June 2015
Boston Welcomes New Superintendent
Northeast Regional Director Mike Caldwell announced that the National Parks of Boston will receive new leadership and a progressive management structure that will have a strong partnership orientation.
Michael Creasey will oversee the national park collaborative that includes Boston National Historical Park, Boston African American National Historic Site and the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Creasey is currently the superintendent of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and the executive director of the National Park Service Stewardship Institute in Woodstock, Vermont and oversees the management of Saint Gaudens National Historic Site in New Hampshire. He will assume his new post in late May.
"Michael's portfolio brings a depth of experience in collaborative park management and working in partnerships. His background reflects the leadership qualities that are needed to work in dynamic urban environments,” said Caldwell. "His recent work at the Stewardship Institute, a nationally recognized group that engages the National Park Service (NPS) and its partners on sharing leading edge practices to advance the NPS mission, was instrumental in developing the NPS Urban Agenda – a bold strategy that positions the NPS to become more relevant to all Americans. As the NPS enters its Centennial year in 2016, Michael’s skill sets will be critical in making Boston one of the premier urban national parks centers in the nation and a testament to how the NPS can work in collaboration with stakeholders at all levels to enhance one of America’s great cities.”
Creasey stated, “It is an exceptional time to be in Boston and I am looking forward to meeting and working alongside the dedicated park staff and partners, and being a part of Boston’s future.”
Over the span of three decades, Creasey has blended his background in planning, public lands management and academia to serve in a variety of positions for the NPS. He was the superintendent of Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts from 2005-2012, a national model for historic preservation and heritage development in an urban setting. During his tenure at Lowell, he attended Harvard University Graduate School of Design as a Loeb Fellow where he concentrated on leadership, urban planning and public policy.
Other positions that Creasey held include the acting commissioner for the National Parks of New York Harbor, overseeing ten national parks within the metro region of New York City and New Jersey; for a decade Creasey was the executive director of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Rhode Island and Massachusetts where he served a 19-member commission that oversaw the management of an area spanning two-states and 24 cities and towns - a partnership aimed at environmental restoration, heritage preservation and economic development; served as project manager with the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program developing a bi-national conservation plan along the lower Rio Grande River in Texas and Mexico; and as a park planner with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office in Philadelphia.
Bunker Hill Day 2015
Join Boston National Historical Park for Bunker Hill Family Day on June 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Taking place at the Bunker Hill Monument and the Bunker Hill Museum, take part in free, family activities that will help you learn about the Battle of Bunker Hill. Joe Bagley, the archaeologist for the City of Boston, will be on hand to explain about what archaeology has taught us about the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Charlestown Militia will be on hand to talk about colonial militia life, and demonstrate colonial drills. There is also a scavenger hunt, pottery-making, and a bean-bag toss! The day promises to be fun, and informative, for all! Call 617-242-7275 for more information.
In Our Collections!
Boston Naval Shipyard—Aerial View, c. 1973-1974 (BOSTS 8627)
This aerial photograph produced by the Boston Naval Shipyard during its last year of operation shows the USS Constitution in dry dock no. 1, in the middle ground toward the left. Taken just over 40 years ago, the photo presents the Yard in transition: 1974 began National Park Service stewardship of most of the shipyard appearing in the photo. See the park’s Navy Yard map at
here.
To view other aerial photos of the Navy Yard,
click here.
The Court-Martial of Paul Revere
Much of what we know about the iconic Paul Revere actually begins almost forty-three years after his death with the publication of Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride.” Written to galvanize the Union cause, the poem replaced fact with fiction and immediately propelled Revere to enduring fame. Revere, like many others, was indisputably loyal to the Revolutionary cause but possessed a personality far more complex than a single defining moment would suggest. Author Michael Greenburg will speak about the historical record of Paul Revere, from the
Midnight Ride to his lesser-known trial by court-marital following the doomed Penobscot Expedition – a troubling and often ignored chapter in the life of this beloved American icon. Through this story we are reminded that even seasoned heroes of the American story faced very human antagonism if not open hostility from their contemporaries.
Wine and cheese reception
5:30-6:30. Lecture begins at
6:30pm. Book signing to follow.
FREE and open to the public, No pre-registration required. This program is made possible with funding from the Lowell Institute.
Revolutionary Town Meeting: The Stamp Act
Town Meeting will return on June 28, bringing you back to the year 1765. On March 22 of that year, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, prompting some of the loudest and most destructive protests the Town of Boston has seen. At 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. every Sunday from June 28 - August 16, join in the debate in Faneuil Hall and discuss whether or not the Parliament has the right to tax the colonies, and what we should do about it. Town Meeting is free and open to the public, so join us in Faneuil Hall and have your voice heard!
Movies at the Meeting House: Banned Books on the Big Screen
Join us for the first annual ‘Movies at the Meeting House’ series. During 2015, Old South Meeting House will show three films based on books that were banned in various locations throughout the US, including Boston. Promoting free speech is a key part of Old South Meeting House’s mission – and our free speech policy was formally announced in the 1920s, when the banning of multiple books, magazines and plays spawned the term “Banned in Boston.” In honor of this literary and free speech history, we have chosen to celebrate works once silenced for their controversial content in our first ‘Movies at the Meeting House’ series. Grab a friend and come enjoy the historic interior of Old South Meeting House like never before!
Thursday, June 25th: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Doors open at
6:30 PM, film begins at
7:30pm
Advance tickets are $8 for the general public, $4 for OSMH members.
Available online at
http://osmhjune25-15.bpt.me All tickets are $10 at the door.
Beer, wine and soft drinks available for purchase, courtesy of Harpoon Brewery.
Join us before the screening for a beverage and the chance to explore the historic Old South Meeting House and our permanent exhibition ‘Voices of Protest.’
Boston National Historical Park is a unique collaboration of federally, municipally, and privately owned and operated historic sites associated with the colonial struggle for independence and the birth and growth of the nation. These nationally significant attractions include the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church, the Paul Revere House, the Bunker Hill Monument, the Bunker Hill Museum, Dorchester Heights, and the Charlestown Navy Yard including USS Constitution, the USS Constitution Museum, and USS Cassin Young.
