Get in the holiday spirit and join others while you decorate your own holiday wreath. Participants will receive a 24″ double-sided Balsam wreath, handmade fabric bow of their choice, an assortment of natural flora and holiday decorations. Time options for the event are from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm or 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. The cost is $60.00 and requires advance registration. Proceeds benefit the ongoing preservation of the historic site, located at 1 River Rd in Haverhill
Please see our Wreath Workshop page here: click here
In conjunction with Trails and Sails, the Hand Tub House and Toll House Museum will be open Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am to 5 pm, from September 19th to October 4th.
The Haverhill Cultural Treasures, a group representing the city’s historic sites and museums, kicks off a “Months of Museums” next month with chances to win a gift.
An approximately one-hour tour of historic Rocks Village takes place Sunday, July 12, beginning at 1 p.m., starting at the Hand Tub House, 1 River Road, Haverhill, and continuing three to four stops. Tours focus on industry, houses and families in the village in the time frame of 1776 and beyond. Further information will include villagers who served in the Revolutionary War and who are buried in nearby Greenwood Cemetery. The tour ends at the Toll House Museum, which includes history of the people and industry of the village, including the bridge, throughout the ages. There is no charge, but donations are welcome.
Please contact info@rocksvillage.org if you would like to participate.
Each treasure will be distributing their museum card and an envelope for visitors to collect cards. Those who collect all seven cards, include a selfie photograph at Winnekenni Castle, can receive a gift from the Cultural Treasures.
With warmer weather on the way, the Rocks Village Memorial Association has a few volunteer events coming up. If you have ever been interested in the history of Rocks Village or want to be part of a group that helps preserve buildings and engages with the community, please get in touch.
The amount of time to work on these projects is up to you. Each time we get together we try to dedicate 1-2 hours of work. For area clean ups or garden planting/maintaining we are happy to have your help for however long you would like.
Haverhill’s Cultural Treasures will be offering Tours at Twilight (5-7pm) on Thursday, August 28th under a single admission ticket. Several, not all, of the Cultural Treasures will be open.
Activities: Buttonwoods Museums – hearth cooking demonstration Duston-Dustin Garrison House – tour Whittier Birthplace – tour Rocks Village Hand Tub House and Museum – tours Haverhill Firefighting Museum – offering a quick tour and “Plan Your Escape, 2 Ways Out” in case of fire.
Tickets: Tickets this year will be $20/adult and free for kids 17 and under. The profits from ticket support the Cultural Treasures.
Tickets will be honored through the end of October for those who cannot make it to all sites in one evening. Please see each organization for their regular visitation hours and procedures outside the Tours at Twilight hours. Some sites require reservations outside special event times.
We are excited to announce two workshops for the holiday season. The first one is on November 2nd and we’ll make a Woodland themed Holiday table centerpiece.
The second is on November 23rd and it is our annual Wreath decorating workshop.
Go to our events page for more information and links on how to register.
Enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the Merrimack River, then wander through the historic Hand Tub House and the Toll House Museum at your own pace. Try to imagine what life was like here two hundred years ago. The Hand Tub House has been a central figure of the Rocks Village district since it was constructed in 1829. It was an early firehouse, and originally housed a manually operated firefighting pump. This public building has been used throughout its existence as a firehouse, community center, meeting space, and as part of a museum.
Rocks Village and John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace
Lydia Harris and Susan Bailey of the Rocks Village Memorial Association discuss “A History of the Rocks Village Neighborhood in Haverhill” during the March edition of Whittier Birthplace’s Virtual Lecture Series.
Harris and Bailey talk about connecting Whittier to Rocks Village through the poem, “The Countess.” Topics include Dr. Weld; the countess herself; the De Poyens; Blacksmiths; witches; toll keepers, the ferry, the bridge, taverns, churches and the Merrimack River. Some myths will be also highlighted and claims disputed.
The lecture takes place Thursday, March 28, from 7-8 p.m., online. There is a suggested donation of $10 per household. There’s more at whittierbirthplace.org/events.
