Celebrating The Collection
The Nahant Historical Society’s Collections are rich and diverse. In the inaugural exhibition for our new gallery we have focused on paintings. The newly refurbished space gives us the opportunity to showcase our collections in fulfillment of our mission, “for the enjoyment, education, and enrichment of the public”.
The Nahant Historical Society’s Collections are rich and diverse. In the inaugural exhibition for our new gallery we have focused on paintings. Our newly refurbished gallery space gives us the opportunity to showcase our collections in fulfillment of our mission, “for the enjoyment, education, and enrichment of the public”.
The exhibition ran through October 2019 and was curated by Rick Arzillo and Chris Mathias, with the assistance of Julie Tarmy, Suzanne Hamill, Calantha Sears and the Board of Directors.
Bass Beach, Nahant , ca. 1880’s William Huston (1832 - 1920) Oil on Canvas
Egg Rock, Nahant, ca. 1900 William T. Robinson (1861 - 1945) Oil on canvas
Two Old Salts at the Wharf , 1917 J. Harleston Parker (1872 - 1930) Watercolor on paper
Bailey’s Hill, William Huston (1832 - 1920) Oil on Canvas
WHEN: Sunday, September 21 at 2:00PM
WHERE: Nahant Town Hall, 334 Nahant Road, Nahant
Ricky Beliveau will give a detailed presentation on the 2 year renovation of the historic 1880 Howe Mansion in Little Nahant. “Having talked to all the neighbors and the Historical Society, it really opened my eyes to how important this property is to the community,” Beliveau said. “There were a lot of concerns that it’d be knocked down… but it was really clear how important this was, and we’ve had great feedback from the community.”
Free and Open to the public
A brief history of the Whitney Estate and its connection to the Nahant Historical Society will be followed by a demonstration of floral design, and a painting demonstration by local artist KT Morse. There will also be a variety of works of art by North Shore artists that will be available for purchase.
WHEN: Saturday, July 5, 2025 from 11am to 3pm
WHERE: Whitney Homestead, 369 Nahant Road, Nahant
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC If you need parking accommodations, please contact: julie@nahanthistory.org Phone: (781) 581-2727 or (781) 581-0345
Join the Nahant Historical Society on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 7:00 PM for our Annual Meeting and lecture as Graham McKay will discuss the history and process of dory building.
Please join the Nahant Historical Society on Sunday, January 19 2:00 PM at Nahant Town Hall to celebrate our 50th Anniversary
Join the Nahant Historical Society on December 8, 2024 at 2:00 PM for our Annual Meeting and Paterson lecture: “Over the River and Through the Wood. How Did our Christmas Traditions Evolve?”
The Nahant Historical Society hosts LALIBERTE LIFE! An exhibit honoring the art of Norman Laliberte. August 5 - November 19, 2023. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm at the Nahant Historical Society, 41 Valley Road, Nahant, MA
The Nahant Historical Society cordially invites you to its Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 2PM.
Charles Luc Schepens never pursued recognition or fame for any of the things he accomplished. However, due to his research and development of ophthalmic devices, Charles earned the title of, ‘Father of Modern Retinal Surgery’. For his service to France during the war, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor by the Consul General of France for ‘smuggling more than 100 people over the Pyrenees from France into Spain’.
On November 5th, 2022, Keeping the Stories Alive: Exploring Essex Counties Black Heritage was presented by Historian Kabria Baumgartner. She has been digging through archival records, seeking to learn more about the Black experience in Essex County, MA. These stories highlight African American contributions to the economic, cultural, and intellectual vitality of Essex County.
Please stop by the Historical Society to see our our Essex Heritage Trails and Sails Exhibit to learn about Nahant residents Ellen Steeves and her father Bob’s role in the Apollo 11 lunar mission. Exhibit runs through the end of March 2023
At our 2022 Annual Meeting, we featured the life of Nahant resident Thomas Roland, known as ‘America’s Best Plantsman’. Please enjoy this presentation.
Authors Christopher R. Mathias and Robert A. Wilson will be signing copies of their new book, Nahant Revisited. Sunday March 20, 2022, 2 PM to 4 PM at the Community Center, 41 Valley Rd, Nahant MA
The Lightkeepers of Egg Rock, Nahant is the subject of our 2021 Trails & Sails Essex National Heritage presentation.
"Etiquette of the Brahmin Summer" by Robert Dimmick will be offered via Zoom on Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
Looking for something to do in your spare time? How about volunteering at the Nahant Historical Society. This Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 10:00 AM, current volunteers and those interested in learning more about volunteering, are invited to come in for tea/coffee. There are many opportunities to play a role and the schedule can be flexible. If you are not able to come on Wednesday, give Julie Tarmy a call (781) 581-2727, or email julie@nahanthistory.org
On May 23rd, 2021, Steven Eames presented “Nahant and the Civil War”. He brought Nahant in the 1860s to life once again, and brought us into the lives of those who continued to serve this unique town long after the battles were over.
A Nahant Historical Society presentation by Emory DeCastro. For centuries artists have gathered inspiration from creating images of the same scene under different light and seasons. Nahant offers spellbinding vistas throughout the four seasons and under a vast range of light. From a catalog spanning 10 years, and nearly a thousand images of Egg Rock, Emory DeCastro has pared this down to "36 Views of Egg Rock."
Please join the Nahant Historical Society as we explore what our responsibility is to our community as a keeper of the records of today’s emotional and passion-filled social issues.
The Nahant Historical Society cordially invites you to the 2019 Patterson Lecture to hear the stories of remarkable Nahant women who willingly joined the U.S. Armed Services in both wartime and peace. Some being thrust into situations they could not have imagined. We would like to share the history of these strong women so that the future may know the past.