Summer in the City – Remembering Charlesbank BeachBy Leigh Blander For some, summer in the city is a reminder of Charlesbank Beach, where thousands of Bostonians flocked to the banks of the Charles River in the West End to go swimming. Charlesbank – which ran from the Longfellow Bridge to the Museum of Science –…
How Bicycling Empowered FeminismSanta Barbara Independent When Massachusetts-based author Peter Zheutlin discovered that a long-lost aunt played an integral role in elevating the popularity of bicycling around the end of the 19th century, he decided to tell her story. In so doing, Zheutlin is educating the world about his great-great aunt Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, a…
MGH Project Team Discusses Community Benefits for Proposed ProjectBeacon Hill Times The project team for Mass General Hospital’s planned $1.9 billion expansion of its Cambridge Street campus were on hand June 24 for a virtual forum sponsored by the Beacon Hill Civic Association to discuss community benefits for the project. MGH has proposed a new…
Summer 2021 NewsletterA Message from Museum Director Sebastian Belfanti I began as Director of The WEM back in February 2020; needless to say, the year and a half since has been different than expected. But different hasn’t been all bad, and while I’m certainly happy to see many of you in person as we begin…
Long-Awaited Renovations Underway at West End MuseumBy Susan Gilbert For the first time since its incorporation, The West End Museum is undergoing renovations and a modernization designed to create an even better visitor experience. The first stage of renovations – installing a replacement floor in the main gallery – is expected to begin this August.…
The West End Museum Welcomes New Members to its Board of DirectorsBy Leigh Blander The West End Museum is pleased to announce four new members to its Board of Directors this year. Each brings lived experience in the West End, along with new areas of expertise. Let’s meet them. Leland Alexander Supt., Kaplan Construction Alexander…
Exciting Summer Programming at The WEM This summer, The West End Museum is hitting the streets offering several exciting walking tours. First, Museum Dir. Sebastian Belfanti will lead Exploring the West End on Saturday, June 19, 11:00 a.m. The 90-minute tour will feature dozens of historic places and people dating from 1640-2000, and discuss this area affectionately…
Museum Shares Lore and Lessons from the West EndBNN
West End Museum Adds HoursBeacon Hill Times To accommodate increasing attendance, The West End Museum is now opening Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in addition to Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 5 p.m. “We’re seeing more people coming to the museum, especially interested in our new exhibit on settlement life in the West End,”…
West End’s Underground Railroad Stop Played Key Role in Anti-Slavery MovementBy Susan Gilbert Underground Railroad Brought Thousands to Freedom The Underground Railroad ushered tens of thousands of slaves―men, women, and children―to freedom. It was a semi-informal network of safe houses and “conductors” ―both white and African American―many of whom secretly traveled into Southern slave states to rescue those seeking freedom. Assisted…