“Hancock Cemetery: Alive with History” | Presentation & Book Signing with Local Historian Rachel Squires Bloom
If these stones could speak…
On Thursday, October 29th, at 7pm, at the Adams Academy (8 Adams Street), Quincy Historical Society will welcome local author Rachel Squires Bloom for a presentation and book signing of her newest publication Hancock Cemetery: Alive with History.
Four centuries of history are preserved in the weathered headstones of Hancock Cemetery. The “Old Burying Ground” is one of New England’s oldest enduring connections to its Puritan and colonial past. More than a resting place, this burying ground tells the stories of the people who shaped the town and its place in American history.
In Hancock Cemetery: Alive with History, Bloom places the graveyard in the contexts of Puritan theology, colonial community life, and the development of Quincy as a civic and industrial center. This program will explore the cemetery’s rich history through the lives of the farmers, laborers, ministers, merchants, and civic leaders who lie within, examining the town’s evolving identity, and highlighting how the 21st century city preserves and engages with this remarkable artifact.
This event is open to all and free to attend. A book signing will follow the presentation.
Rachel Squires Bloom is the author of Squantum School: A Great Place to Start and Squantum, Massachusetts: Life and Times on the Peninsula. Bloom was a teacher for over two decades within the Quincy Public Schools system, acting as Assistant Principle at Squantum Elementary School for twelve years. She is working on a series of articles about Annisquam, Massachusetts and researching the political and cultural influence of the Squantum Women’s Club.