Engaging With The Past: 2026 Historical Events
This summer and fall, the Jamaica Plain Historical Society (JPHS) alongside local researchers invites the public to engage directly with the history of the area through a series of expertly guided walking tours and dedicated lectures.
Walking Tour of Green Street
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Meet at the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain (lawn). Laid out in 1836, this street provides a unique window into rapid urbanization, tracing its evolution from rural estates to a dense urban corridor.
Walking Tour of Woodbourne
Saturday, August 1, 2026, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Meet at Bethel AME Church. Discover the history of the Woodbourne neighborhood, an early twentieth-century residential development designed as a utopian garden suburb.
Walking Tour of Jamaica Pond
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Meet at the Jamaica Pond Bandstand. Explore the crown jewel of the Emerald Necklace and its nineteenth-century role in the ice trade.
Walking Tour of Monument Square
Saturday, August 15, 2026, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Meet at the Loring Greenough House. This tour centers on the historic, social, and political heart of Jamaica Plain.
Walking Tour of Sumner Hill
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Meet at the Loring Greenough House. Wander through the Sumner Hill Historic District, renowned for its Victorian architecture.
From Slavery to Freedom Presentation
Sunday, October 18, 2026, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Held at the First Church in Jamaica Plain. Hidden Jamaica Plain will present their research on the multi-generational story of a single free Black family.
Book Talk on Edwina
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Held at the Connolly Branch Library. Author Jill Hofstra will speak about her book outlining the life of her grandmother, Edwina.