Community Corner

Look at 'Untold History,' Part of 2014 Stone Soup and Speaker Series

This month, the Wakefield Estate kicks-off its 2014 Stone Soup and Speakers Series, held in the early evening on the final Thursday of each month. These warm and casual programs happen in the historic Isaac  Davenport mansion house where guests can enjoy a bowl of tasty home-made soup while enjoying a short presentation by a featured speaker.

The theme for this year's series is "the untold stories  in attics and archives," a line that comes from the dedication of our  first speaker's book, If Ever Two Were One: A Private Diary of Love Eternal. 

Brian Sullivan's book is a deeply moving look into romance and tragedy in the life of a Victorian-era Harvard student and his beloved wife, through journal entries, letters, and images of the actual diary of Francis Ellingwood Abbot. Sullivan, a Milton resident and former senior reference archivist at the Harvard University Archives and archivist of Mount Auburn Cemetery, was moved to write his book while doing research in the Harvard Archives, when he found in Abbot's diary a lock of hair, cluster of flowers and a handwritten poem of love and loss.

Find out what's happening in Miltonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Sullivan will discuss how this discovery left him spellbound, and will share images from the scrapbooks and journals that inspired him to pursue the project. Read the New York Times article about Sullivan's book. 

The following  Stone Soup will highlight local history, featuring Maritta Cronin, who will share engaging historical anecdotes and memorabilia relating to Milton's Thacher Farm on Feb. 27. Our March 27 Stone Soup will be a slide show of vintage photos of nearby Milton properties and gardens. The April Stone Soup program will focus on the ongoing exploration of archives and collections at the Wakefield  Estate.  While this event is free, space is limited and pre-registration is required. To RSVP or for more information, please call the Wakefield Estate at 617-333-0924.

Find out what's happening in Miltonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here