Events for 2023
Archives Fridays
Friday mornings, 10:00am to 12 noon
Location: Activity Room, Hanover Council on Aging, 665 Center St, Hanover, MA 02339
Portions of the Hanover Historical Society Archives are stored at the Council on Aging. This provides not only much needed storage space but an opportunity for volunteers to help work with the collections. Join staff and others working with manuscripts, photographs, ephemera, and more.
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Historic Chocolate—Sample Some History
Stetson House, Saturday, February 10th, from 12 noon to 3pm.
Chocolate Making with Hanover Historical Society (hanoverctv.org)
Chocolate has one of the richest histories around. Long before full and fun-sized chocolate bars, long before the Christmas and Valentine’s Day boxes of assorted chocolates, it was a spiced, hot drink prized by the people of Central America. Europeans developed a passion for chocolate, most often “taking chocolate” as a breakfast drink. Learn about the surprising history of chocolate in early America, from bitter to sweet, from Mexico to Massachusetts, in this Hanover Historical Society program. Explore how chocolate was made from cacao beans through a process of harvesting, grinding, grating, and flavoring. See a demonstration using traditional chocolate-making equipment, a stone metate for grinding, a chocolate pot and molinillo for mixing and frothing, and spices like nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon for flavoring. And best of all, sample some traditional, spiced hot chocolate.
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The North River: History & Heritage Pop-Up Museum
Location: The Cushing Center, 673 Main Street, Norwell Center, MA
Dates: Saturday, March 2nd, 2024
Time: Open to public 11am to 3pm; Set up time 9am to 11am, breakdown 3pm to 4pm
Event is free with suggested donation of $10 per adult The Historical Societies of Norwell, Pembroke, and Hanover are organizing a first-ever, collaborative pop-up museum of the North River, its history, its heritage, and its continuing importance today. It will feature displays of original objects, artwork, photographs, maps, and other materials from public and private collections, media presentations, and interactive displays for the hours of the event. This is a chance to explore and share the history of the North River with a large public audience. Stories that could be told are those of the ships and shipyards, the industries, the people who lived along the River, and its natural history.
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Walking Tours
Join the Hanover Historical Society for a special program of walking tours throughout Hanover.
Check back for more information.
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Tavern Night at Stetson House!
Saturday, May 4th, 2024, 5pm to 7pm.
On Saturday, May 4th, the Hanover Historical Society will host a night of merrymaking at the Historic Drummer Samuel Stetson House in Hanover Center!
Samuel Stetson was a noted man in 1700s Hanover when his home was a “tavern stand and a famous place of resort.” Enjoy an evening of food, music, and drinks to celebrate the history of Hanover’s 18th Century hospitality. Explore the Stetson House and grounds, see the Cobbler’s Shop and Barn, and join your neighbors from the community for our Annual Tavern Night at Stetson House.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the educational programs of the Hanover Historical Society.
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Hanover Day, Saturday, June 22nd, 2024
Hanover's 297th Anniversary.
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Hanover Historical Society local fall market!
Date and time to be announced
Shop local vendors and get one of- a-kind goods such as pottery, candles, local honey, and so much more. Our historic house museum, the Stetson House, will also be open for tours as well as our historic barn and cobbler shop. Bring the family, get ahead of some holiday shopping and support local artisans while immersed in our historic landscape!
Hanover Historical Society Annual Meeting
Save the date for the Hanover Historical Society’s Annual Meeting in October, 2024. [email protected] or by phone at 781-826-9575
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Halloween Weekend! Many people in town say the Stetson House is haunted. What about the Center Cemetery? Join us and see for yourself!
House of Ghosts and Creepy Dolls. Visit the Stetson House when it will be decorated with ghosts and every 3rd graders’ favorites, the creepy dolls. This fun and family-friendly event will get you in the Halloween spirit!
A History Tour of Hanover’s Center Cemetery
Nothing says late October more than an old New England cemetery a few days before Halloween. Join Hanover Historical Society Executive Director and cemetery expert Stephen O’Neill for a tour of Hanover’s Center Cemetery. Learn the history of Hanover’s oldest burying ground, its grave markers and memorials and the stories found among the cemetery’s stones.
The Hanover Historical Society Presents
Sleigh Bells Ring!
at the
Historic Drummer Samuel Stetson House
514 Hanover Street, Hanover Center, MA 02339
Date and times to be determined
A Sight and Sound Experience for the Holidays
Hanover’s Historic Drummer Samuel Stetson House, Barn, Cobbler’s Shop, and Grounds will be open and decorated for a special one-day holiday experience this year. The event will feature restored vintage sleighs from the Society’s collections put on display. The house and barn will be decorated with an interactive bell display, featuring original and reproduction sleigh bells, cow bells, and hand bells. Play Jingle Bells on the bells. There will be scavenger hunts for children, special musical performances at 11am and 2pm, refreshments, and ornaments for sale.