News release from the Milton Public Library

In conjunction with Milton’s 350th anniversary, the Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust is presenting a three-part lectures series 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 the history of Milton over the past 350 years.

The second in the series will be held on Tuesday, May 15 at 7:00pm at the Milton Public Library. Alex Keim, a PhD candidate in the Archaeology Department at Boston University will present his lecture Hidden History: Archaeological Investigations at the Wakefield Estate. This lecture will present the results of more than five years of archaeological exploration at the Wakefield Estate, from its 18th-century beginnings to the present day.

Since 2006, the Wakefield Estate has been the subject of many archaeological surveys and investigations utilizing a variety of techniques. The result has been an impressive collection of artifacts – including Native American stone points, 18th-century ceramics, and every-day items from the past 300 years, as well as a new knowledge about the many different people who lived and worked on the Estate. This lecture will detail what archaeologists have found so far, what that tells us about activity on the Estate in the past, and what important questions archaeology might answer in the future.

Mr. Keim is working on his dissertation on 19th century Boston’s North End neighborhood. He has studied the Wakefield Estate archaeologically since 2008, and is co-director of the Archaeological Institute for high-school students held each summer at the Wakefield Estate.

During the months of May and June, The Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust will exhibit a collection of historic documents, artifacts, books and personal items at the Milton 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. For more information, contact Jean Hlady, Adult Services Librarian, at (617) 698-5757.