Dedham Museum & Archive

04/03/2026

It’s Opening Day at Fenway!

To commemorate the Red Sox home opener, we offer this recent addition to the Museum collection. This jersey most likely dates to the mid-1950s, when Rust Craft first moved to Dedham and had a company baseball team. The colorful palette and feather patch on the sleeve is an early version of the company’s iconic palette and rose logo. We thank former writer/editor Bunny Garnick for donating this and many other treasures from her time at Rust Craft.

Fun trivia question: Which Red Sox player wore the now retired Number 14? Go Sox!

03/29/2026

Michele Gabrielson's presentation of Mercy Otis Warren, the first historian of the American Revolution, was inspiring and enlightening. If you were unable to attend this celebration of Women's History Month and , though it was not recorded, visit her Instagram page to see when she will next be presenting this not-to-be-missed program:
If you'd like to read about today's presentation at Dedham Museum & Archive, visit https://www.dedhammuseum.org/speaker-webinar/mercy-otis-warren-and-the-writings-of-a-revolutionary/

03/29/2026

Today at 1:00 p.m., at Dedham Museum & Archive, celebrate Women’s History Month and America250! Hear America's first historian of the American Revolution, Mercy Otis Warren, as presented by first-person interpreter, Michele Gabrielson. Learn more:
Revolution250

Step back in time and converse with founding mother Mercy Otis Warren! Often described as the “muse of the revolution,” Mercy brilliantly used her passion for poetry and prose to persuade others to join in the revolutionary cause. Listen to and discuss with Mercy as she tells the story of ...

03/25/2026

You’re sure to enjoy going down the rabbit hole with this aerial view of the Dedham Square area from October 1941. While there is quite a bit that remains the same after eight decades, I’ve highlighted some significant changes.

1. Mother Brook flowing out of the Charles River, under the VFW Parkway, and through the wetlands that would become the Dedham Mall parking lot.

2. The main branch of the library on Church Street, before the 1951 children’s room addition is built with stones of Dedham granite from the demolished railroad station.

3. Memorial Hall, which will be torn down in twenty years to be replaced by the police station, which will also be torn down forty years after that to make way for the Town Green.

4. The word “Dedham” on top of this Washington Street garage, used as a navigational aid for pilots flying to Norwood Airport, will be covered over in a few months as a Civil Defense safety precaution during World War II.

5. The old railroad depot, which has not been used since 1933, has a few more years left before it is demolished to make way for the town parking lot.

Photograph courtesy of the Dedham Museum & Archive photograph collection.

03/20/2026

Celebrate the first day of Spring with Sip & Savor tonight at Dedham Museum & Archive! For details and tickets, visit www.dedhammuseum.org

03/18/2026

The Town of Dedham celebrated its 300th birthday throughout the year 1936. Beginning in January, this electric display (when operating correctly) was illuminated on the tower of Memorial Hall (torn down 1961). The yearlong celebration ended with parades, pageants, and parties during Dedham Tercentennial Week in September. Photograph courtesy of Dedham Museum & Archive photograph collection.

03/13/2026

Celebrate the first day of Spring with Dedham Museum & Archive! For details and tickets: https://www.dedhammuseum.org/special-events/sip-savor-2/

03/12/2026

Spring Speaker Series, Next Wednesday, March 18th, 7:00 p.m. at Dedham Museum & Archive, 612 High Street. In celebration of Women’s History Month, "The Remarkable Life and Legacy of Artist and Pioneer, Amelia Peabody." For details, visit https://www.dedhammuseum.org/speaker-webinar/spring-speaker-series-march-2026/

03/12/2026

100 years ago today…

On this date in 1926, Dedham residents got a preview of the town’s first motion picture theatre, the Dedham Community Theatre. The theatre would open in September, 1927, and is still a landmark in Dedham Square. $250,000 in 2026 dollars would be about $4.5 million. Community Theatre

02/23/2026

Date Change! Take your mind off the cold (and snow!) and join us at Dedham Museum & Archive! Now on Friday, March 20th! For tickets and details visit www.dedhammuseum.org

02/18/2026

Tonight! The first in our 2026 Spring Speaker Series! "New England Sweets! Doughnuts, Bonbons & Whoopie Pies"! Don't miss the fun at Dedham Museum & Archive, 612 High Street, across from the Post Office, at 7:00 p.m. To learn more, visit www.dedhammuseum.org