Upcoming Programs & Events
The full schedule of events in the Independence 250 series may also be found on the Independence 250 website.
“Meet John Adams: A Lively and Revolutionary Conversation with America’s Second President” with George Baker
Thursday, 3 September, 5:30 p.m.
Howe Exhibit Hall, Mason House
George Baker returns to the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society to bring his portrayal of President John Adams to our annual potluck supper and meeting.
Book Discussion: The Radicalism of the American Revolution
Saturday, September 12, 2 p.m., Waterford Library
Join us for a discussion of The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood. In The Radicalism of the American Revolution, prize-winning historian Gordon S. Wood offers a grand and immensely readable synthesis of historical, political, cultural, and economic analysis to describe the events that made the American Revolution. Wood depicts a revolution that was about much more than a break from England–rather it transformed an almost feudal society into a democratic one, whose emerging realities sometimes baffled and disappointed its founding fathers.
“What Revolution?” w/David Jones and William Andrews
Saturday, October 17, 2 p.m., Mason House
Just how revolutionary was the American Revolution? Two historians, David Jones and William Andrews, will take up this question in a spirited discussion of the events of 1776 and their place in history.
Bethel Cemetery Tour Series
Sundays, October, 4, 11, 18, 25, 2:00 p.m.
Every Sunday in October, join Museums of the Bethel Historical Society Executive Director Will Chapman at one of Bethel’s historic cemeteries to learn about some of the town’s permanent residents. In keeping with the Independence 250 theme, special attention will be given to Revolutionary War veterans.
- October 4: Woodland (Route 5)
- October 11: Riverside (North Road)
- October 18: Pine Grove (West Bethel)
- October 25: Middle Intervale
Trick-or-Treat Broad Street
Saturday, October 31, 5 to 7 p.m.
Please stop by on Halloween for the Bethel Library, Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, and the Hastings Homestead's fifth annual Trick-or-Treat Broad Street. We will be distributing candy to trick-or-treaters at the Bethel Library, Robinson House, Mason House, and Hastings Homestead.
Book Discussion: Founding Foodies
Saturday, November 21, 2 p.m., Howe Exhibit Hall, Mason House
Join us for a discussion of the book, The Founding Foodies: American Meals that Wouldn’t Exist Today If Not For Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin by Dave DeWitt. Food writer Dave DeWitt entertainingly describes how some of America’s most famous colonial leaders—like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin—not only established America’s political destiny, but also revolutionized the very foods we eat. A hybrid option will be available for those unable to attend in person.
Christmas at the Mason House
Saturday, December 5, 12 to 5 p.m., Mason House
Please join us again for one of our most popular annual events, “Christmas at the Mason House.” Celebrate the season while enjoying traditional holiday refreshments, music, and decorations in the first floor period rooms in the 1813 Mason House.