News release from the Milton Public Library
In conjunction with Milton’s 350th anniversary, the Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust presents three lectures on the history of the land and occupants of what is today known as the Wakefield Estate, named after its most recent occupant, Mary (“Polly”) Wakefield. The lectures will highlight the origin and evolution of one of Milton’s founding families as a microcosm of Milton’s 350 year history.
The series kicks off at the Milton Public Library (Keys Community Room), on Wednesday, May 2 at 7:00 pm, with a presentation titled “The Davenport Farm: An overview of its history, evolution and occupants from 1707-2012.” Boston University Associate Professor and Director of Preservation Studies, Claire Dempsey, will lead the lecture which covers eight generations of Miltonians that have served as stewards to the estate and its evolution from a working farm in the 18th and early 19th century, to today’s twenty-two acre property dedicated to learning and recreation. For six years, Boston University students, supported by the Mary M.B. Wakefield Charitable Trust, have undertaken research of the 1794 Isaac Davenport Mansion house, one of the surviving buildings on the estate, and a detailed portrait is emerging of this place and its people.
The second lecture on Tuesday, May 15, will focus on the archaeological research on the estate, with Boston University Doctoral candidate Alex Keim. The final lecture on Wednesday, June 13 will discuss and display items collected by the families who have occupied the Estate for the past 250 years.
During the months of May and June, The Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust will also exhibit a collection of historic documents, books and personal items at the Milton Public Library, that help reveal the long history of these early Miltonians.
The Friends of the Milton Public Library is pleased to be hosting this historically important lecture series. The Milton Public Library is located at 476 Canton Avenue, and for more information contact Jean Hlady, Adult Services Librarian, at (617) 698-5757.