Unless noted otherwise, all programs take place at the Jackson Homestead and Museum at 527 Washington Street, Newton, MA.

NEWTON COMMUNITY WEEKEND – Saturday, April 7, noon – 5:00 PM
NEWTON’S REVOLUTIONARY ROOTS – Thursday, April 12, 7:00 PM
GARDENING 101: HOW TO BUILD A RAISED BED – Tuesday, April 17, 2:00-4:30 PM
WEAVING WORKSHOP – Wednesday, April 18, 2:00 PM
THE THREE SISTERS: NATIVE FOOD THEN AND NOW – Thursday, April 19, 2:00 PM
ENCOUNTERING SLAVERY AND RACE IN NEW ENGLAND – Tuesday, April 24, 7:30 PM
NEWTON SERVES – BURYING GROUNDS CLEAN-UP – Sunday, April 29, Noon – 4 PM
ENCOUNTERING SLAVERY AND RACE IN NEW ENGLAND – Monday, April 30, 7:30 PM

Saturday, April 7, noon – 5:00 PM
NEWTON COMMUNITY WEEKEND
Newton residents are invited to enjoy free admission to the museum. Closed Sunday, April 8.

Thursday, April 12, 7:00 PM
NEWTON’S REVOLUTIONARY ROOTS – THE 2012 NEWTON HISTORY SERIES
A New Refinement: the Durant-Kenrick and the First Gentrification of Newton
At its construction in 1734, the Durant-Kenrick House represented an important new stage in the evolution of colonial architecture, falling between the simplicity of 17th-century building and the social aspirations of later Georgian mansions. This lecture by Boston College Professor of Fine Arts Jeffery Howe will explore the emergence of a new phase of upscale homes in Newton. At the Newton Free Library, Homer Street, Newton. Free.

Tuesday, April 17, 2:00-4:30 PM
GARDENING 101: HOW TO BUILD A RAISED BED
A Vacation Week Family Program
Thinking about starting a garden this spring in your yard? Come learn the basics about how to start a raised bed garden, including: factors to be considered when choosing the location of your raised bed, how to prepare the soil, what plants to select, and some general tips on how to maximize productivity. A class for the whole family! Cost: $45 per family (4 people max, 1 adult required), $40 for members. Includes museum admission and snack. Prepaid registration is required; visit www.newtoncommunityfarm.org/classes to register. Co-sponsored by Newton Community Farm.

Wednesday, April 18, 2:00 PM
WEAVING WORKSHOP
A Vacation Week Family Program
Have you ever wondered how people made cloth at home when store-bought cloth wasn’t available? Want to try weaving your own cloth? Join Beth Guertin, a weaver and teacher of weaving for over twenty-five years, in this hands-on workshop. Watch a demonstration of loom-weaving techniques, and then give it a try yourself! Cost: $20 per family ($15 for members) includes museum admission and materials. Prepaid registration is required, limit 25; call 617.796.1450 to register.

Thursday, April 19, 2:00 PM
THE THREE SISTERS: NATIVE FOOD THEN AND NOW
A Vacation Week Family Program
Corn, beans, and squash were staple crops of this area’s first inhabitants. Learn about how the “three sisters” were planted together, try a traditional Native snack still eaten today, and take home seedlings to plant your own “three sisters” at home. Cost: $20 per family ($15 for members) includes museum admission, snack, and materials. Prepaid registration is required, limit 25; call 617.796.1450 to register.

Tuesday, April 24, 7:30 PM
ENCOUNTERING SLAVERY AND RACE IN NEW ENGLAND
E. Benjamin Skinner: Slavery in America Today
E. Benjamin Skinner is an award-wining author and journalist studying the U.S. and global political economies, specializing in modern-day slavery. He has observed negotiations for the sale of human beings on four continents, and will speak about the scope and impact of slavery in America today. At the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street, Newton.

Sunday, April 29, Noon – 4 PM
NEWTON SERVES – BURYING GROUNDS CLEAN-UP
Join community members in Newton’s day of service by cleaning up Newton’s historic burying grounds. Visit www.newtoncommunitypride.org to register to volunteer at either East Parish or West Parish Burying Ground.

Monday, April 30, 7:30 PM
ENCOUNTERING SLAVERY AND RACE IN NEW ENGLAND
Gloria White Hammond: Enslaved Women of Sudan
Sudanese slaves are mostly women and children who have been abducted violently from their homes by slave-traders. Since 2001, while working as a pediatrician and minister, Gloria White Hammond has traveled to Sudan to help liberate enslaved women and offer paths for them to resume normal lives. At the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street, Newton.

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

NEW EXHIBITION – Confronting Our Legacy: Slavery and Antislavery in the North: This new exhibition transforms the lower gallery of the museum into a three-dimensional learning center with hands-on activities and information about colonial slavery, the Underground Railroad, and local abolitionists. It draws on fresh new research, focusing on the Jackson family that lived in the Homestead, Historic Newton’s headquarters, as well as on other abolitionists from Newton or with Newton ties.

Newton and the Civil War: In celebration of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, Historic Newton will be featuring a changing exhibit showcasing Newton residents in the Civil War.

Peeking into Newton’s Toy Chest: The values and lessons toys teach us, as shown by the Historic Newton collection. Children’s attractions include hands-on toys and a model train on an elevated track.

Mapping a New Town: 1714-1874: Maps depicting Newton’s growth over the centuries are displayed; special activities for children are also featured.

Norumbega: Romance and Recreation by the River:  An exhibit on Newton’s now vanished amusement park, zoo, and swing-era ballroom.

Newton Salutes! Adams Street Synagogue: Celebrating Our Centennial: Newton’s oldest synagogue is celebrating one hundred years of service to Newton’s Jewish community as an Orthodox synagogue serving a diverse congregation and the broader community. The exhibit describes the history of the congregation, illustrated by historic photographs.

The Newton History Gallery features tools, furniture, clothing, and toys to illustrate the Newton of the past.

The Jackson Homestead and Museum is open from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays and 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM weekends. It is closed on Mondays.

If you need special assistance for any of these programs or exhibitions, please call 617.796.1450.