Hyde Park, Massachusetts

The Hyde Park Historical Society was founded in 1887 by Theodore Dwight Weld, an architect of the American abolitionist movement . The society maintains a unique collection of historic publications, images and artifacts dating from before the founding of Hyde Park in 1868. The historical collection is housed in Weld Hall - named after our founder - in the Hyde Park Branch of Boston Public Library.

From the founding of Hyde Park by the twenty associates of Fairmount Hill to the Civil war and the military encampment at Readville, with its story of the 54th and 55th African-American regiments, Hyde Park's early history includes events of national importance and stories of leading abolitionists, temperance activists, and women's rights activists. A cradle of early manufacturing and the industrialization of America, Hyde Park has a rich history and many stories still to tell.

Upcoming Events

The Society is planning an outdoor member meeting for June 2021. More information coming soon...

Meetings are open to the public. To join the society please go here.

Hyde Park Notable

  • The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment were trained at Camp Meigs in Readville. The 54th was one of the first official African American units in the US armed forces, which saw extensive service in the Union Army during the Civil War. Read Camp Meigs and the 54th
  • Hyde Park played an early role in the advancement of women’s voting rights, when in 1870, 47 Hyde Park women, led by the Grimke sisters, flouted the law of the land and voted in an election—50 years before the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1919. Read 1870 Women's March and Vote

About

On March 15, 1887, the Hyde Park Historical Society was formed and a constitution adopted. That constitution defines our mission and the ongoing duty of our members as follows.

The object of this Society shall be the promotion of the study of history with particular reference to that of Hyde Park, the preservation and perpetuation of the memory of persons and events connected with said town and the collection of objects of historic interest. It shall be the duty of members so far as it may be in their power to carry out the objects of the Society by collecting by gift loan or purchase books manuscripts and pictures and by such other suitable means as may from time to time seem expedient.

History of the Hyde Park Historical Society

Officers of the society.

Membership.

Contact.

Other Hyde Park resources.

Privacy Policy

Contact

Mailing List – To get involved or keep up to date with news from the society, please join our mailing list using the form below.

    Meetings – meetings of the society are held monthly at the Hyde Park Public Library and are open to all members. To sign-up as a member, please see here.

    Correspondence  – please send all correspondence to:

    Peter Brown, Corresponding Secretary,  9 Albion Street, Hyde Park MA 02136 or Email: info@hydeparkhistoricalsociety.org

    Membership of the Hyde Park Historical Society

    The society organizes a series of member meetings, typically eight per year, and invites a distinguished guest speaker or a society curator to present on a topic at each meeting. These presentations provide a unique insight into the fascinating story of Hyde Park.

    All meetings are held at the society’s collection room – Weld Hall in the Hyde Park Public Library – giving members a regular opportunity to view the collection, meet other members, and undertake their own research.

    To apply for a new membership of the society or renew a membership, please complete the contact form below and pay the membership fee of $10 (renewable yearly on December 31), or you can join at one of our scheduled meetings. You can pay by credit card now or mail a check to our treasurer (checks payable to Hyde Park Historical Society):

    Hyde Park Historical Society,
    C/O Hyde Park Public Library,
    35 Harvard Ave,
    Hyde Park, MA 02136.

      Paying by credit cardMailing a check

      Once you’ve submitted the form above, please click the button below to pay for your membership by credit card. You will be taken to a Paypal website. The society does not collect, store or process any credit card information itself.

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