon Brewery emerged and became the largest brewery to make all its beers in New England. From the planning of the Boston Tea Party over a pint at Green Dragon Tavern to the renaissance of the burgeoning craft brewing scene, join author and “Beer Nut” Norman Miller as he savors the sudsy history of brewing in the Hub.

    Norman Miller grew up in the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed and plastic pink lawn flamingos: Leominster, Massachusetts. Despite being a late bloomer as a beer drinker, he has been writing the Beer Nut column for the MetroWest Daily News in Framingham, Massachusetts, and the GateHouse Media family of newspapers since 2006, as well as a blog of the same name.

    Currently, Norman lives in his childhood home in Leominster with his dog Foxy, his cats Trouble and Tweak and his prized possession, Beatrice the beer fridge, which is always stocked up with Boston beers.

  • Sunday, April 29, 12:00 noon – Celebrate Cyrus Dallin’s Paul Revere Statue

    On Sunday, April 29,  visit with Paul Revere on The Prado – The Paul Revere Mall – where the famous Cyrus Dallin statue of Paul Revere is located. David Connor brings Boston’s favorite patriot to life during a special event honoring the 150th anniversary of Cyrus Dallin’s birth. You’ll be able to ask “Paul” about the details of his midnight ride, inquire about his 16 children, or engage him in conversation about his activities as a member of the Sons of Liberty. This special event organized by NEWRA’s Parks and Open Spaces Committee and co-sponsored by the Paul Revere House, the Cyrus Dallin Museum, Friends of the Prado, and the Old North Church begins at 12:00 and will include a formal program, a re-enactment of the dedication of the statue, and fun for the whole family! FREE and open to the public. Address is 19 North Square in Boston.

  • 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.