Calendar of Events at the Old South Meeting House

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All Summer Long

Memorial Day, Monday, May 28 through Labor Day, Monday, September 3, 9:30 am to 5 pm Daily

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment of the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

SEPTEMBER

THE PAUL REVERE MEMORIAL LECTURE SERIES: "A War So Unpopular...cannot be Supported": New England and the War of 1812 Presented by The Paul Revere Memorial Association in cooperation with Old South Meeting House

PRLS TALK: Wednesday, September 5, 6:30 PM

America’s Oldest Forgotten War: An Overview of the War of 1812 The War of 1812 is often considered one of America’s forgotten wars, sandwiched between two more popular conflicts in the American memory, the American Revolution and the Civil War. Yet, for contemporaries, the War of 1812 represented a “second War of Independence,” that would help secure American independence from Great Britain. Jen Turner, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and visiting lecturer at Bridgewater State University, will discuss the maritime issues that led to the outbreak of War, and describe New England’s often tepid support for the conflict.

Free and Open to the Public

PRLS TALK: Wednesday, September 12, 6:30 PM

A Northern Confederacy? Was the Hartford Convention of 1814 an Attempt to Save the Union—or Secede from it? By the fall of 1814, the opposition of New England Federalists to the War of 1812 was so vehement that the Union appeared to be in danger. In October, Massachusetts invited the other New England states to send delegates to a meeting in Hartford, Connecticut, to draft constitutional amendments and take other measures to protect New England interests. Peter Drummey, Stephen T. Riley Librarian of the Massachusetts Historical Society, will discuss the Hartford Convention and the taint of secession and treason associated with it, and show how debate over the goals of the Convention has persisted for almost two centuries.

Free and Open to the Public

PRLS TALK: Wednesday, September 19, 6:30 PM

Salem Privateers and the War of 1812 Salem, like Massachusetts as a whole, was deeply divided over politics and the war. It was home to both Republicans and Federalists, privateers and smugglers. Salem commissioned 43 cruisers, from great ships owned by merchant princes to open boats manned by unemployed sailors. Captain Michael Rutstein, author and owner and operator of Fame, a representation of a private schooner from the War of 1812, will discuss how Salem privateers prowled the seas from Norway to Brazil—and also patrolled the harbors of Massachusetts and Maine, searching out smugglers. Here are tales of generosity and greed, heroism and cowardice, astonishing luck and deep personal tragedy. *Book signing to follow the lecture.

Free and Open to the Public

PRLS TALK: Wednesday, September 26, 6:30 PM

USS Constitution, Harbor Fortifications, and the Vessel that Never Fought: Paul Revere’s Role in the War of 1812Like many New England Federalists, Paul Revere opposed the War of 1812. Yet, at the sametime, like many New Englanders, he derived handsome profits from the war. Patrick M. Leehey, Research Director of the Paul Revere House, will describe how Paul Revere’s role in the war in a sense began twenty years earlier, when he established his bell and cannon foundry in the North End. Over the years, the Revere foundry and Copper Mill supplied ship fittings, copper sheets, and other materials for many of the vessels that fought in the war and one remarkable vessel that never did, because it was completed too late.

Free and Open to the Public

Tuesday, September 18, 7 PM

"Ghosts of Boston: Haunts of the Hub" Book Launch Celebration

Journalist and author Sam Baltrusis has spent years investigating the many myths of Boston's ghostly past, leaving no gravestone unturned when it came to digging up the dirt on these so-called hauntings. From the Puritan poltergeists that fitfully roam its burying grounds, to the wicked smart spirits who remained on campus long after graduation, Boston is a hotbed of paranormal activity, with more than a few skeletons in its closets! Join Baltrusis and special guests from the paranormal investigation community for an exploration of Boston's macabre and mysterious past. And, perhaps we'll find out once and for all if British horses haunt our hall! Advance tickets are $5 each. Available at or . All tickets are $6 at the door on the night of the program. OSMH Members with ID are admitted free on the night of the program. Book signing and sales to follow.

Thursday, September 20, 6 PM

Partisanship and the Founders with Ray Raphael Join us this election year to learn from renowned historian Ray Raphael on the formation of the American presidency. Raphael’s recently published book, Mr. President: How and Why the Founders Created a Chief Executive, presents fresh analysis of the Constitutional Convention and the Founding Fathers’ emerging and often contentious views of the executive branch. This lecture will focus on how the Founders unwittingly fed the very partisanship they wished to avoid. This program is made possible by funding from the Lowell Institute. Free and Open to the Public

Check out this 2006 video of Ray Raphael speaking about the myths of American history!

Saturday, September 29

Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day Live! Free admission for two at Old South Meeting House or one of over 50 museums in Massachusetts! To print out your Museum Day ticket (required at the museum of your choice), please visit now!

Thursday, October 4, 11 AM

For Members Only! Paul S. Russell, MD, Museum of Medical History and Innovation, Massachusetts General Hospital

Join us to visit this recently opened, award-winning museum, dedicated to the evolution of health care and medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. A guided tour will invite members to explore the history of research, patient care and medical discovery at Mass General across three centuries. $5 each for OSMH members and one guest.

Space is limited and fills quickly. Advance registration with payment is required. To reserve, please fill out and mail the form below or call (. Details on where and when to meet will be given upon confirmation. Not yet a member? Call ext. 10 to learn more about the benefits of membership.

Thursday, October 18, 11 AM

For Members Only!

Warren Anatomical Museum, Harvard Medical School
Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the unique treasures of the Warren Anatomical Museum! One of several generations of Harvard-affiliated physicians in the Warren family, and the great-grandson of Dr. Joseph Warren’s younger brother, John Collins Warren () presented most of his collection to the University with an endowment to support its preservation. The present collection contains approximately 15,000 artifacts and cases including anatomical models, medical instruments and machines, the well-known skull of Phineas Gage, and many other rare and interesting items. As a special feature for our tour, members will view copies of the original images of Dr. Joseph Warren’s skull found at the Old South Meeting House and later returned to the Warren family. $5 each for OSMH members and one guest

Space is limited and fills quickly. Advance registration and payment is required. To reserve, please fill out and mail the form below or call ext. 10. Details on where and when to meet will be given upon confirmation. Not yet a member? Call ext. 10 to learn more about the benefits of membership.

Thursday, October 25, 6 PM

New England Resurrectionists, Dr. Joseph Warren’s Head, and a Most Itinerant Corpse Described by author, historian, and physician Dr. Samuel Forman as “a (mostly) serious talk on seasonally appropriate themes,” this pre-Halloween lecture will share highlights of the strange journey of famed Revolutionary Joseph Warren’s skeletal remains. Contrary to urban legend, Dr. Warren’s skull was never displayed at Old South Meeting House – but his remains have shown up in a considerable number of other locations over the years! Join us to learn some unusual facts of Dr. Warren’s travels after his formative role in the American Revolution and death in the Battle of Bunker Hill. This program is made possible by funding from the Lowell Institute. Free and open to the public

November Middays at the Meeting House: PERSPECTIVES ON THE WAR OF 1812: Celebrating the Bicentennial of America’s “Second Revolution” Co-sponsored by the USS Constitution Museum Explore the War of 1812 through a variety of unique and thought-provoking perspectives!

MIDDAYS TALK: Thursday, November 1, 12:15- 1 PM

Why should We Care about the War of 1812?

The War of 1812 nearly destroyed the United States. The enemy blockaded the coast and burned the capital, and New England threatened to secede. But the United States emerged from this disastrous war stronger than before. The War of 1812 did not bring Canada into the Union, as its promoters had promised, but it brought the new nation a sense of unity and purpose, with heroes such as Hull, Decatur, and MacDonough, a timeless symbol in "Old Ironsides," and a national anthem. Join us for a lecture by historian and author Robert Allison to kick off this lively series! $6; Free for OSMH Members and members of the USS Constitution Museum

MIDDAYS TALK: Thursday, November 8, 12:15- 1 PM

A Star Spangled Summer Costumed Boston National Historical Park Rangers Jessica Pilkington and Jocelyn Gould will offer commentary on life in the Navy Yard in 1812 from the perspectives of a Commandant’s wife and a flag maker who supplied the Navy. The two Rangers will share images from their recent travels to the Parks Canada Centennial Commemorations of the War of 1812 in Halifax. $6; Free for OSMH Members and members of the USS Constitution Museum

MIDDAYS TALK: Thursday, November 15, 12:15- 1 PM

“In the Zenith of My Glory”: The Human Experience of Naval Battle and its Aftermath During the War of 1812 Join us for a lively presentation by Lauren McCormack, Bicentennial Programs Coordinator at the USS Constitution Museum. Drawing on the writings of USS Constitution’s sailors and officers, this illustrated lecture details the experience of naval warfare during the War of 1812 and its lasting effects on the men who fought and the family they left behind. The speaker will conclude with an overview of recent research and exhibitions at the USS Constitution Museum. $6;

Free for OSMH Members and members of the USS Constitution Museum

MIDDAYS TALK: Thursday, November 29, 12:15- 1 PM

"A Firm and Universal Peace": Legacies of the War of 1812 Margherita Desy, Historian for the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston/USS Constitution, will discuss the heritage of the War of 1812, including the "universal peace" that has existed among the United States and Great Britain and Canada ever since. Learn about several of the tangible legacies of the war, including its impact on Native Americans, its recognition in memorials and shrines, and the preservation of Boston’s own USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides.” $6; Free for OSMH Members and members of the USS Constitution Museum

Sunday, November 18, 11:15 AM

Old South Church Founders’ Day Service

Join the United Church of Christ congregation from Old South Church for “Meeting House Sunday” when they return to the Meeting House, their ancestral home, for a marvelous Thanksgiving worship service featuring majestic music. For more information, please visit Old South Church’s website at . NOTE: The Museum will be closed to touring during this service. All are welcome to attend the service.

Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1, 10 AM- 4 PM

Holiday Open House

Ring in the holidays at Old South Meeting House! Tour our beautiful 1729 building, enjoy light refreshments, and shop for unique gifts in our Museum Shop. Please stay tuned for more information. Free and Open to the Public

Saturday, December 8, 2 PM

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Times Two! A Benefit Performance The British ARE coming, both the favorite holiday story and traditional English Christmas Carols! Time travel back to 1876 for a bit of customized American history from a British perspective, a passionate dramatic reading, and some great piano music. "Victorian Englishman Thomas Hutchinson," portrayed by Al LePage, uses voice, gestures and more to create 18 characters from Scrooge to Tiny Tim, from Mrs. Cratchit to Marley's Ghost! Rev. Dr. Dianne Carpenter, minister and professional musician, dances her fingers across the keyboard playing holiday classics, plus a surprise historic tune about the Boston Tea Party. This memorable holiday experience is sure to bring laughter—and perhaps some tears!

Best suited for adults and children age 10 and up. Advance tickets are $10 or $8 for OSMH members. Available at or (. All tickets are $12 at the door on the day of the program. 100% of proceeds go to benefit the preservation and programming of Old South Meeting House. NOTE: The Museum will close to visitors at 12 pm and will reopen for performance ticketholders at 1:30 pm.

Saturday, December 16, Time TBD

The 239th Anniversary Boston Tea Party Annual Reenactment Presented by Old South Meeting House and the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum Relive the event that changed American history forever--the Boston Tea Party. Join Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock for a fiery debate about the tea tax. Then, follow the Sons of Liberty to Boston Harbor to make some salt water tea for the fishes! Stay tuned at and for further information about the event and ticketing!

Upcoming Events: At the Meeting House

To print out our 2012 Winter/Spring Calendar, click here.

The calendar is sized to print to an 8 1/2 by 11 page.

Click on the teapot to purchase tickets for the 238th Anniversary Boston Tea Party Annual Reenactment!

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