Join us on at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 for an encore presentation of one of the most popular lectures at last year's Great Marsh Symposium. Refreshments will be served prior to the talk.

Splendor in the Grass: Art Inspired by the Great Marsh

Have you ever stopped to admire the singular beauty of the landform we live so close to, known as the Great Marsh? You are not alone. Beginning in the early 19th century, artists set up their easels and recorded the marsh in every cast of light, every type of atmospheric condition, and every season. This presentation will cover over 150 years of painters and photographers working in and around the Marsh, highlighting the work of 20 artists, including Fitz Henry Lane, Martin Johnson Heade, and Arthur Wesley Dow. In the process, examples of several important art movements that influenced artists of the period will be illustrated.

Monica Reuss is an independent appraiser of American paintings and prints dating from the 18th to mid-20th centuries. She has over 25 years of experience, having graduated from the Sotheby’s American Arts Course, then working at Northeast Auctions by Ronald Bourgeault in Portsmouth, NH, as the Fine Arts specialist responsible for research, cataloging, and appraisals. Monica is a member of the Museum of Old Newbury’s Board of Directors and Collections Committee and a member of the Appraisers Association of America, holding certification in American paintings.

Free for members of the Museum of Old Newbury; $10 for non-members.

Title image credits: Arthur Wesley Dow (1857-1922), The Blue Dragon (view from the artist’s studio), Collection of the Ipswich Museum; Agnes Augusta Bartlett Brown (1847-1932), Sunset over the Marshes, Collection of the Museum of Old Newbury

Join the Museum of Old Newbury for a tasting and talk on the beverage that flowed through the taverns and trade of Newbury(port) - RUM!

Did you know that Caldwell’s Newburyport Rum was produced along the waterfront for 171 years (with a short break during Prohibition)? The rum business boomed in Newbury(port) in the 18th century, with ships arriving from the West Indies with cargoes of molasses to be distilled into potent, inexpensive New England rum.

And we drank almost as much as we made - about three pints of rum per adult male per week in the 1770's, and British attempts to regulate and tax this beverage helped to stoke the flames of revolution!

Join executive director Bethany Dorau for an illustrated talk and tasting on the history of rum in 18th century Newbury(port). Learn the language of punch bowls and check out the bar tab from Newburyport's Wolfe Tavern on the eve of Revolution. Learn how the production and distribution of rum changed over time, and how westward expansion signalled the end of the rule of rum. Explore attempts to outlaw "demon rum," long before Prohibition, and head home with recipes for rum cocktails from some of the area's best bartenders!

$10 for members of the Museum of Old Newbury; $20 for non-members.

Join the Museum of Old Newbury for a tasting and talk on the beverage that flowed through the taverns and trade of Newbury(port) - RUM!

Did you know that Caldwell’s Newburyport Rum was produced along the waterfront for 171 years (with a short break during Prohibition)? The rum business boomed in Newbury(port) in the 18th century, with ships arriving from the West Indies with cargoes of molasses to be distilled into potent, inexpensive New England rum.

And we drank almost as much as we made - about three pints of rum per adult male per week in the 1770's, and British attempts to regulate and tax this beverage helped to stoke the flames of revolution!

Join executive director Bethany Dorau for an illustrated talk and tasting on the history of rum in 18th century Newbury(port). Learn the language of punch bowls and check out the bar tab from Newburyport's Wolfe Tavern on the eve of Revolution. Learn how the production and distribution of rum changed over time, and how westward expansion signalled the end of the rule of rum. Explore attempts to outlaw "demon rum," long before Prohibition, and head home with recipes for rum cocktails from some of the area's best bartenders!

$10 for members of the Museum of Old Newbury; $20 for non-members.

Ice Ship to Calcutta: Captain Pritchard and the Ultimate Ephemera
In partnership with the Lowell's Boat Shop Winter Speaker Series, join us for the tragic tale of Captain Pritchard aboard the Elcano.

Join us at the Museum of Old Newbury for an unforgettable evening on Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 at 7:00 PM.

On June 15, 2023, the Museum of Old Newbury purchased a slate tablet from an auction in Cincinnati, Ohio, a notebook-paper sized piece of thin stone, double-sided and framed in walnut. Notes kept on slate were ephemeral. Slates were used to keep the "rough log", and they were erased after the notes were copied down into the ship's official log.

This slate deck log became, accidentally, a permanent record of the last moments of a man’s life, and revealed a gripping story of love, loss, murder, and bicycling in the Himalayas. Intrigued? Come hear the whole wild story and see this piece of ultimate ephemera for yourself.

The story of the Elcano has been revealed through a series of partnerships. Lowell's Boat Shop executive director Graham McKay and MOON director Bethany Groff Dorau worked together to decipher the deck log, while the Custom House Maritime Museum lent a copy of a journal that revealed another Pritchard - the Captain's wife Emily - as she made her way to Calcutta and home again.

Join us for a Dark and Stormy evening with maritime-themed refreshments. Free for members of Lowell's Boat Shop and the Museum of Old Newbury; $10 for non-members.

Craving some lush spring blooms in the middle of winter? Join us for an illustrated romp through the gardens of the Old Newbury Garden Tour with photographer Bob Watts. Watts is the creator of the popular "Come for a Walk With Me" social media series and board member/volunteer with the Museum of Old Newbury.

For the past 45 years, the Museum of Old Newbury has offered Garden Tour participants the chance to be inspired and delighted by the exquisite gardens in our community, and for the past three years, Bob Watts has been there to capture these gardens and the stories behind them on (digital) film.

Enjoy flower-themed refreshments and special discounts on tickets to our 45th Annual Old Newbury Garden Tour as Watts takes us on a wander through gardens past, interweaving photography tips and stories from the field with a selection of over 200 beautiful flower and garden images. Gardens featured on the 2000 and 2001 Garden Tours will be the evening's focus.

Come for a winter Garden Tour walk with us!

Free for members of the Museum of Old Newbury; $10 for non-members.

"Mad, is he? Then I hope he will bite some of my other generals."
King George II on James Wolfe - 1759

James Wolfe was a bold, young British officer who led Newbury men (and others) into battle on Quebec's Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759. His death at the moment of victory became legend, and Wolfe a martyr to the cause of British supremacy in North America.

How Wolfe's name and reputation survived Newburyport's patriot fervor during the Revolutionary War, emblazoned proudly on the tavern and hotel that were local institutions, is a story of loyalty, courage, and grief told through images, documents, and artifacts in the collection of the Museum of Old Newbury.

James Wolfe was born in January, 1727. We will explore his legacy with a brief illustrated history and celebrate with cake, punch, and a performance of the haunting lament General Wolfe on the fife.

What better time than Winter Solstice to grab a flashlight and join us for a walk through historic Oak Hill Cemetery on the longest night of the year?

To add to the intimacy and atmosphere of darkness, many epitaphs are easiest to read by flashlight. Join noted author and historian Ghlee Woodworth, a 12th generation Newburyport native, and Museum of Old Newbury executive director Bethany Groff Dorau for a nighttime stroll through the historic 1842 Oak Hill Cemetery, final resting place of shipwrecked sailors, sea captains and merchants, architects and photographers, writers and poets, silversmiths and newspaper editors, and adventurers who travelled to the California gold rush. We will visit several Ebenezers, though none of them Scrooges, and toast the longest night with hot cider and good cheer.

$10 for Museum of Old Newbury Members
$20 General Admission

Kerri Greenidge, a professor at Tufts University, will give a talk entitled "Go Forth and Enlighten Your Brethren! Black New England, William Lloyd Garrison, and the Legacy of Radical Abolition" in this, the fourth annual lecture sponsored by the Friends of William Lloyd Garrison. The annual lecture marks the birthday of the abolitionist and newspaper editor who was born in Newburyport. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Greenidge, the Tufts University Mellon associate professor in the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora, also co-directs the African American Trail Project and Tufts’ Slavery, Colonialism, and Their Legacies Project.

"The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in An American Family" was recently listed as a best book of the year by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Boston Globe. It was the 2023 semi-finalist for the Stone Book Award from the Museum of African American History in Boston, and the Ralph Waldo Emerson Award from Phi Beta Kappa. “The Grimkes” was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Award, in addition to the J. Anthony Lukas Award. Greenidge’s writings have appeared in the Massachusetts Historical Review, the Radical History Review, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, and the Guardian.

Her previous book, “Black Radical: The Life and Times of William Monroe Trotter,” won the 2020 Mark Lynton History Prize, among other awards.

To highlight the week, the Newburyport Public Library will provide a Recommended Reading list of books available for adults and children relating to Garrison, the abolitionist movement and racial justice.

The Garrison Lecture is made possible by support of the Newburyport Preservation Trust and grants from the Mass Humanities Expand Massachusetts Stories program and Newburyport Trust Fund Commission and a donation from Newburyport Bank. This event is sponsored by the Friends of William Lloyd Garrison with media support from the Museum of Old Newbury.

Museum of Old Newbury Members' Holiday Party

Join your fellow members of the Museum of Old Newbury for a special evening in the 1808 Cushing House. Stroll through the glittering, decorated rooms of this grand home at twilight.

Then, grab a hot cider or an Ipswich Ale and head out to the decorated courtyard to enjoy a view of the c.1810 Carriage House.

The Portermen, Newburyport's own sea shanty and traditional music singers, and a fabulous hot jazz band will perform in the lecture hall, the courtyard, and the c.1810 Carriage House.

Enjoy festive drinks, light appetizers, and good cheer as we celebrate the history of our beautiful community.

Admission is free for members of the Museum of Old Newbury. Registration is required and space is limited.

An annual tradition! Come enjoy the 1808 Cushing House decorated for the season by local garden clubs and volunteers.

Visit the1808 Cushing House on Saturday, December 2 and Sunday, December 3 from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to enjoy this National Historic Landmark in all its holiday finery!

Guests will enjoy exquisite decorations, festive music and the company of friends and neighbors for two days of walk-through tours.

The grand 1808 Cushing House is a perfect space to highlight the talents of area garden clubs and decorators including volunteers from the Newburyport Garden Club, Newburyport Horticultural Society, Newbury Garden Club, and West Newbury Garden Club. Special thanks to Kate Hanks for the door wreaths.

Free to members of the Museum of Newbury and residents of "Old Newbury" (Newbury, West Newbury, Newburyport and Byfield) to thank the community for their support. $10 for general admission. Donations gratefully appreciated.

Whether you're looking for festive inspiration, a fun outing with family and friends, or simply want to immerse yourself in the holiday atmosphere, Holidays at the Cushing House is the place to be. Mark your calendars and join us for this unforgettable event!

An annual tradition! Come enjoy the 1808 Cushing House decorated for the season by local garden clubs and volunteers.

Visit the1808 Cushing House on Saturday, December 2 and Sunday, December 3 from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to enjoy this National Historic Landmark in all its holiday finery!

Guests will enjoy exquisite decorations, festive music and the company of friends and neighbors for two days of walk-through tours.

The grand 1808 Cushing House is a perfect space to highlight the talents of area garden clubs and decorators including volunteers from the Newburyport Garden Club, Newburyport Horticultural Society, Newbury Garden Club, and West Newbury Garden Club. Special thanks to Kate Hanks for the door wreaths.

Free to members of the Museum of Newbury and residents of "Old Newbury" (Newbury, West Newbury, Newburyport and Byfield) to thank the community for their support. $10 for general admission. Donations gratefully appreciated.

Whether you're looking for festive inspiration, a fun outing with family and friends, or simply want to immerse yourself in the holiday atmosphere, Holidays at the Cushing House is the place to be! Mark your calendars and join us for this unforgettable event!

Join us for the History & Cultures of the Great Marsh Conference on Monday, October 23, 2023 at The Governor's Academy. This in-person event will start at 8:30am sharp, so be sure to arrive early!

At this day-long conference, you'll have the opportunity to learn about the rich heritage and diverse cultures of Essex County's Great Marsh. Our expert speakers will cover topics ranging from the indigenous peoples who lived in the area, the impact of European settlement on the development of the Great Marsh, the art that this beautiful place inspired, and the challenges facing the region's most captivating natural landscape today. Speaker info below.

$30 for members of Museum of Old Newbury, $30 for members of Essex County Greenbelt, $45 general admission. Optional field trips are an additional $10-$15. Snacks, beverages and lunch are included with your ticket.

Topics and speakers include:

Christoph Strobel, Ph.D., "The Great Marsh, Newbury, and the Indigenous Worlds of the Merrimack River Valley System and Beyond."

Gordon Harris, historian, "Contention in the Commons: The Open Field Land System in 17th Century Newbury"

Tricia Peone, Ph.D., "Slavery and Memory in the Great Marsh"

Monica Reuss, American fine art specialist, "Splendour in the Grass: Art Inspired by the Great Marsh"

Panel: "Agriculture, Fishing, Hunting, & Conservation in the Great Marsh"

• Rich Clyborne, Executive Director of The Gundalow Company

• Russell Hopping, Ecology Program Director, Trustees of Reservations

• Geoffrey Walker, sportsman & wildlife activist, Great Marsh Partnership

Closing remarks: Peter Phippen, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, Great Marsh Partnership

Optional field trips from 3:30 pm- 4:30 pm include :

1. Bird watching with Laura Vehring in the Parker River marsh surrounding The Governor’s Academy

2. Guided tour of Plum Island’s cranberry bogs

3. Guided tour of the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm & its salt marsh hay production, past & present.

Attendees will also be invited to tour of the Academy's brand-new Alfond Coastal Research Center (completed just this summer), a state-of-the-art marine study facility overlooking the south bank of the Parker River near Thurlow's Bridge.

At this day-long conference, you'll have the opportunity to learn about the rich heritage and diverse cultures of Essex County's Great Marsh. Our expert speakers will cover topics ranging from the indigenous peoples who lived in the area, the impact of European settlement on the development of the Great Marsh, the art that this beautiful place inspired, and the challenges facing the region's most captivating natural landscape today.

$30 for members of Museum of Old Newbury, $30 for members of Essex County Greenbelt, $45 general admission. Optional field trips are an additional $10-$15.

The History & Cultures of the Great Marsh Conference is sponsored in part by Eastern Bank.

Explore the connections between Portsmouth and Newburyport - two early American ports linked by family, history, and tragedy.

Join the Museum of Old Newbury for a day-long exploration of the artistic, familial, and maritime links between Newburyport and Portsmouth.

Begin the day at the Cushing House in Newburyport with a snack and a chat with American art specialist Monica Reuss, about two important items in our collection - early 19th century ship portraits painted by Portsmouth artist John Samuel Blunt (1798-1835). We will then depart for Portsmouth for a rare, escorted visit to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS). Visitors will make their own way from the museum to the USS Albacore Museum in Portsmouth, where we will be picked up by a United States Navy vehicle and driven to the PNS. Transportation to and from Portsmouth is not included with ticket.

As special guests of Joseph Gluckert, Historian of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we will visit the shipyard cemetery, whose first recorded burial was in 1820. Included are Navy and Marine service men and women, dependents of active military personnel and British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Danish seamen and fliers who lost their lives during WWII. This is followed by a guided tour of the Heritage Center, a museum on the base where we will learn about the tragic sinking of the U.S.S. Thresher, a nuclear submarine that went down 60 years ago with several Newburyport men onboard.

After a break for lunch on your own, our sojourn continues at the Portsmouth Atheneum, a non-profit membership library of over 40,000 volumes and an archive of manuscripts, photographs, objects, and ephemera in the heart of downtown Portsmouth. Executive Director Tom Hardiman will lead us through an exclusive look at some of the highlights of their collection, including more paintings by John Samuel Blunt.

Finally, travel to the 1763 Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden, where we will explore the lives of the people who lived and worked in the house before, during, and after the American Revolution. Hear about enslaved residents' petition for freedom, follow the rise and fall of merchant family fortunes in the volatile 18th century, and see how family conflict shaped the preservation of this National Historic Landmark.

$50, Museum of Old Newbury members only. Limit two tickets per member.

You can join the museum at https://www.newburyhistory.org/membership

If you are unsure if your membership is current, please call the office at 978-462-2681 or email info@newburyhistory.org.

Please note - because of security regulations, registration will close on August 9, and a list will be provided to Navy security. Guests must provide full legal names, addresses, and citizenship status, and provide a valid ID – driver’s license or passport - on the day of the event.

Join wet plate collodion photographer Corey Prince for an exclusive, fun and educational antique portrait experience . Using his traditional wood tailboard camera and portable darkroom, Corey will photograph your family in the garden of the Museum of Old Newbury using the same process introduced in 1851 by Fredrick Scott Archer. The wet plate collodion process was the foundation for all of the early, and numerous, photographers that practiced their profession here in Newburyport on glass and tin. You are more than welcome to capture images during your immersion in this unique craft and will receive 1 traditionally sized ½ plate or 4x6” (if desired) tintype and digital copy (and, of course, a wealth of fun facts and engaging conversation). Due to the final step of lavender varnishing to protect your image after it has dried – your plate will not be ready for pick up or dispatch until Wednesday June 17th.

Sessions are 30 minutes long and are $100 and are for members only. An additional $9.95 shipping charge (if needed) will apply. Sessions are available from 10-2 on June 11th with potential of additional sessions being scheduled based on demand.

All proceeds benefit the photography collection at the Museum of Old Newbury.

Join John Forti for a lively talk based on his new book, The Heirloom Gardener – Traditional Plants and Skills for the Modern World. Richly illustrated with period images and contemporary woodcuts, his PowerPoint shares inspiration from our long history of heirloom preservation, garden craft and homestead lifeways. Artisanal gardening lifestyles are helping us to rebuild vibrant local agricultural economies and celebrate sustainable cottage industries that are contributing to our new, homegrown American arts & crafts movement and backyard environmentalism. At a time when we could all use a little good news, we hope you will join us for a refreshing look at how you can make a difference and build habitat in your own backyard and community.

John Forti is a garden historian and ethnobotanist who has directed gardens for Plimoth Plantation Museum, Strawbery Banke Museum, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and Bedrock Gardens. As a Slow Food USA Councilor and biodiversity specialist, his preservation work has helped to restore countless native and heirloom plants and has brought traditional artisanal practices to modern thinking. He has won numerous awards for historic garden preservation, children’s garden design, herbal and historical education and the 2021 Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs, one of the nation’s most-recognized nonprofits and largest volunteer gardening organization in the world. His new book was inspired by his posts as The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti which go out regularly to millions on Facebook.

The definite side show while attending your annual Christmas Nutcracker performance is surely all the little girls in velvet, taffeta and lace. Their special attire indicates they are ready for the magical experience. The Nutcracker fashion parade has endured since Tchaikovsky wrote it in 1892! Throughout fashion history parents have always enjoyed dressing up their little girls, usually in the prevailing style of their mothers.

Join Costume Historian Lois Valeo at another Fashion Night Out on May 11. Little Girls' style from the Civil War to 1900 is included in the illustrated talk. Take a peek at the Museum’s impressive collection of Little Girls' dresses. Enjoy a nostalgic look back at fads and trends that ebbed and flowed with the changing social times. And visit with the long-ago bow-clad fashionable little ladies whose cuteness delighted us at every twirl. Free for members, $10 for non-members

Wednesday night just added! The definite side show while attending your annual Christmas Nutcracker performance is surely all the little girls in velvet, taffeta and lace. Their special attire indicates they are ready for the magical experience. The Nutcracker fashion parade has endured since Tchaikovsky wrote it in 1892! Throughout fashion history parents have always enjoyed dressing up their little girls, usually in the prevailing style of their mothers.

Join Costume Historian Lois Valeo at another Fashion Night Out on May 11. Little Girls' style from the Civil War to 1900 is included in the illustrated talk. Take a peek at the Museum’s impressive collection of Little Girls' dresses. Enjoy a nostalgic look back at fads and trends that ebbed and flowed with the changing social times. And visit with the long-ago bow-clad fashionable little ladies whose cuteness delighted us at every twirl. Free for members, $10 for non-members

“Butler’s toothpick” is the somewhat derisive nickname given to the maritime navigational tower on the Salisbury coast named after lawyer, Civil War general, US congressman, and Massachusetts governor Benjamin Franklin Butler. In her new biography of Butler, historian Elizabeth Leonard explains how and why Butler’s name has been tangled for so long with disdainful epithets, most famously, “Beast Butler,” a nickname derived from his martial governance of New Orleans during the Civil War. Leonard presents a fuller, fairer, and more nuanced portrait of Butler, tracing his rise from an impoverished childhood to a successful legal practice, including his advocacy for the rights of Lowell Mill girls; to a US Army general sternly enforcing federal authority and advancing wartime emancipation measures; to an accomplished political career in both Washington and Massachusetts, in the course of which he consistently used his influence to advocate for Black American freedom and civil rights and to oppose the neo-Confederate resurgence and white nationalism. In this talk, Leonard will present the case for Butler's rehabilitation.

Elizabeth D. Leonard is Colby College's Gibson Professor of History, Emerita. She earned her Ph.D. in U.S. history from the University of California, Riverside, in 1992 and is the author of several articles and seven books on the Civil War-era including: Yankee Women: Gender Battles in the Civil War; All the Daring of the Soldier: Women of the Civil War Armies; and Lincoln’s Forgotten Ally: Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt of Kentucky, which was named co-winner of the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize in 2012.

Did you know that Newbury's Dionis Stevens Coffin brewed the beer in her Newbury tavern and went to court in to 1653 to protect its stellar reputation? Did you know that a low-alcohol "small beer" was brewed to be consumed all day by all Newbury citizens, even children? Court and property records provide rich details of how and what people drank in Newbury in the 17th century, and what sometimes befell them afterward.

Join Bethany and James Dorau for an illustrated talk and tasting on the history of beer (and cider and perry) in early Newbury, from European settlement to the ascendancy of rum in the 18th century. Learn how taverns, second only in importance to the meeting house, centered our community, , and how brewing, fermenting, and serving beer changed over time. Explore how our former neighbors understood not only the benefits of beer, but its potential dangers as well.

(Sold out but a second night has been added) Did you know that Newbury's Dionis Stevens Coffin brewed the beer in her Newbury tavern and went to court in to 1653 to protect its stellar reputation? Did you know that a low-alcohol "small beer" was brewed to be consumed all day by all Newbury citizens, even children? Court and property records provide rich details of how and what people drank in Newbury in the 17th century, and what sometimes befell them afterward.

Join Bethany and James Dorau for an illustrated talk and tasting on the history of beer (and cider and perry) in early Newbury, from European settlement to the ascendancy of rum in the 18th century. Learn how taverns, second only in importance to the meeting house, centered our community, , and how brewing, fermenting, and serving beer changed over time. Explore how our former neighbors understood not only the benefits of beer, but its potential dangers as well.

Tickets available! New Location! This event will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 166 High Street, Newburyport!

You’can also view the event live here: https://ncmhub.org/share/comcast-channel-98/ ; in addition, it will be live and on demand on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PortMediaNewburyport/streams

Sailing to Freedom will highlight little-known stories and describe the less-understood maritime side of the Underground Railroad, including the impact of African Americans’ paid and unpaid waterfront labor. This talk will reconsider and contextualize how escapes were managed along the East Coast, moving from the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland to safe harbor in northern cities such as Philadelphia, New York, New Bedford, and Boston. While scholarship on the Underground Railroad has focused almost exclusively on overland escape routes from the antebellum South, this new research expands our understanding of how freedom was achieved by sea and what the journey looked like for many African Americans.

Dr. Timothy Walker, Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, is a scholar of maritime history, colonial overseas expansion, and trans-oceanic slave trading. Walker is a guest investigator of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a contributing faculty member of the Munson Institute of Maritime Studies, and Director of the NEH “Landmarks in American History” workshops series, titled “Sailing to Freedom: New Bedford and the Underground Railroad” (2011–2022).

In January 1912, nine days after striking workers had shuttered the Merrimack River valley’s textile mills, Lawrence city police arrested seven strike leaders, including a Syrian-born tailor, whom they charged with conspiracy to dynamite the mills. Sam Marad stitches together a vivid tableau of that historic drama and its pivotal role in the famed nine-week “Bread and Roses” Strike. It’s a tale of turpitude with a surprising twist, a story that Sam has uncovered through his study of archival records, contemporaneous newspaper reports, and his family’s mementos of their Syrian ancestor, Farris Marad.

Sam Marad, a senior at The Governor’s Academy from Andover, is keen to learn about his family’s history. In his Advanced Placement U.S. History class last year, Sam chose to investigate his great-grandfather’s central role in the 1912 “Bread and Roses” strike of mill workers in Lawrence, MA.

Join us for an informal gathering at the Port Tavern to watch Executive Director Bethany Groff Dorau appear on This Old House, speaking with host Kevin O'Connor and Newburyport homeowners Melissa and Palen as they renovate their North End home.