Events and Programming 

Roxbury Russet Festival
Oct
21

Roxbury Russet Festival

One of Roxbury’s greatest treasures is… an apple!

The Roxbury Russet is the oldest known apple cultivar, or breed, found in the United States. First harvested by English settlers in Roxbury in the seventeenth century, it was used primarily to make cider to drink. When stored in a cool, dry place, these apples can last all winter - perfect for colonial New Englanders, who sought ways to preserve their foods before refrigeration.

On Saturday, October 21 from 11am - 3pm, make your way over to our friends at the Dillaway-Thomas House/Roxbury Heritage State Park for a family-friendly day of fall themed snacks, crafts, vendors, and historical activities. Shirley-Eustis House staff and representatives will be co-hosting the event. The festival will include:

  • Crafts such as make-your-own dried herb sachets and rag wreaths

  • A mini-exhibit on apple history through botanical art

  • Free cider and snacks (including apple cider donuts!)

  • A fall themed scavenger hunt

  • Resources from local urban farming initiatives (UMass Extension and BFCLT)

  • Demonstrations of how to make apple juice and cider on a historic apple press

  • AND MORE!

At 6pm, orchardist and pomologist John Bunker will give an hour-long lecture on the history of the Roxbury Russet, and answer attendee questions on the breed. This portion of the event is sponsored by Roxbury Historical Society, and will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry (UUUM), just across the street.

We hope to see you there!

The festival is free to all attendees, and will take place rain or shine. For more information, contact Rachel at programs@shirleyeustishouse.org or (617)-442-2275.

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Author Talk: Nancy Seasholes, Gaining Ground
Sep
21

Author Talk: Nancy Seasholes, Gaining Ground

Join the Newmarket Business Improvement District and the Shirley-Eustis House from 4pm-5pm on Thursday, September 21 for a talk by Nancy Seasholes, author of Gaining Ground: A History of Landmaking in Boston. Light refreshments will be served. This talk will take place in the Great Hall of the Shirley Place mansion.

This talk is free. Register Here!

Questions? Contact us at programs@shirleyeustishouse.org


“Why and how Boston was transformed by landmaking.

Fully one-sixth of Boston is built on made land. Although other waterfront cities also have substantial areas that are built on fill, Boston probably has more than any city in North America. In Gaining Ground historian Nancy Seasholes has given us the first complete account of when, why, and how this land was created.The story of landmaking in Boston is presented geographically; each chapter traces landmaking in a different part of the city from its first permanent settlement to the present. Seasholes introduces findings from recent archaeological investigations in Boston, and relates landmaking to the major historical developments that shaped it.”


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