The Tewksbury Historical Society is looking for historical documents and images

The Tewksbury Historical Society is seeking to purchase, borrow or obtain copies of Tewksbury related historical documents, pictures and any other items for preservation purposes.  We will electronically scan these items and create high resolution images for Archival purposes as well as to display on the tewksburyhistoricalsociety.org website.  In addition, the high quality images we create will be archived to long life DVD-R media so that future generations will also have access. 

We recently purchased a historic document from a collector in Virginia.  The document dated December 9, 1766 is a letter from the "Town of Tewksbury to the  Receiver in General of his Majesties revenues in ye province of ye Massachusetts Bay".    We have scanned the document and put it online as a good example of what we are trying to accomplish with this project.  Click on the thumbnails for much higher resolution images.

We are also looking for any Tewksbury related photographs, postcards and books.  

We  scanned in several books about Tewksbury History and converted them into Adobe Acrobat PDF files.  The following books, articles, and images are now available for download at the Historical Society website, located at http://www.tewksburyhistoricalsociety.org:

"Ask now of the days that are past" by Harold J. Patten.

"Tewksbury History" by Rev. Edward W. Pride

"Ye Towne Book" by the 1934 Two Hundredth Anniversary Committee

"History of Middlesex County, Volume 3" - Chapter on Tewksbury

"1776-1976 Town History Pamphlet" created by the Historical Commission

"History of Middlesex County", Chapters on Tewksbury and Billerica

"Tewksbury Vital Records until 1849"

A copy of the "Town Charter" signed into law on Dec. 17, 1734

Photos from the Tewksbury Almshouse (State Hospital)

1972 Lowell Sun Article referencing the Rogers Homestead, built in 1744.

1973 Town Crier Article referencing the life of General Adelbert Ames.

A collection of newspaper articles referencing Brown's Tavern

The text of a speech given by Maureen Kelley that explains the history behind the Spaulding Bell.

And more being added every day...
 

Here are some examples of pictures taken in and around the Town of Tewksbury.  The image on the left is the Tewksbury Common in 1907 and on the right is the State Hospital Boys Infectious Ward.   You can click on each thumbnail for a larger image.
 

The following image on the left is from the Town Center in 1908, it shows the Fairgrieve General Store with the Congregational Church in the background.  If you look closely you can see Mr. Fairgrieve standing on the porch.  The image on the right is of the road next to Silver Lake on the Tewksbury / Wilmington town line from the early 1920's.  You can click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

 

The last undated image is one of the town center at the intersection of East Street and Main Street, looking straight down Main Street in the direction of Wilmington.   You can see the old bandstand on your right and the trough used to water horses right at the intersection of East and Main Street.  You can also click on the thumbnail for a much larger image.

Do you have any items in your basement or attic that would be of interest to us?  If so, please let us know!  Any documents or images that are loaned to the Historical Society will be treated with the utmost care.  The equipment we use will not harm your document as it only captures a full color picture of the item, similar in concept to a common black and white copying machine. 

Please contact us if you have any questions or are interested in participating.


Thank you!

Michael Kelley
mkelley@tewksbury.com
(978)858-0972