March 28, 2024

Old Bridgewater Historical Society – October lecture announced.

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The Old Bridgewater Historical Society will be hosting a lecture by Stephen O’Neill on Sunday, October 17th at 2 p.m. The title of the program is: Surveying the Commonwealth in 1795. It will be held at the OBHS Memorial Building, located at 162 Howard Street in West Bridgewater.

In 1794, the Massachusetts General Court ordered every town in the Commonwealth to conduct a survey of boundaries. The new survey maps created by this order were submitted the following year in 1795. Each one is a unique, hand-drawn map, listing natural features, roads, and mills. This illustrated talk will explore how the surveys were conducted using surveyor’s compasses and gunnter’s chains to measure out boundaries. Examples of the maps for the towns of Bridgewater, Boston, and the North River towns will be used to show the artistry and skill that went into their creation.

Mr. O’Neill is a graduate of Boston College and Boston University. He is currently the Executive Director of the Hanover Historical Society. He has taught at Suffolk University since 2005 as Senior Lecturer in the History Department where he has taught courses on the History of Plymouth Colony, History of Piracy, Material Culture, Public History & Cultural Heritage, and History Curating & Exhibiting. From 2004 to 2016, O’Neill was the Associate Director & Curator of Collections at Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, where he curated more than twenty temporary exhibitions. He has been a guest curator for exhibits on New England pirates at The Bostonian

Society and Heritage Museums & Gardens. He has lectured widely on Plymouth Colony history, Pirate history, and lead tours of many burying grounds and cemeteries. O’Neill is a lifelong resident of the South Shore of Massachusetts, a member of the Old Colony Club in Plymouth, a life member of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, and a Proprietor of the Boston Athenaeum.

This program is free and open to the public; Donations gratefully accepted.
For the safety of our guests and volunteers, masks will be required in our building.
The Old Bridgewater Historical Society, a private organization, started in 1894, is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and publication of history relating to the original Bridgewater township, which includes the towns of Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, and the city of Brockton. For more information, visit the OBHS website at www.oldbridgewater.org

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