June 24-25 Dorchester Descendants Weekend

350^th Birthday of the Blake House and Dorchester Descendants Events

June 24, June 25

The Dorchester Descendants project is working to locate, contact, and stay connected to descendants of Dorchester families, in Massachusetts, across the U.S. and beyond. We hope to spread the word about the treasures, the historical properties and artifacts belonging to the Dorchester Historical Society. We are eager to connect people who count Dorchester ancestry as part of their family heritage.

Dorchester Descendants Weekend, Friday and Saturday, June 24 and 25, celebrates the 350^th birthday of the James Blake House (1661), the oldest house in Boston, with a variety of events. A new, illustrated book exploring three centuries of change, continuity, and community in Dorchester will also be introduced.

Friday, June 24, 6 p.m.  First peek at new book about Dorchester Historical Society collections.  Cocktails, Book Celebration & Dinner at the Boston Winery: $50 per person; reservations required. For tickets, contact Faith Ferguson, 781-862-8851 or faith@dorchesterdescendants.org.

Saturday, June 25, 10:30 a.m.

Programs: “Introduction to genealogy” and “How to care for your historical artifacts”

Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

James Blake House 350^th Birthday Party: 735 Columbia Road at Edward Everett Square

Saturday, 2 – 4 p.m.

Program: “How to do an oral history”, at the William Clapp House, 195 Boston Street

Open Houses at the Blake House (1661), Lemuel Clap House (1633/1767), William Clapp House (1806), and Clapp Family Barn (c.1850)

All events are free and open to the public, and take place at 195 Boston Street, unless otherwise noted.

For more information about the Dorchester Descendants Project see dorchesterdescendants.org and information about the Dorchester Historical Society see dorchesterhistoricalsocietyblog.org