Dear Members and friends of the Lancaster Historical Society,
We were very pleased to have an excellent turnout for our first program of the new season which was a tour of both the Old Settlers’ Burial Field and the Middle Cemetery. And, we already have available, right here the PowerPoint overview that was presented beforehand.
See below for information on our next event. Further, we have some “Sneak Peaks” available for other programs ahead in the new year. Please mark your calendars to “Save the Dates” and we look forward to seeing you there.
Meanwhile, Happy Holidays ahead!
Best wishes,
Heather L. Lennon, LHS President
Our most recent event:
A Tour of the Old Settlers’ Burial Field
and the Middle Cemetery
December 6, 2026
“The History of the Construction of Wachusett Reservoir”
The Lancaster Historical Society will host a program entitled “The History of the Construction of Wachusett Reservoir”. Find out how the nearby Wachusett Reservoir fits into the larger water system from Quabbin to Boston that provides drinking water to fifty-three communities. Hear stories from the past gleaned from annual reports, archived scrapbooks and historical photographs, showing the engineering marvel of this very significant central Massachusetts reservoir system.
The program, to be presented by Kathryn Parent of the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), will take place on Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 2 pm in the Hawkins Fellowship Hall at the First Church of Christ, Unitarian located at 725 Main Street in Lancaster, MA. Free and open to the public. For more information, call (978) 733-6907.
March 7, 2027
“A Revolution of Her Own”
The Lancaster Historical Society will host a program entitled “A Revolution of Her Own”. Deborah Samson [Sampson], the first woman to enlist, fight, and be honorably discharged from the American Military, will captivate her audience in an hour-long program chronicling her life. She grew up in a world, where women were nothing more than second-class subjects. Early on, Deborah realized her options were limited; thus, she decided to break the rules, as necessary, to accomplish greater goals in life.
On May 23, 1781, in the final years of the American Revolutionary War, Deborah bound her chest, cut short and tied back her hair. Wearing male attire, she enlisted in the Massachusetts 4th Regiment of the Continental Army, using the alias “Robert Shurtleff.” Her later life further reveals a strong, passionate and highly successful personality.
This performance, to be presented by award-winning actress Judith Kalaora of HISTORY AT PLAY TM, will take place on Sunday, March 7th, 2026 at 2 pm in the Hawkins Fellowship Hall at the First Church of Christ, Unitarian located at 725 Main Street in Lancaster, MA. Free and open to the public. For more information, call (978) 733-6907.
April 25, 2027
“Times that tried men’s souls: Glimpses into Lancastrian life during the American Revolution”
The Lancaster Historical Society will host a program entitled “Times that tried men’s souls: Glimpses into Lancastrian life during the American Revolution”. Find out what was happening, between Patriots and Tories alike, during these tumultuous years in Worcester County’s oldest town. The program, to be presented by LHS President, Heather Lennon, will take place on Sunday, April 25, 2027 at 2 pm in the Hawkins Fellowship Hall at the First Church of Christ, Unitarian located at 725 Main Street in Lancaster, MA. Free and open to the public. For more information, call (978) 733-6907.