The art museum holds one of the world’s largest collections of Paul Revere silver. The shining star is perhaps the set of silver ordered by Dr. William Paine for his bride Lois Orne of Salem in 1773, the largest single commission of Paul Revere’s…

Printer/patriot Isaiah Thomas founded this learned society in 1812. The Society hosts public tours on Wednesday afternoons, which include an up-close view of the press on which he printed news of the Revolution.

Founded in 1875, Worcester Historical Museum has the unique responsibility of collecting and sharing the stories, artifacts and documents of Worcester’s history. At its headquarters at 30 Elm Street, the Museum offers an annual calendar of exhibits,…

In the 1770s Worcester had at least 10 taverns. Taverns provided food, drink, and lodging. They were also gathering places where men discussed farming, local business, and politics, and formed the hubs of political and social networks. Some were…

The Timothy Paine House, now known as “The Oaks,” was under construction during the events of 1774. The Oaks stands near the site of Paine’s first house, a place where Paine (1730-1793), as one of the most prominent men in Worcester, maintained a…

In the years prior to the political upheaval of 1774, the town of Worcester was governed by a small group of men linked by marriage and common interests. This group included the Paines, the Putnams, and the Chandlers. Of these the Chandlers were…

Four times a year the Courts of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace were held in the town of Worcester. By the summer of 1774 the Whig Party (Patriots) in the western counties of Massachusetts had created a solid resistance to royal rule.…

Born in Worcester in 1739, blacksmith Timothy Bigelow became not only a local leader of the Whig resistance to British rule but took on a larger role on the provincial and national levels. He was a member of the Worcester Committee of…

Until 1783 Worcester had only one church. The congregation met at the meeting house, located on the site of present-day City Hall. The meeting house was not only the place of worship but was a center of the town’s activities. Town meetings were held…

The King’s Arms Tavern, on the corner of Main and Elm streets, was established by Thomas Stearns in 1732. Stearns operated the tavern for 40 years. When he died in 1772 his widow, Mary, became proprietress and continued the business until 1784. Her…