The more we can learn about all of Dedham’s residents through the centuries, the better we can tell Dedham’s history.

Dedham’s Indigenous Histories

The original footprint of Dedham rested on Massachusett and Wampanoag territory. Read about the relations between indigenous tribes and with European settlers in this history of the town.

We’re Making History at Dedham Museum & Archive

Galleries receive their 2nd Repainting since 1888!

To say the “update” is long overdue is an understatement. It was obvious from the peeling paint and dingy yellow walls that the main gallery, with its thirteen-foot ceilings and architectural woodwork, needed attention. With the temporary closure of the museum resulting from COVID, the Dedham Museum & Archive Board decided it was the opportune time to repaint the main exhibition room and smaller rear gallery. Additionally, updating the interior was in unison with the rebranding of the Museum—the new name, new logo (soon to be released), new color palette and materials, new Kiosk (coming soon), and forthcoming website.

Preparation and painting of the galleries was by John Kelly Painting of Dedham. The images below show work prior to the final coat of paint—stop by the museum to see the newly painted galleries—they are stunning! 

From left to right: Professional art handler Alfred Zuniga and Kevin Corey of Hermann Dexter Lodge helped pack up and reinstall the collections. The emptied main gallery showing peeling and dingy paint. Paint loss above a window. Preparation of the walls. John Kelly and his associate Wanderlay are responsible for the expert painting, here they apply a primer coat of gray over the old yellow paint. Drive In Paint Mart store manager Gregory Wallace donated 25 gallons of paint to the project.

History of Mother Brook

The oldest man-made canal in America

Tales from Mother Brook: Part 5
Citizens

History Tidbits

Dedham Politics & Social
History, 1636-1686

Poetry by a Dedham Resident
Charlotte Parsons Noyes

Blogs from James L. Parr, author of Dedham: Historic and Heriod Tales from Shiretown (2009).

Paul Park Bonus Material

Dedham Stories

Histories of the people and places of Dedham, past and present

Members of four multi-racial Dedham families share their experiences on an episode of “I am Dedham,” a program about Dedham residents. A central message is: “I hear you.” Thank you to Dedham TV and to Joseph Borsellino of the Dedham Human Rights Commission.

The Schortmann Insurance building opened in 1892 and is one of the most significant landmarks in Dedham Square. To learn more, read an article by Judy Neiswander published in the November 8, 2019 issue of the Dedham Times.

PUBLICATION FROM THE ARCHIVE

My Dear Mother: Civil War Letters to Dedham from the Lathrop Brothers

BRINGS CIVIL WAR HOME IN LETTERS FROM THE LATHROP BROTHERS OF DEDHAM

Click here to order from the publisher. Click here to order from Amazon. 

One by one the three Lathrop brothers from Dedham enlisted to fight for the Union after the Civil War broke out in 1861. During the next four years, John, Julius, and Joseph Lathrop wrote more than 100 letters home to their mother and three sisters.

More than 150 years later, the Lathrop letters come to life in the new book, My Dear Mother: Civil War Letters to Dedham from the Lathrop Brothers. The letters tell of the fierce battles, long marches, camp life, and the brothers’ dedication to the Union cause. The letters are published as written, without corrections or sanitation, but transcribed using the language of their time. 

Between them the Lathrop brothers saw action across the breadth of the war, from Antietam and Fredericksburg in the East to Port Hudson in the West. When the war ended, only two brothers came home. “The three Lathrop brothers exemplified the Union cause,” said transcriber Stuart Christie, a former Dedham Museum & Archive (Dedham Historical Society & Museum) Board member.  “Battle after battle, day after day in the camps, they pressed ahead with whatever it took to preserve the Union.”

Along with photographs of the brothers, the book includes images of battlefield maps hand-drawn by John and Julius in their letters. With its unique perspective from three siblings, My Dear Mother: Civil War Letters to Dedham from the Lathrop Brothers is an important addition to the library of Civil War letters and diaries. The letters were donated to the Dedham Museum & Archive in 1928. Transcribed for the Dedham Museum & Archive, they are published by Damianos Publishing. A reading of select letters is available directly below.

The project received financial support from the museum’s Pagliuca Fund in memory of longtime member Joe Pagliuca, and from museum Board members Bill Flanagan and Jim Kaufman.

Featured in Antiques & the Arts Weekly and The Boston Globe.

Enjoy the following selected letters from My Dear Mother, read by Michael Roberts for the DHSM.

Recording to come of two letters from
early 1864

Historic Building Date Markers

Please note that there is a significant delay in processing plaque requests due to the extensive research needed and limited staff time. 

NEW POLICY

Because we are unable to process house date research in a timely manner, due to limited staff time and number of requests, effective immediately we are changing how we process requests for house plaques.

Going forward, there are four options and pricing structures available, ranging from selecting the assessor’s record date to research conducted by the museum, though the latter has up to a two-year wait time (please click here for details and an order form). 

A deed history form is available here.
Deed research directions are available here.

You may call 781.326.1385 with questions or email society@dedhamhistorical.org.