Join us from the comfort of your own home for our virtual lecture series. Whittier Birthplace Virtual Lectures will take place over Zoom. Prior registration is required.

Suggest donation: $10/household

Speakers: Anne Ferguson of the Whittier Home Museum in Amesbury

Topic: Whittier Home Museum, more details to come

Register here.

Join us from the comfort of your own home for our virtual lecture series. Whittier Birthplace Virtual Lectures will take place over Zoom. Prior registration is required.

Suggest donation: $10/household

Speakers: Emily Esser, art historian

Topic: "In Behalf of Oppressed Humanity:" The Life and Works of Deacon Robert Peckham, Portrait Painter

DESCRIPTION - The early American artist Deacon Robert Peckham is best-known for his charming and likeable paintings, featured in museums across New England. But he left a historical impact beyond most of his peers. Through his portraits of like-minded friends, family, and neighbors, alongside historical records and newspaper ads, we can rebuild a visual legacy of Peckham's life, including his fight for temperance, the end of slavery, and free and fair education. And now, for the first time, we can read Peckham’s beliefs in his own handwriting: his impassioned letters to President and Representative John Quincy Adams. 

Register here.

Homeschooling families are invited to a program on the legacy of John Greenleaf Whittier.

Suggested ages: 6-12

Suggested donation: $10

Theme: The Freeman Memorial Trail

This month we’re taking a short hike along the Freeman Memorial Trail, through the woods and fields around the Whittier Birthplace. At each of the 13 stops along this approximately 1/2 mile trail, we will take turns reading a short section of Whittier’s poetry that describes the scenery. Along the way participants will get to collect leaves and other natural items for the craft at the end of the hike. Please come dressed for the weather and with sturdy shoes for walking over uneven ground. We’ll have sun block and insect repellant available.

Skills practiced in this program: reading, hiking, arts & crafts.

Click here to sign up, at least one week prior to the program. Please include the ages and first names of participating kids as well as any relevant allergies or other special considerations we should know in advance.

Christiana Boehmer will give a presentation on John Greenleaf Whittier the abolitionists at 2pm on Sunday, September 22nd, during our annual Trails & Sails Open House Weekend.

Chris Boehmer is a nonfiction writer, songwriter, and storyteller who lives in Andover, MA. She’s researching and writing on the historical antislavery movement in Essex County, and John Greenleaf Whittier is one of her favorite subjects. You can read her blog at antislaveryinessexcounty.substack.com. 

Join us in the Gus Reusch Welcome Center at the Whittier Birthplace for this is a free event. No registration is required. Come early or stay late for a tour of the c.1688 Whittier Homestead. Tours will be offered from 1-4pm on Sept. 22nd.

Homeschooling families are invited to a program on September 17th.

Suggested ages: 6-12

Suggested donation: $10

Theme: East Haverhill History

Visit three historic sites in East Haverhill! The program starts at 10am at the Whittier Birthplace (305 Whittier Road) for a historic games and a tour of the c.1688 Whittier Homestead. Learn about poet & abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier. Then drive down the road to the East Parrish Meeting House (150 Middle Road) to learn about the history and architecture of this c.1838 church. Attendees will get to ring the bell! Finally drive to Rocks Village to tour the c.1829 Hand Tub House and and Toll House (1 River Road) and learn about the history of the Rocks Village neighborhood, early firefighting, and the bridge.

Click here to sign up, at least one week prior to the program. Please include the ages and first names of participating kids as well as any relevant allergies or other special considerations we should know in advance.

Tuesdays June 25th through August 20th

Preschoolers and a caregiver are invited to join us each Tuesday from 10am-11am from June 25th through August 20th for story reading and craft. This is a free program and no registration is required.

Haverhill’s Cultural Treasures will be offering Tours at Twilight (5-8pm) on Thursday, August 15th under a single admission ticket. Visit as many or as few of the Treasures as you wish that evening.

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.

Adult tickets are $25, kids 17 and under are admitted for free.

The Haverhill Cultural Treasures is a collaboration between the Buttonwoods Museum, Duston-Dustin Garrison House, Haverhill Firefighting Museum, Museum of Printing, Rocks Village Hand Tub House, Tattersall Farm, Whittier Birthplace, and Winnekenni Castle.

Tickets are available here!

Tuesdays June 25th through August 20th

Preschoolers and a caregiver are invited to join us each Tuesday from 10am-11am from June 25th through August 20th for story reading and craft. This is a free program and no registration is required.

Tuesdays June 25th through August 20th

Preschoolers and a caregiver are invited to join us each Tuesday from 10am-11am from June 25th through August 20th for story reading and craft. This is a free program and no registration is required.

THIS WEEK: we’ll be joined by the Haverhill Public Library’s book van! Bring your library cards and pick out some HPL books to take home after our weekly story and craft.

Tuesdays June 25th through August 20th

Preschoolers and a caregiver are invited to join us each Tuesday from 10am-11am from June 25th through August 20th for story reading and craft. This is a free program and no registration is required.

Tuesdays June 25th through August 20th

Preschoolers and a caregiver are invited to join us each Tuesday from 10am-11am from June 25th through August 20th for story reading and craft. This is a free program and no registration is required.

Writing can be a lonely and isolated experience. At 2pm on Sunday July 21st the Whittier Birthplace and the Haverhill Public Library invite local novelists to an open house in the Gus Reusch Welcome Center (305 Whittier Road) to meet other novelists. Bring a writing friend and make a new one!

A Poetry Happening live and in person at the Whittier Birthplace! Free to attend. All ages welcome.

Saturday, July 20th noon to 2pm.

Hosted by Dan Spears, Poet Laureate of Haverhill and Jason O’Toole, Poet Laureate of North Andover. Featuring a line of great local poets with open mic to follow.

Canceled this week due to extreme heat!

Tuesdays June 25th through August 20th

Preschoolers and a caregiver are invited to join us each Tuesday from 10am-11am from June 25th through August 20th for story reading and craft. This is a free program and no registration is required.

Tuesdays June 25th through August 20th

Preschoolers and a caregiver are invited to join us each Tuesday from 10am-11am from June 25th through August 20th for story reading and craft. This is a free program and no registration is required.

Tuesdays June 25th through August 20th

Preschoolers and a caregiver are invited to join us each Tuesday from 10am-11am from June 25th through August 20th for story reading and craft. This is a free program and no registration is required.

Tuesdays June 25th through August 20th

Preschoolers and a caregiver are invited to join us each Tuesday from 10am-11am from June 25th through August 20th for story reading and craft. This is a free program and no registration is required.

Change of Venue!

Due to the expected heatwave, this event has been moved indoors to the Buttonwoods Museum (240 Water Street, Haverhill) and will NOT be held outdoors at the Whittier Birthplace.

In partnership with the Buttonwoods Museum we are hosting a “Reading Frederick Douglass Together” event for Juneteenth. Community members are invited to a group reading and discussion of Frederick Douglass’s 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July"?”

Light refreshments will be provided. Parking is available next door at Linwood Cemetery & Crematory. Following the reading of the speech, a discussion will be led by Haverhill School Committee Representative Yonnie Collins about Douglass's relevance to today. 

Homeschooling families are invited to a program on the legacy of John Greenleaf Whittier.

Suggested ages: 6-12

Suggested donation: $10

Theme: The Barefoot Boy

Together we will read Whittier’s poem, “The Barefoot Boy,” taking note of all the plants and animals mentioned in the poem. Then participants will get to explore the grounds of the Whittier Birthplace, writing or drawing in a journal all that they experience with their 5 senses. Going barefoot for at least part of this activity is encouraged! Finally, we will regroup to compare and contrast this morning’s experiences with those of The Barefoot Boy in 1855.

Skills practiced in this program: reading, writing, observation, the 5 senses, compare & contrast.

Click here to sign up, at least one week prior to the program. Please include the ages and first names of participating kids as well as any relevant allergies or other special considerations we should know in advance.

A celebration of cultural arts at each of the 13 stops along the half mile Freeman Memorial trail. Experience poets, musicians, visual artists, and more outside at the Whittier Birthplace.

This event is supported by the Mass Cultural Council’s Festivals Grant!

Artists: let us know if you’d like to be involved!

Homeschooling families are invited to a program on the legacy of John Greenleaf Whittier.

Suggested ages: 6-12

Suggested donation: $10

Theme: Whittier the Poet

Participants will learn about John Greenleaf Whittier’s education and poetry career and they’ll get to practice writing their own poetry. A tour of the c.1688 Whittier family homestead is included. Participants will play poetry word games and do their own creative writing.

Skills practiced in this program: reading, writing, listening comprehension

Click here to sign up, at least one week prior to the program. Please include the ages and first names of participating kids as well as any relevant allergies or other special considerations we should know in advance.

Join us from the comfort of your own home for our virtual lecture series. Whittier Birthplace Virtual Lectures will take place over Zoom. Prior registration is required.

Suggest donation: $10/household

Speakers: Lydia Harris and Susan Bailey of the Rocks Village Memorial Association

Topic: A History of the Rocks Village Neighborhood in Haverhill, MA. Topics covered will include: connecting Whittier to Rock's Village through the Poem, The Countess, topics such as Dr. Weld, The Countess herself, The De Poyens, Blacksmiths, witches, Toll keepers, the ferry, the bridge, Taverns, Churches and the Merrimac River will be discussed. Some myths will be highlighted and claims disputed.

Register here.

Join us from the comfort of your own home for our virtual lecture series. Whittier Birthplace Virtual Lectures will take place over Zoom. Prior registration is required.

Suggest donation: $10/household

Speaker: Kim Varney Chandler, author of Covered Bridges of New Hampshire

Kim Varney Chandler is a researcher, amateur genealogist, photographer, bird watcher, and dog lover. She is a two-time graduate of the University of New Hampshire (‘91, ‘96G). When not immersed in the past, Kim works as a high school counselor and commits an inordinate amount of time to volunteer work for a variety of organizations. She is a lifelong resident of New Hampshire except for two stints living south of the Mason-Dixon. She lives in Hancock with her husband Marshell and Pemi the hiking therapy dog.
Kim has received extensive press coverage for Covered Bridges of New Hampshire, including  a feature piece on WMUR-TV’s New Hampshire Chronicle. Covered Bridges of New Hampshire was honored with a New Hampshire Preservation Award for education, documentation, and advocacy and the accompanying podcast placed second in the New Hampshire Press Association Awards. 

Topic: Kim will share the rich history of the Whittier Covered Bridge in Ossipee, NH. Built around 1870, presumably by Jacob Berry, the covered bridge is one of twenty-two Paddleford truss bridges remaining in the world. This historic 133′ covered bridge has been saved from demolition more than once and remains an integral part of the Ossipee community.

Register here.

Join us from the comfort of your own home for our virtual lecture series. Whittier Birthplace Virtual Lectures will take place over Zoom. Prior registration is required.

Suggest donation: $10/household

Speakers: Roberta Roffo and Shannon Hewey of the East Parish Meeting House

Topic: Just down Middle Road from the Whittier Birthplace stands the East Parish Meeting House. Learn about this historic church, connections to the Whittier family, its architecture, and more during this month’s virtual lecture.

Register here.

Homeschooling families are invited to a program on the legacy of John Greenleaf Whittier.

Suggested ages: 6-12

Suggested donation: $10

Theme: The Freeman Memorial Trail

This month we’re taking a short hike along the Freeman Memorial Trail, through the woods and fields around the Whittier Birthplace. At each of the 13 stops along this approximately 1/2 mile trail, we will take turns reading a short section of Whittier’s poetry that describes the scenery. Along the way participants will get to collect leaves and other natural items for the craft at the end of the hike. Please come dressed for the weather and with sturdy shoes for walking over uneven ground. We’ll have sun block and insect repellant available.

Skills practiced in this program: reading, hiking, arts & crafts.

Click here to sign up, at least one week prior to the program. Please include the ages and first names of participating kids as well as any relevant allergies or other special considerations we should know in advance.

The HAPN (Historical and Art Preservation Network) will debut their first exhibition with the HAPN Haunted Verses Trail on Saturday, October 7th at the John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace in Haverhill, MA from 12 -4 p.m.
This inaugural event will feature family friendly haunted and spooky tales ranging from classic literature, theater, traditional folklore and original works, all performed by local actors and storytellers. Each outdoor station at the Whittier Birthplace will feature a different performer. In the event of poor weather, the event will be held in the Gus Reusch Welcome Center at the Whittier Birthplace.
HAPN is a pending-nonprofit created in 2023 in order to help facilitate the utilization of historic spaces for arts and performances.

This is a free event, open to all ages. Registration is not required to attend.

Homeschooling families are invited to a program on the legacy of John Greenleaf Whittier.

Suggested ages: 6-12

Suggested donation: $10

Theme: The Barefoot Boy

Together we will read Whittier’s poem, “The Barefoot Boy,” taking note of all the plants and animals mentioned in the poem. Then participants will get to explore the grounds of the Whittier Birthplace, writing or drawing in a journal all that they experience with their 5 senses. Going barefoot for at least part of this activity is encouraged! Finally, we will regroup to compare and contrast this morning’s experiences with those of The Barefoot Boy in 1855.

Skills practiced in this program: reading, writing, observation, the 5 senses, compare & contrast.

Click here to sign up, at least one week prior to the program. Please include the ages and first names of participating kids as well as any relevant allergies or other special considerations we should know in advance.