Calendar of Events
(Click a date for details)
Saturday, 12 May 2012, Cancelled
Chinese Brush Stroke Painting Workshop
This workshop has been cancelled. Please remember to pre-register for our workshops so that we can run these amazing offerings!
Tuesday, 22 May 2012, 7:00- 8:30pm
Civil War Circle Meeting
Join the FHM Civil War Circle (CWC) for intensive round table discussions held on a Tuesday of each month at 7pm unless otherwise noted. The group meets at the Forbes House Museum and chooses monthly topics for discussion. Recent topics have included exploration of Lincoln assassin, Mary Surrat, and General Philip Sheridan. Admission is $5 per person. The CWC is a member benefit at Forbes House Museum; sign up for a Family level membership and receive free admission to CWC sessions.
Monday, 4 June 2012, 7:00- 8:00pm
Historical Lecture by Anthony Sammarco
The Forbes House Museum will sponsor a historical lecture by Anthony Sammarco entitled, "Milton Neighborhoods."
This lecture is part of the Milton 350th Anniversary celebrations, and will take place in the Milton Public Library in the Keyes Room.
Tuesday, 12 June 2012, 7:00- 8:30pm
Civil War Circle Meeting
Join the FHM Civil War Circle (CWC) for intensive round table discussions held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7pm unless otherwise noted. The group meets at the Forbes House Museum and chooses monthly topics for discussion. Recent topics have included exploration of Lincoln assassin, Mary Surrat, and General Philip Sheridan. Admission is $5 per person. The CWC is a member benefit at Forbes House Museum; sign up for a Family level membership and receive free admission to CWC sessions.
Friday, 15 June 2012, 7:00- 8:00pm
Luis Leguia Cello Concert
Join us at the Forbes House Museum for an evening of beatiful music. More details to follow.
Saturday, 23 June 2012, 9am-5pm
Paint Out & Wet Paint Sale
Calling All Artists and Collectors of Art!
Paint on historic Milton Hill, overlooking Governor Hutchinson’s Field, the Neponset River Marshes and Boston Harbor! You will be inspired by the beautiful early summer landscape. Paint a landscape (or two or three) during the day, then exhibit and sell your painting(s) on the porch at Forbes House later that afternoon!
Forbes House Museum will partner with the New Hampshire Plein Air Artists group to offer this event, which is open to all artists. Any/All painting mediums are acceptable. For more information, or to receive a registration form, contact Rebecca Wright, Assistant to the Director, at (617) 696- 1815 or by e-mail at r.wright@forbeshousemuseum.org. Artists may also contact Sharon Allen, Director/Founder of NH Plein Air Artists at hookedonpleinair@yahoo.com.
Registration fee is $10 for non-members; $5 for members of NH Plein Air Artists and Forbes House Museum. To become a member of NH Plein Air Artists, an applicant must first join the organization's e-mail Yahoo Group. Visit the website www.nhpleinair.com for more information. Call the Forbes House Museum for more information on it's membership program or see the Friends of FHM page on this website.
For more details about the guidelines for the Paint out and Wet Paint Sale, please download the following PDF: Plein Air Guidelines
To register, please download and fill out the following PDF: Registration Form
Your registration fee and a 20% commission on all sales of artwork will benefit the Forbes House Museum.
Saturday, 23 June 2012, 5:30- 7:00pm
Spring Benefit Cocktail Party
Please consider joining us for the Forbes House Museum's Spring Benefit Cocktail Party! The evening will begin with an exhibit of Plein Air works of art in the Museum galleries from 4-5pm. (Earlier in the day, Plein Air artist will create and sell wet paintings depicting scenes on Milton Hill.) Our guests will then stroll over to Churchills Lane for an informally elegant cocktail party in a traditional Victorian setting. The evening will include libations, music, a silent auction and good company!
Pre-registration is required - Tickets are $75.00, and include libations, hors d'oeuvres and good company! There are three ways to register: call the Museum with a credit card at 617- 696- 1815; mail in a check to:
Forbes House Museum, 215 Adams Street Milton, MA 02186
Or you can make your payment securely through Paypal:
Sunday, 8 July 2012, 1-4pm
Milton 350th Celebration History Trolley Tour
The Forbes House Museum is the first stop on a trolley tour of Milton. Stops also include the Wakefield Estate and Brookwood Farms! Spaces are limited, more information coming soon.
Saturday, 14 July 2012, 10-12:00am
Family Reverse Glass Painting Workshop
Come learn the art of reverse glass painting! This art form was revitalized in the Victorian era - it features a technique where one paints directly on glass in the reversed pattern one normally paints, working on the fine details first and working back to the broader colors! This event is open to all members of the family. All craft supplies and snacks are included. The cost of this event is $20 for members, $24 for non- members.
For more information, call the Museum at 617- 696- 1815 or e-mail us at info@forbeshousemuseum.org.
Sunday, 12 August 2012, 2-6pm
Civil War Concert
Civil War era activities will take place at Forbes House Museum on Sunday, 12 August 2012, beginning at 2pm.
From 2-4pm, special tours of the Museum and the Lincoln Cabin will be offered. Visitors can view a refurbished silent film from 1924 of Mary Bowditch Forbes hosting a G. A. R. ceremony at the Lincoln Cabin in Milton, featuring Civil War and WWI veterans. A number of Ms. Forbes's scrapbooks, dating as far back as 1906, will be on view, along with a special exhibit which chronicles the 1924 G. A. R. Convention in Boston and Milton.
A concert of Civil War era music will begin at 4pm featuring the band, Dixon's Gold, comprised of lead musician, Scott Shetler, along with Jill Gross, Bruce Millard and Mitch Nelin. The band will cover songs sung by Civil War troops, both north and south. The origins of this music genre can be traced back to Irish and English ballads, since conscripts during the war were direct descendants of those countries. Dixon's Gold will perform with mandolin, mandocello, string bass, penny whistle, clarinet, banjo, and guitar along with vocals. The audience will be encouraged to sing along.
Tickets are available in advance; $10 per person for adults; $7 per person for members; $25 for a family of four; $20 for a member family. Children under 5 are free. Admission to the museum (including special tours, exhibits and silent film) is included in the ticket price. Concert goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Food items will be on sale in limited quantities; guests are welcome to bring their own food and beverages.
For more information, call the FHM at 617-696-1815. For more information on Scott Shetler and Dixon's Gold, visit the website http://www.cmonman.com/.
Sunday, 26 August 2012, 2pm
Ladies' Tea
Join us on the south porch at Forbes House Museum for the Ladies' Tea. Treat yourself to mini tea sandwiches, cheese and crackers, dessert breads, cookies of all kinds, fruit and whipped cream desserts, and of course, tea and sparkling cider. Ladies can make their own reverse glass painting at the craft table. A prize will be awarded in the best hat contest!
Tickets are $25 per person for adults; $15 for children. Reservations are required. Call the Museum at 617-696-1815 to purchase your tickets or e-mail at info@forbeshousemuseum.org.
Sunday, 16 September 2012, 1-4pm
Captain's Birthday Open House
Come celebrate the Captain's 209th birthday with a special tour of the museum and Lincoln Cabin. Cake, of course, will be served.
Friday, 26 October 2012, 6:30pm
Halloween Spooky Stories!
Forbes House Museum will host its annual Halloween Spooky Stories program on Friday evening, 26 October at 6:30pm on the Museum grounds.
This year the Museum will begin the tradition of having a camp fire, so bring your blankets and flash lights as we gather to listen to stories from America, China and Scotland. The Museum will distribute cookies and warm cider. Enter to win a children's book about Captain Robert Bennet Forbes along with some other goodies.
Children of all ages are welcome; the cost is $5 per child; adults and children under five are free. Dress warmly, since this is an outdoor event, and bring extra snacks and beverages.
For more information, call the Museum at 617-696-1815 or e-mail us at info@forbeshousemuseum.org.
Saturday, 27 October 2012
Tory Trail Tour
Join historian Norma Jane Langford on the first of three annual tours of historic houses and sites that were once Tory haunts. A bus will transport you to The Golden Ball Tavern in Weston, The Lorring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain, The Forbes House Museum in Milton, and will conclude with the Shirley-Eustis House in Boston. A boxed lunch will be included. Thank you to the Shirley-Eustis House for bringing the Torry Trail back to life! More details to follow.
Saturday, 2 February 2013, 2-3:30 pm
Victorian Valentines Workshop
Visual artist and Tucker Elementary School teacher, Starleen Baylon, will offer a “Victorian Valentines” workshop for children ages 6-12 on Saturday, 28 January from 2-3:30pm. Did you know that, in the 19th century, Valentines were a way of sending hidden messages? Make artwork that sends a friendly message with images, symbols and words. Practice writing love knots, and explore various techniques, including paper cutouts and decoupage. Children aged 6-12 are welcome! Craft supplies and snacks are all included. The cost of this event is $20 for members, $24 for non- members..
For more information, call the Museum at 617- 696- 1815 or e-mail us at info@forbeshousemuseum.org.
Sunday, 10 February 2013, 1-4pm
Lincoln Day
Forbes House Museum will hold its annual Lincoln Day celebration on Sunday, 10 February 2013, from 1-4pm at 215 Adams Street, Milton.
Forbes House Museum is fortunate to have long-standing relationships with a number of talented re-enactor groups. Festivities for Lincoln Day will include drills and demonstrations by the 22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Company A., the 7th Tennessee Company G., and the United States Sanitary Commission Boston Branch (the 22nd Massachusetts ladies civilian group). First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln, will make a guest appearance, inspecting and addressing the troops.
The FHM Lincoln Cabin will be open to visitors. Hot chocolate will be served in the tradition begun by Mary Bowditch Forbes in 1924. Suggested donation for Lincoln Day is $5 per family.
For more information contact the Forbes House Museum at (617) 696-1815 or by e-mail at info@forbeshousemuseum.org.
For more information on Infantry and civilian groups participating in Lincoln Day activities, visit their websites:
http://www.22ndmass.org/
http://7thtennesseeinfantry.org/
http://salemzouaves.org
Tuesday, 12 February 2013, 7:00- 8:30pm
Civil War Circle Meeting
Join the FHM Civil War Circle (CWC) for intensive round table discussions held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7pm unless otherwise noted. The group meets at the Forbes House Museum and chooses monthly topics for discussion. Recent topics have included exploration of Lincoln assassin, Mary Surrat, and General Philip Sheridan. Admission is $5 per person. The CWC is a member benefit at Forbes House Museum; sign up for a Family level membership and receive free admission to CWC sessions.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013, 7:00- 8:30pm
Civil War Circle Meeting
Join the FHM Civil War Circle (CWC) for intensive round table discussions held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7pm unless otherwise noted. The group meets at the Forbes House Museum and chooses monthly topics for discussion. Recent topics have included exploration of Lincoln assassin, Mary Surrat, and General Philip Sheridan. Admission is $5 per person. The CWC is a member benefit at Forbes House Museum; sign up for a Family level membership and receive free admission to CWC sessions. For more information, call the Museum at 617-696-1815 or e-mail Harry Robinson, CWC Moderator, at hrob394@comcast.net.
Thursday, 4 April 2013, 6:30pm
Keechong Dinner
The annual Keechong Dinner tradition began in 1879, established by the partners of the Russell & Company in China to celebrate each year of successful trade. The elegant dinner was attended by noteworthy shareholders including Messrs. Robert Bennet and John Murray Forbes, Henry Sturgis Grew and Frederick Delano Hitch. Distinguished guests were also invited, such as Stanley Paterson and Carl Seaburg, descendants of Thomas Handasyd Perkins and authors of the book, The Merchant Prince of Boston. At the 1882 dinner, the committee requested a paper touching on the political, commercial and social changes in China, to be written by the last partner to return home. For several decades, the Keechong Dinner tradition was lost, until 1969, when Dr. H. A. Crosby Forbes reinstituted the celebration as curator the Museum of the American China Trade. Today, the Keechong Dinner, which serves as the Forbes House Museum most signature annual fundraising event, recognizes the entrepreneurial leadership of the Forbes family through celebration in this most honored tradition.
This year, the Keechong Dinner will be held at the Union Club, Park Street, Boston. The guest speaker will be nationally acclaimed author, Eric Jay Dolin.
Eric Jay Dolin is the author of the national bestseller, Fur, Fortune, and Empire: the Epic History of the Fur Trade in America, (W. W. Norton 2010) which won the New England Historical Association 2011 James P. Hanlan Book Award. Dolin has published more than 60 articles for magazines, newspapers and professional journals and is the author of Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America (W. W. Norton, 2007). He earned a BA and BS from Brown University in biology and environmental studies; a Masters of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; and a Ph.D. in environmental policy and planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Eric, originally from Queens, New York, lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with his wife Jennifer and their two children.
Ticket prices are $250 per person, or $2,000 to sponsor a table of eight. Advanced ticket purchases are required; call the Forbes House Museum with your credit card at (617)696-1815, mail a check to 215 Adams Street, Milton MA 02186 or use the Paypal option below:
For more information about our speaker, Eric Jay Dolin, please visit his website at http://www.ericjaydolin.com/
For more information about the Union Club of Boston, please visit their website at http://www.unionclub.org/
Lincoln Essay and Drawing Contest
Friday, 1 March 2013, 5pm
Deadline for submissions for essays and drawings
Sunday, 14 April 2013, 2pm
Lincoln Essay and Drawing Contest Awards Ceremony
Tuesday, 16 April 2013, 7:00- 8:30pm
Civil War Circle Meeting
Join the FHM Civil War Circle (CWC) for intensive round table discussions held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7pm unless otherwise noted. The group meets at the Forbes House Museum and chooses monthly topics for discussion. Recent topics have included exploration of Lincoln assassin, Mary Surrat, and General Philip Sheridan. Admission is $5 per person. The CWC is a member benefit at Forbes House Museum; sign up for a Family level membership and receive free admission to CWC sessions.
Saturday, 21 April 2012, 1-3pm
Victorian Egg Hunt
The 2nd Annual Victorian Egg Hunt will take place on the grounds of the Forbes House Museum. Children ages 3-8 are welcome to this special event, where hundreds of eggs will be hidden on the east and west lawns of the Museum. Each child will receive a handle basket in which she/he can gather eggs, each containing a toy surprise. The Hunt will have one start time beginning promptly at 1pm. Prizes will be given to the best egg hunters. Snacks and refreshments will be served.
The FHM wishes to accommodate children with challenges. If your child has a disability, and she/he plans to participate in the Victorian Egg Hunt, please call the Museum before 21 April to inform our staff.
Admission is $8 per child, which includes a handle basket. Rain date is Sunday, 22 April 2012 from 1-3pm.
For more information, contact the Museum at 617-696-1815 or e-mail us at info@forbeshousemuseum.org. For more information on the Boston Public Library Lower Mills Branch call 617- 298- 7841 or visit their website at http://www.bpl.org/branches/lower.htm
Saturday, 28 April 2012, 9:30am - 3:30pm
Memoirs Writing Workshop
Suzette Standring, syndicated columnist and author of the book, Art of Column Writing, and Dr. Allan Hunter, Professor of Literature at Curry College and author of eleven books, including Write Your Memoir, will offer a Memoirs Writing Workshop on 28 April from 9:30am- 3:30pm at Forbes House Museum.
This day-long workshop in memoir writing will offer a supportive environment, as well as fun exercises, practical tips, and inspiring ways to record your family stories and break free of those feelings that stop you from writing. Beginning writers and seasoned memoirists are welcome. Join us, and rediscover the deep creativity within your life-journey.
Pre-registration is required; register by 1 April to receive the early-bird rate of $100 for members, $130 for non-members (includes a special introductory Individual Membership to the FHM at a %30 discount). Registration after 1 April is $140 for members, $150 for non-members. Call the museum if you are interested in ordering a bagged lunch from Bent's Cookies.
There are three ways to register: call the Museum with a credit card at 617- 696- 1815; fill out the following Registration Form and mail in a check to:
Forbes House Museum, 215 Adams Street Milton, MA 02186
Or you can make your payment securely through Paypal:
.