Historic New England

08/27/2026

Hand-me-downs carry more than just the history of where they came from. They connect us to the people who wore them before us and encourage us to care for them long after they become ours.

From childhood hand-me-downs to a her mother’s Patriots sweatshirt, Climate Action Intern Jessica Calarese explores how clothing creates connections and finds new life with each wearer.

This is our last blog post until after Labor Day—enjoy!

Our Climate Action Intern reflects on why clothing with a story holds more appeal that newly-purchased items.

08/25/2026

Historic photographs in our collection capture animals as companions, working partners, trophies, and subjects of curiosity. They also capture the timeless challenge of photographing subjects who won’t sit still. Then, as now, a wagging tail, restless cattle, or a cat ready to pounce could easily disrupt a carefully planned shot.

Read our latest blog post and see what recently digitized images tell us about the animals and the people behind the camera.

Historic New England is digitizing more than 125,000 glass plate negatives—hundreds of which turn out to be photographs of animals.

08/21/2026

A new United States Postal Service stamp released today celebrates Sarah Orne Jewett and the Maine landscape that inspired her work.

Read on to learn more about Jewett and the South Berwick home where she lived and wrote, now one of Historic New England’s 38 historic sites.

Buy the new Sarah Orne Jewett stamp from USPS, and if you’re nearby, join us today at noon at Sarah Orne Jewett House in South Berwick, Maine, for a special ceremony celebrating its release.

📬 Buy the stamp: https://store.usps.com/store/product/sarah-orne-jewett-stamps-S_130204

🏡 Ceremony details: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CDS5GKpPw/

https://www.historicnewengland.org/a-stamp-of-approval-celebrating-sarah-orne-jewett/

Sarah Orne Jewett just received a postage stamp. For Historic New England, the stamp has special significance.

08/20/2026

A special moment for Sarah Orne Jewett—and for Historic New England!

Tomorrow, August 21 at noon, we’ll welcome the U.S. Postal Service to Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum in South Berwick, Maine, to celebrate the release of the new Sarah Orne Jewett stamp.

The ceremony is open to the public, and we’d love to see you there. Follow Sarah Orne Jewett House post below for details!

Join us tomorrow at Sarah Orne Jewett House!

We’re delighted to welcome the U.S. Postal Service to Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum in South Berwick on Friday, August 21, at noon for a special celebration marking the release of the new Sarah Orne Jewett stamp—one of nine stamps honoring influential American writers.

Join us on the grounds as we celebrate Jewett’s remarkable literary legacy and her enduring connection to this very special place.

Friday, August 21 | Noon
Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum
South Berwick, Maine

The ceremony is open to the public, and Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum will be open for visitors to explore following the program.

We hope you’ll join us for this special moment in Sarah’s story—and maybe send a letter or two with her stamp afterward!

08/18/2026

Three exhibitions. Three distinct perspectives on New England history.

In a special edition of 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, a few of the people behind 𝘔𝘺𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺: 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴: 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, and 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴: 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘐𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 discuss the objects, research, and stories that shaped each exhibition—and what they reveal about the past.

Three Ways of Looking at New England History →

08/13/2026

How can environmental data better support the care of historic buildings? This spring, Environmental Data Research Intern Geri Roa Kim explored that question at Historic New England's Gropius House, examining how environmental monitoring, preservation records, drawings, and photographs could be connected to provide a fuller picture of the home's history and ongoing care.

Read more on the blog →

At Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts, Historic New England is exploring new ways to monitor environmental data.

08/11/2026

This child's ticket stub from 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘉𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯?, a multimedia exhibition created for Boston's Bicentennial celebrations, is one of more than 20,000 pieces of ephemera in Historic New England's collection. Fifty years later, it offers a glimpse into how visitors experienced the city during the Bicentennial.

As we commemorate NE250, items like this help connect us to everyday experiences from the past. →

08/06/2026

What makes a postwar suburb historic?

Revisit Part II of Jennifer Robinson's 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 magazine to learn how this Garden City, RI, helps tell the story of postwar suburban life and why the community is an important example of preserving the recent past. →

In part II of a series about Garden City, Rhode Island, we explore the challenges and importance of preserving postwar neighborhoods.