Welcome to the Boxborough Historical Society

Why was a Child's shoe hidden in the wall of a House for 300 years?

On Sunday May 21, the Boxborough Historical Society will conduct its annual “Hidden Treasures” event. Every May for the last 8 years, Freedom's Way, a consortium of 45 cities and towns that were involved in the events of 1775, has sponsored a "Hidden Treasures" event to highlight notable items and places in each municipality. This year Duncan Brown of the Boxborough Historical Society will explain the story of why a child’s shoe was hidden in the wall of a Boxborough house for 300 years and the journey the shoe took to come home to the Boxborough Museum.  

The house, owned by James and Hannah Whitcomb, was built in 1721 in a portion of Harvard later incorporated into Boxborough in 1783. During renovations in the 1950’s the small shoe was discovered within a wall in the oldest part of the house.  Concealed shoes have a long history throughout Europe and in early New England homes and a single child’s shoe was commonly used.  

The presentation will take place in the Morse Hilberg Room of the Boxborough Town Hall at 29 Middle Road starting at 1:00 pm.  Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.

Steele Farm Photo Contest Entries at Boxborough Library in May

In 2018 the Boxborough Historical Society sponsored a Steele Farm Photo contest.  There will be an encore showing of the entries at the Sargent Memorial Library in Boxborough from May 1 through May 30. Come see an outstanding array of pictures, each capturing a unique aspect of beautiful Steele Farm, submitted by photographers of all ages and experience.  The contest was also supported in part by a generous grant from the Acton Boxborough Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

To see “the real thing”, please visit, walk, photo, etc.  the Steele Farm and the 1784 Levi Wetherbee (Steele) Farmhouse at 484 Middle Road.