Upcoming Events
Back Roads of the South Shore members offer a variety of engaging programs throughout the year. Please visit the hosting organizations’ websites to confirm the event details listed on this calendar.
Annual Meeting and Documentary World Premiere
Hanover Historical Society Presents
A Kick-Off Event for the Hanover 300th
Sponsored by Frank Giglio Properties and Coastal Heritage Bank
Join the Hanover Historical Society for its 98th Annual Meeting. There will be a brief business meeting with officers reporting on Society activities for the past year. This will be followed by a special premiere showing of Hanover 300, a short documentary film celebrating the town’s 300th anniversary. The film presents the history of the town along with contemporary people sharing what Hanover, this old New England town, means as a modern community. Reception to follow.
Learn about the documentary below and reserve your spot for the world premiere here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D45AFAA23ABFECE9-66438252-hanover
For 300 years, Hanover has been shaped by the people who have called it home. From its roots as a farming community to the town it is today, Hanover's story is one of change, tradition, and connection. Through conversations with longtime residents, community leaders, historians, and those helping shape its future, this documentary explores what makes Hanover more than just a place on a map. Most importantly, we explore what it means to be part of Hanover and what today's community hopes to preserve, build, and pass on to the next generation.
Three hundred years of history. Countless stories. One community.
Watch the trailer here: https://schedule.hanoverctv.org/internetchannel/show/4072?site=1
First Parish Comes Alive!
First Parish Cemetery Comes Alive! Tour
The 7th annual re-enactment tour will feature portrayals of historic individuals who are related to the American Revolution. Patriots were not only soldiers—meet the historians, diplomats, and women who also supported the cause.
There is a rain date of Sunday, October 25th. Tours last 1.5 hours and start between noon and 1:20 pm. SIGN UP HERE to reserve your start time.
This event is free, but a $15 suggested donation/adult will help to cover the costs of costumes and printing.
Cemetery Walking Tour
Join the Hanover Historical Society for a Haunted Hanover History walk through the Hanover Center Cemetery. Hear stories of Hanover’s ghosts, infamous tales of hauntings, malice, madness, and learn about the dead sleeping (or not sleeping), beneath the headstones of the oldest burying ground in town. Tours are FREE and take place at 3:00pm (daylight) and 6:00pm (after dark). Bring a lantern or flashlight for extra spookiness. The tour will take one hour.
Native History in Norwell and Annual Meeting
Native History in Norwell Presentation + Annual Meeting
Join the Norwell Historical Society for its (brief) annual meeting followed by a presentation by Native historian Darius Coombs, who will relate the 12,000 year history of the indigenous tribes who lived in what we today call Norwell. This event is free, but space is limited and registration on the Norwell Public Library website is required.
Darius Coombs is a Mashpee Wampanoag tribal citizen and the Cultural Outreach Coordinator for the Mashpee Wampanoag Education Department. Darius is the former Director of the Wampanoag Indigenous Program at Plimoth/ Patuxet Museums for over 30 years. Over his career Darius has worked with Smithsonian, History Channel, National Geographic, and Scholastic to name a few. His teaching of Wampanoag and other Indigenous cultures in the history of the northeast is recognized throughout the country. Darius is also the recipient of the 2016 NEMA ( New England Museum Association) Award for Excellence and the 2021 Bay State Legacy award.
Fall Craft Fair
Join us for the Fourth Annual Fall Craft Fair! We have partnered with the John Curtis Free Library this year to expand this event and include more vendors! Come shop for local items that include everything from jewelry to decor to food!
26 Sep
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Stetson House, 514 Hanover St, Hanover, MA 02339
Parking is available at the John Curtis Library and Town Hall
Book Launch Party
The Norwell Historical Society is producing two new books for 2026 with Arcadia Publishing: Jon Bond's Postcards of Norwell contains historic images of our hometown and the North River, and North River Packet: Historic Tales of Norwell is a compilation of the Society's best newsletter articles, oral histories, and cemetery tour scripts. Buy your copy of both books at this event before they sell out! This event is free.
Revolutionary Walking Tour: Sylvester Field
Hanover Historical Society will lead a series of walking tours of five areas in town on the second Saturday of each month, May through September. Each tour will focus on what a particular neighborhood was like in 1776, 250 years ago, during the American Revolution.
12 Sep, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Sylvester Field
Meet at the Parking Lot
From Kitchen Darkroom to Historical Legacy: The Photography of Thomas Drew
Long before modern photography, South Hanover storekeeper Thomas Drew (1845–1913) was capturing the soul of Massachusetts' South Shore.
From Kitchen Darkroom to Historical Legacy: The Photography of Thomas Drew
Long before modern photography, South Hanover storekeeper Thomas Drew (1845–1913) was capturing the soul of Massachusetts' South Shore.
Revolutionary Neighborhoods Walking Tours: Ludden’s Ford Ludden’s Ford
Revolutionary Neighborhoods Walking Tours: Ludden’s Ford
Ludden’s Ford, Saturday, August 8th, 2026, meet at the Hanover side parking lot.
The Hanover Historical Society will lead a series of walking tours of five areas in town on the second Saturday of each month, May through September. Each tour will focus on what a particular neighborhood was like in 1776, 250 years ago, during the American Revolution. Hanover was a bustling community of farms, fields, mills, shipyards, and iron forges, located along the main road from Boston to Plymouth. The tours will point out what remains from 1776 and what doesn’t in the five locations. Each tour starts at 1pm, will last approximately one hour, and will occur rain or shine.
Revolutionary Neighborhoods Walking Tours: Assinippi
Revolutionary Neighborhoods Walking Tours: Assinippi
Assinippi, Saturday, July 11th, 2026, meet at the front of Union Cemetery.
The Jacobs Brothers Discuss the War: A Play in the West Barn
This 25-minute original play is free, but seating will be limited.
Colonial Military and Craft Festival on the Jacobs Homestead Fields
History comes alive on the Jacobs fields when Col. Bailey’s 2nd Mass. Regiment (which both Joshua and John Jacob were in!) sets up camp for a day of military drills, living history demonstrations, crafts, and children’s activities
Hanover Day at the Stetson House
Hanover Day at the Stetson House!
Celebrate Hanover Day at the Historic Drummer Samuel Stetson House!
Revolutionary Neighborhoods Walking Tours: Four Corners
Hanover Four Corners, June 13th, 2026, meet at the flagpole across from Marylou’s Coffee.
The Hanover Historical Society will lead a series of walking tours of five areas in town on the second Saturday of each month, May through September. Each tour will focus on what a particular neighborhood was like in 1776, 250 years ago, during the American Revolution. Hanover was a bustling community of farms, fields, mills, shipyards, and iron forges, located along the main road from Boston to Plymouth. The tours will point out what remains from 1776 and what doesn’t in the five locations. Each tour starts at 1pm, will last approximately one hour, and will occur rain or shine.
Tavern Night
The Hanover Historical Society is hosting its annual Tavern Night at the Historic Drummer Samuel Stetson House in Hanover Center!
To Declare for Independence: South Shore Town Meetings in Revolutionary Massachusetts
This presentation tells the story of that decision through the voices of the participants, in original letters, newspapers, town, and provincial records.
New Exhibit | The American Wedding: A Revolution in Style and Tradition
In 2026, as the nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Cohasset Historical Society presents The American Wedding: A Revolution in Style and Tradition, an exhibition exploring how wedding attire reflects and shapes American identity.
May Day Basket Making
Come to the Jacobs Farmhouse and make a basket for your neighbor's door. Celebrate history with this quaint tradition.
Antiques Appraisal Day
It’s a historic year, what treasures do you have to celebrate? The Hanover Historical Society and the Norwell Historical Society will once again collaborate on this entertaining and educational event. Make an appointment to have your antiques discussed and appraised or stop by to watch the action and hear the amazing stories (no sign-up needed to watch).
The Revolution, Independence, and the South Shore
Join us for a special conference commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. This half-day program will feature five presentations from regional historians who will highlight historical figures and explore some of the key events in the fight for independence on the South Shore.
King Philip's War: Indigenous Slavery, Indenture, and Freedom
Historian Marjory Gomez O'Toole will discuss slavery, the little-known secret behind the fighting during King Philip's War.
Harbor Illumination
More than one thousand flares illuminate Hull Harbor, celebrating the town’s rich maritime heritage.
Revolutionary Connections: The South Shore and the War for Independence
Join us for a special conference commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. This half-day program will feature five presentations from regional historians who will highlight historical figures and explore some of the key events in the fight for independence on the South Shore.
Old Scituate Reacts: Patriots Day, 1775
An interactive play recreating a 1775 Town Meeting, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington & Concord.
Old Scituate Reacts: Patriots Day, 1775
An interactive play recreating a 1775 Town Meeting, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington & Concord.
New Exhibit: Summer Afternoons on the Lawn in Cohasset 1900-1920s
Step back in time with the Cohasset Historical Society’s latest exhibit, Summer Afternoons on the Lawn in Cohasset: 1900s–1920s. This exhibition celebrates the elegance and charm of summer social fashions, highlighting the Society’s Costume and Textile Collection.