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…
Paul Senecal and Michael Gropman help preserve West End legacyWicked Local Around the corner from the TD Garden, the West End Museum continues to maintain the memory of a beloved neighborhood that, 60 years ago, fell prey to the urban renewal wrecking ball. The Lomasney Way (named for Martin Michael Lomasney, a former state senator, state representative and alderman…
MGH pushes ahead with nearly $2 billion expansionBoston Globe Massachusetts General Hospital is pushing forward with a massive $1.9 billion project to build two new towers as part of its effort to focus on treating the sickest patients at its downtown campus, remaking a critical corner of Boston and potentially boosting public transit. The two…
West End Museum Launches Spring & Summer Programs Celebrating Public Space ‘Democracy’s Front Porch’ Boston, MA— The newly reopened West End Museum is launching an exciting schedule of spring and summer programs, which will be offered both in-person and online. Beginning April 29, Wentworth University Professor Emeritus Lois Ascher will lead a free, three-part webinar…