Community Projects
This page is dedicated to Sherborn themed, history-centered projects.
>Do you have something in mind to explore? Large or small, we're happy to help.
>Have you already created something to share? Let us know.
Rick Novak, A History of Nason Hill Farm: Here is a 30 page narrative and pictorial history of 36 Nason Hill Road, its owners, and the adjacent South Sherborn area, running to before 1650, enjoy!
Philip M. Baker, Growing Up in Sherborn, 1934-1957: At the 2008 Biennial Sherborn High School Reunion, my wife, Ginny, and I were fortunate enough to sit at a table with Betsy Poole Johnson, Curator, and George Fiske, President, both of the Sherborn Historical Society. Also at the table were Mr. & Mrs. John Gray.
Aided by John and one or two libations, many stories of our early years in our town were told and these were apparently well received by Mrs Johnson and Mr. Fiske. Accordingly, I was later asked by Betsy if I would be willing to commit some of these tales to writing, as the Historical Society was collecting material from the early 20th Century.
I agreed to take this on and the following narrative is the result. I had no intention to have this work so lengthy but once started, I had so much fun with it I could not stop. The result is a disorganized hodge-podge of many events and happenings that occurred over a 23 year period of my life between 6 (1934) and 29 (1957)-the years that I spent in Sherborn.
I hope that this contributes the desired result to the Society.
Respectfully, Philip M. Baker
Helen Margaret Farricy, Growing Up...........: In 1986, Helen Margaret Farricy wrote a wonderful story for the youthful Meghan about Stevie, Meghan's Poppa & Helen's brother. She touchingly describes early 20th century Sherborn life for a working family that resided on Farm Road.
Kevin Delaney, J. Holbrook & Sons Cider Manufactory and 19th Century New England Agriculture: Coming of age as a town resident and history fan, I had long heard of the near mythical status of the Holbrook operation as the "largest cider mill in the world". Well, as a graduate student in the early 1990's, an opportunity to test that claim developed!
Looking for an intriguing thesis topic, town historian Betsy Johnson suggested getting in touch with Ellen Hall, a direct Holbrook descendant then getting on in years who continued to reside at the old family Forest Street homestead. Betsy heard that there were extant company records, so I reached out. Mrs. Hall welcomed the inquiry, and in the barn loft was an old wooden trunk with a couple dozen beefy record books, including ledgers, letter books, day books, account books and more. Not only did she allow me full access, but Mrs. Hall then donated the entire collection to the Historical Society, now Sherborn History Center, where the "Holbrook Papers" found a home.
Note: I edited out the first two sections on framing the operation in time, including both a broad history of cider and the nature of New England agriculture of the era, which was in steady decline. The essay jumps ahead to the Massachusetts cider industry followed by the mill's story itself.
Kevin Delaney (Sherborn History Center Board member, 2024)
