Events

December 6, 2025-Curator’s Choice Day: DROP IN to DRAW!

Saturday, December 6, 2025: 11 am – 3 pm

Old houses and antique furnishings can provide inspiration for beautiful sketches, as well as providing a quiet time to contemplate and study architectural forms.  Whether you are a seasoned artist, or someone who would like to try their hand at drawing, you are invited to join us at the Governor Bellingham-Cary House to enjoy the ages-old art of sketching.  For a special visual treat, our holiday decorations will be up for this event. Choose to draw the decorated tree, or the 17th century fireplace, a special still-life, or enjoy the way the afternoon light shows off the beautiful moldings in the blue parlor. 

Drawing pads and charcoal pencils will be provided or bring your own materials!  Accepted materials are charcoal, graphite, watercolors, dry pastels – any medium that is not permanent.  Please do not bring oil paints or oil pastels, permanent ink or markers, solvents or sprays of any kind.  This is to protect the floors and walls and objects in the house from being stained.

This program is offered free of charge!  Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted.

December 10, 2025 – HOLIDAY COOKIE SWAP

Wednesday, December 10, 2025: 5:30 pm – 7: 30 pm

The Board of the Governor Bellingham-Cary House invites you to join us at the most historic home in Chelsea for our annual Holiday gathering and cookie swap!

Join us as we gather around our front staircase to have our semi famous and much enjoyed 12 Days of Christmas sing along. We will be ringing in the holiday season with good cheer and friends. Bring cookies (a dozen or more would be wonderful) to share and swap and sample over the course of the evening. Entry is free and all are welcome!

This year at our Cookie Swap, the GBCH will collect food pantry items (no matter how small) to help stock Chelsea Micro Food Pantries throughout the City during the holiday season. We welcome canned goods, dry food items, peanut butter and similar items during this time of need.

###

PAST EVENTS

The City of Chelsea Invites Community Members and Visitors to Explore Chelsea’s Historic Governor Bellingham Cary House Museum

The City of Chelsea, in partnership with the Governor Bellingham Cary House Museum, is thrilled to announce a series of public Open Houses and exciting historical programming this spring as part of the City’s festivities celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Chelsea Creek. Events are free and open to the public. The series is made possible through the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism grant.

This year’s programming will spotlight the Revolutionary era, with a special focus on the pivotal role of the Governor Bellingham Cary House during the American Revolution. Throughout the Siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776), the house served as a strategic base for the Continental Army, offering refuge to those fleeing British-controlled Boston via the Winnisimmet Ferry, providing a critical vantage point for monitoring British ships, and playing a key role in the defense of Chelsea. Meanwhile, the Cary family, owners of the property, were in Grenada, seeking their fortune as merchants and managers of sugar plantations at the heart of the triangular trade.

Community members and visitors are invited to discover this rich history through guided tours and engaging talks that examine the era with a contemporary perspective on Chelsea and the Governor Bellingham Cary House. These programs will explore Chelsea’s cultural and economic ties to the Caribbean, the Battle of Chelsea Creek, and firsthand accounts from the Siege of Boston. Additional presentations will delve into colonial life, the experiences of workers and enslaved individuals at the Cary House, and the broader historical forces that shaped the region.

Open Houses and Talk Series Calendar

  • Thursday, April 17, 6:00-8:00 PM
     Cuban History
     Art Display and Talk with Max Pro
  • Saturday, April 26, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
     Open House & Cuban History Display with Max Pro
  • Sunday, May 4, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
     Open House: Cary Square Day
  • Saturday, May 10, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
     Open House & Battle of Chelsea Creek Talk presented by Robert Allison, Professor Suffolk University and Jeff Pearlman, City historian of Revere
  • Thursday, May 15, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
     Letters from Chelsea and the Siege of Boston
     Presentation by Mimi Graney at 6:30 PM
  • Saturday, May 24, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
     Open House: 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Chelsea Creek
  • Saturday, June 7, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
    Curator’s Choice Day
    1:00 PM: Hearth and Home: The Colonial Kitchen – Bread to Thread by Janet Sartor
    1:45 PM: 1667-1900: The Workers – Tenant Farmers, Servants, and Enslaved People by Stacey Smith and Lee Farrington
  • Thursday, June 12, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
     Open House – Flag Day Commemoration- Crafts for all ages at the GBCH. Create your own flag!
  • Saturday, June 21, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
     Our Famous Strawberry Festival – Strawberry shortcakes for purchase. Activities for all ages.

Thursday, April 17: Cuban History with Max Pro

Presenter: Max Pro

Chelsea artist Max Pro explores personal and cultural ties between Chelsea and the Caribbean in a compelling presentation on the history of Cuba. The Cary family, whose historic home serves as the backdrop for this event, lived in Chelsea while also overseeing plantations in Grenada and other Caribbean islands. Their story is intertwined with the contradictions of colonial trade and enslavement within the aspirations for freedom and prosperity that shaped the American dream. This talk highlights contemporary immigrant experiences between these two regions.

Thursday, May 15: Letters from Chelsea and the Siege of Boston

Presenter: Mimi Graney

During the Siege of Boston, as war and hardship consumed the city, Chelsea became an unexpected refuge. This presentation brings the crisis to life through firsthand accounts that reveal the uncertainty, fear, and resilience of those caught in the turmoil. At the heart of these accounts are the letters of Colonel Loammi Baldwin, who reported directly to General George Washington while overseeing the flood of desperate civilians escaping Boston via the Winnisimmet Ferry. Baldwin’s correspondence provides a vivid record of the refugee movement, the surveillance of British ships, and the challenges of defending Chelsea during this pivotal moment in the Revolution.

Saturday, June 7: Curator’s Choice Day

When we visit historic houses, the stories we hear often center on men—politicians, soldiers, and writers—while the lives of those who kept the household running are often overlooked. Yet behind every grand home were the people who cooked the meals, tended the children, managed the accounts, and maintained the property. On June 7, we turn our focus to the essential but often forgotten labor that sustained homes like the Governor Bellingham-Cary House. This program will explore who performed this work in colonial times, how their roles evolved over the centuries, and the ways household labor shaped daily life.

Hearth and Home: The Colonial Kitchen – Bread to Thread

Janet Sartor, Curator, Governor Bellingham-Cary House

The colonial kitchen was a hub of constant activity—not just for cooking, but for spinning, candle-making, soap-making, laundry, mending, and even childcare. Step back in time as you explore the tools and gadgets that remain in the house, from colonial-era kitchen implements to 19th-century innovations. Admire the beautifully preserved fireplace and ovens that once served as the heart of the home, and take home authentic colonial recipes to try in your own kitchen.

1667-1900: The Workers – Tenant Farmers, Servants, and Enslaved People

Presenters Stacey Smith and Lee Farrington

Who carried out the daily work that kept the Governor Bellingham-Cary House running? Throughout its history, the home relied on the labor of farmhands, household workers, and enslaved individuals—both those who worked on the Cary family’s plantations in Grenada and those who served within the house itself. This program shares some of their often-overlooked stories, shedding light on the essential roles they played.

Saturday, June 21 – Strawberry Festival

Hosted by the Trustees of the Governor Bellingham-Cary House

Join us for this beloved annual event as we honor Chelsea’s rich agricultural history and welcome the summer season! Explore the historic house with guided tours, enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, and indulge in delicious strawberry shortcake available for purchase. Try your hand at colonial-era games or practice traditional handicrafts once common in homes like the Governor Bellingham-Cary House. Step back in time and celebrate history, community, and the flavors of summer!