Reminder: a house history from the Dorchester Historical Society would make a great gift to a homeowner in Dorchester or Mattapan. Take a look at some of the completed histories on the Dorchester Historical Society website www.dorchesterhistoricalsociety.org
Today’s illustration is from WGBH public television. They shared a piece from GBH News’ The Curiosity Desk that digs into the curious story behind Boston’s strangest historic statue, a 12-foot bronze pear in the Dorchester neighborhood. WGBH requested us to share this video with our followers.
The link for the video is
”If there are two things you can’t spit without hitting in Boston, it’s a Dunkin’ Donuts and a historic statue. But how did this delicious fruit end up becoming immortalized on the city’s streets? The idea for the 12- foot pear statue was conceived back in 2007 by artist Laura Baring-Gould as a response to the city’s desire to make a historic sculpture the centerpiece of a renovated Edward Everett Square in Dorchester.
Pears were actually once grown in abundance in Dorchester. Not to mention, a distinct variety of pear, ‘the Clapp’s Favorite’, was invented at the Clapp Family’s 18th century farmhouse, now home to the Dorchester Historical Society. The Clapps were among the founding families of Dorchester, sailing here from England in 1630.
While pears may no longer be a Dorchester staple, Baring-Gould hopes that the statue will serve as a metaphor for Boston’s most diverse neighborhood. A neighborhood of people who according to her, “are tough. They’re resilient. Their skins are thick,” just like the Clapp’s Favorite.
This video is part of a new weekly digital series from GBH News that provides answers to perplexing questions proposed by the audience. The Curiosity Desk video series is hosted by reporter Edgar B. Herwick III who has answered hundreds of questions since the launch of The Curiosity Desk as a radio feature in 2014.”