Local History - Marblehead Current

Marblehead marks Indigenous Peoples Day with storytelling, singing

11Oct

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Culture, Local History, Local News, Top Stories

Marblehead marks Indigenous Peoples Day with storytelling, singing

Marblehead marked Indigenous Peoples Day weekend with more than one event to celebrate the holiday. On Saturday, Native American storyteller Anne Jennison entertained and educated young and old with her "Songs & Stories of the Woodland" in Abbot Hall's auditorium. "A total of 30 folks with a few kids [attended]," Marblehead Cultural Council Chairman Anthony Silva said on Sunday night. "She was wonderful. Meanwhile, on Monday afternoon, folks were fanned out on the Jeremiah Lee Mansion Gardens as The Nettukkusqk Singers, a group of Wampanoag and Nipmuc Native Americans, sang traditional songs. The group's members wrote most, if not all, the songs that they performed: "Dreams of Seven Gneration," "Mending the Hoop," "The Netukkusqk Anthem" among others. It's the thi...

Marblehead resident irked by ongoing state of Redd’s Pond sidewalks

29Sep

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local History, Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories

Marblehead resident irked by ongoing state of Redd’s Pond sidewalks

The frustration emanating from a longtime resident was palatable at the tail end of the Marblehead Select Board meeting on Wednesday night. Biff Martin, the Marblehead Model Yacht Club commodore, over the years has advocated for the town to address the hole-riddled cement and asphalt paths outlining Redd's Pond. "I get so wound up about this," he told the Select Board. "I want to get the sidewalk patched up for at least the rest of the season without a big deal. Can you tell me who is supposed to fix it?" Biff Martin, the Marblehead Model Yacht Club commodore, over the years has advocated for the town to address the hole-riddled cement and asphalt paths outlining Redd's Pond. Marblehead Park and Recreation Commission's public meeting minutes detail Martin's registered con...

Founder shares story behind Cecrophia Strong

26Sep

By Submitted ContentNo Comments

Local History, Nonprofit corner, Press releases

Founder shares story behind Cecrophia Strong

On Sunday, Oct. 16 at 5 p.m., Julie Hahnke and Cecropia Strong will host the second annual Gala & Auctions at the Masons’ Philanthropic Lodge in Marblehead, with proceeds funding the organization’s mission to help and provide hope for those who are physically disabled. Hahnke (Marblehead bagpiper, author, and management consultant) knows what it is to be suddenly physically-disabled and that’s why she established Cecropia Strong. Five years ago, Hahnke suffered a stroke. She lay on the floor of her apartment for three days. When friends started looking for her, she was found on her kitchen floor. In those three days, her stroke took a serious turn. It went from being ischemic (being caused by a blood clot) to the more serious and lethal condition of having a brain bleed: a hemor...

Marblehead Cultural Council puts call out for grant proposals

21Sep

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Business, Community resources, Culture, Entertainment, Local History, Local News, Municipal Matters, Nonprofit corner, Top Stories

Marblehead Cultural Council puts call out for grant proposals

Marblehead Cultural Council members may be budgeted less than $10,000 annually, but their small-grant awards plant artistic seeds, cultivate community and promote excellence throughout the arts, culture, humanities and interpretive sciences in town. Massachusetts Cultural Council provides millions of dollars (about $5.5 million in the Fiscal Year 2023) to the 329 local cultural councils across the Bay State. A town's population determines its appropriation from the pool of state funding. In the last funding round, the dollar amounts of grants ranged from as little as $250 for an annual nature walk in Marblehead Neck's bird sanctuary to as big as $3,000 to help a local artist display his busts in the Lee Mansion Garden. "We received about $7,800 - which is a 12 percent in...

Honoring Agnes: Special dedication on Old Burial Hill for enslaved woman

19Sep

By Leigh Blander1 Comment

Culture, Local History, Local News, Municipal Matters, Religion, Top Stories

Honoring Agnes: Special dedication on Old Burial Hill for enslaved woman

The new, historically accurate gravestone for Agnes, an enslaved woman in Marblehead More than 300 years after she died, a new gravestone will be dedicated at Old Burial Hill for Agnes (or Agnis, see below for an explanation of the two spellings), an enslaved woman who lived in Marblehead at the turn of the 18th century. The Marblehead Racial Justice Team (MRJT) will lead the ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 25, after raising $7,000 for the project. “We know that Agnes’ grave is an emblem,” said the Rev. James Bixby with the MRJT. “We know of about 100 to 200 people who lived enslaved in Marblehead. Where are their gravestones? They were dumped in a low-lying swamp upon basically being worked to death. How did Agnes survive her situation and how did she maintain an identity?” Agnes...

<strong>Warwick Cinema reinventing itself post pandemic, launching Warwick TV</strong>

29Aug

By Leigh Blander1 Comment

Business, Culture, Entertainment, Local History, Local News, Top Stories

Warwick Cinema reinventing itself post pandemic, launching Warwick TV

The Warwick circa 1945. Courtesy Marblehead Museum Warwick Cinema, a landmark in Marblehead for more than 100 years, has survived the pandemic and is reinventing itself again. “We're thinking outside the box,” said Johnny Ray, who co-owns the Warwick and the adjoining restaurant ,The Beacon. “We’ll be doing events other than movies. Of course, we still do first-run movies all the time.” COVID-19 shut down cinemas for months and slashed profits as people shied away from public indoor spaces. The pandemic also prompted big changes in the movie industry, said Ray. “Hollywood started releasing movies in theaters and streaming simultaneously and people got acclimated to that. People made investments in their home entertainment systems.” Ray hopes Hollywood will produce new block...

Via the ABCs, ‘M is for Marblehead’ takes children on a tour of the town’s history, landmarks

22Aug

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Culture, Local History, Local News, Top Stories

Via the ABCs, ‘M is for Marblehead’ takes children on a tour of the town’s history, landmarks

A new picture book takes children on a history tour of Marblehead through the letters of the alphabet. Marblehead resident Garrett Callahan illustrated the pictures and penned the rhymes in "M is for Marblehead," a children's book that deploys amusing, fun rhymes and pictures to teach children the ABCs while exploring the town's history, traditions and landmarks. Marblehead resident Garrett Callahan created 'M is for Marblehead' as a way to make the town's history and landmarks more accessible to children. From Old Burial Hill and the Lighthouse to Fort Sewall and Abbot Hall, Callahan captures the major landmarks as well as the changing seasons. His rhymes accompany each letter and represent something special to Marblehead, and each page has an interesting fact about the town...

‘Tag & Treasure Sale’ at Lee Mansion set for Saturday, Aug. 20

18Aug

By Marblehead News staffNo Comments

Community resources, Culture, Life Style, Local History, Local News, Nonprofit corner, Press releases

‘Tag & Treasure Sale’ at Lee Mansion set for Saturday, Aug. 20

The 3rd annual Marblehead Museum Tag & Treasure will be held on Saturday, Aug. 20 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. - with a rain date for Sunday, Aug. 21. on the Lee Mansion Garden, 161 Washington St. Free admission. Over 3,000 items, including furniture, lighting, jewelry, artwork, LPs, ceramics, household items, books, vintage, collectible, antiques and more. Cash, check, or charge will be accepted. All funds raised go to support the educational and preservation mission of the Marblehead Museum (https://marbleheadmuseum.org/).

Marblehead Museum & Discover Marblehead to host speakeasy-style soiree

18Aug

By Marblehead News staffNo Comments

Culture, Entertainment, Life Style, Local History, Local News

Marblehead Museum & Discover Marblehead to host speakeasy-style soiree

Discover Marblehead and Marblehead Museum invites the public to the Lee Mansion Gardens for the September Soiree: End of Summer Speakeasy on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 6 to 10 p.m. This fundraiser will feature the Jazz duo, the Rubin Brothers, specialty 1920s-themed cocktails by Bubble Bar Boston and heavy hors d'oeuvres provided by Vinwood Catering, fully-stocked cash bar and a raffle of five baskets brimming with Marblehead items and experiences. As darkness settles in, dance the night away in the lower garden to the sound of the Johnny Ray Band. Enjoy the opportunity to come together for a summertime event celebrating the museum and the town’s history. Tickets are $125 each and include one free drink. A portion of each ticket price will be tax deductible. Tickets and more i...