About
Since 1971, the Boylston Historical Society has endeavored to live up to its motto, "Preserve the Past for the Future".
Such a commitment involves more than collecting and preserving the historical and cultural heritage of the community. Included as well is a total dedication to providing members with every opportunity to increase their knowledge and appreciation of the people and events which created present day Boylston.
Prior to 1971, Boylston had no written history, no collected memorabilia, and its records were scattered throughout the community and beyond. The Society helped to change all of that, and today we rank in the fore-front of historical awareness.
The Society's headquarters are in the Old Town Hall (1830) which was totally renovated in the 1980's. Over 16,000 artifactual and archival items are part of the Society's many collections. The George and Sybil Fuller Memorial Research Library holds over 1600 volumes which includes an extensive genealogical section and numerous reference books on American history available to researchers by appointment.
Our Museum offers interesting exhibits and the Gift Shop provides visitors with the opportunity to acquire local history books, postcards, and other mementoes of historic Boylston.
The Society embarked on a major publication project in early 1995. In less than a year it had published three volumes dealing with: [1.]the Civil War in Boylston; [2.]"Wish You Were Here" - photos of turn of the century postcards depicting Boylston and [3.]the biography of the first minister, Rev. Ebenezer Morse. Since that time we have published many more volumes and continue to produce quality historical publications. Please visit our gift shop for the complete list of publications.
The Boylston Historical Society is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization. All proceeds from sales, donations, and memberships go to fund Society projects and to the up-keep of the archives so that future generations might enjoy them. The future is filled with opportunities for further growth and the Society looks forward to spreading its message of appreciation for Boylston's heritage.
