Events
&
Programs
Please see regular branch programming on the
webpage.
Join us on December 7th for a Holiday Concert at St. Mary’s Church
Holiday Concert in Charlestown!
The Friends of the Charlestown Library and St. Mary-St. Catherine of Siena Parish invite you to a festive concert on Sunday, December 7th at 3PM at St. Mary’s Church, 55 Warren Street, Charlestown.
Under the direction of founder and artistic director Stephanie Beatrice, the Beatrice Master Singers will perform carols and Christmas favorites both modern and ancient. The Beatrice Master Singers is a Boston-based group of 24 professionals, who dedicate themselves to the art of fine singing and the joy of communicating their love of this art to the public. The singers will be accompanied by master organist Heinrich Christensen, the organist and choirmaster at King’s Chapel in Boston. Christensen will play the fully restored Woodberry and Harris organ that has been in place since St. Mary’s consecration since 1892.
Admission is free. Please consider bringing a food donation for the Harvest on Vine Food Pantry. Boxes of cereal and canned items are especially welcome.
Celebrate the season in this stunning, historic church with amazing acoustics!
About St. Mary’s Church:
St. Mary’s Parish was formed in 1828, and grew in 1892 to serve the burgeoning Irish population of Charlestown. The magnificent 1200 seat structure designed by P.C. Keely the Tudor-Gothic style was dedicated in 1892. The distinctive ceiling is of a hammerbeam design; above it, massive timber trusses obviate the need for columns and allow unobstructed views. The acoustics in the church are also quite amazing. The large-scale brass light fixtures from the 1890’s were originally designed to be used for gas or electricity because electric lighting was considered experimental at that time. Perhaps the most striking features of St. Mary’s are the many large stained-glass windows. Mayer of Munich, who manufactured the windows, remains in operation today and run by the fifth generation of the family.
Two Nations, One Battle: Bunker Hill in British and American Memory
Please join us for a special panel discussion exploring the Battle of Bunker Hill from both American and British perspectives
featuring Nathaniel Philbrick and Dr. Emma Hart, moderated by Dr. Brooke Barbier
Thursday, June 5 • 6:30-8pm
with a musical prelude performed by Ken Burns’ pianist Jacqueline Schwab at 6:00 pm
Bunker Hill Community College (Charlestown campus)
Doors open 5:45 pm
Join us for a fascinating conversation between two distinguished historians—one American and one British—as they examine the enduring legacy of one of the Revolution’s most pivotal early battles. Through thoughtful dialogue and historical insight, the panel of Nathaniel Philbrick and Dr. Emma Hart moderated by Dr. Brooke Barbier will explore how the Battle of Bunker Hill has been remembered, interpreted, and understood on both sides of the Atlantic over the past 250 years.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and take part in a broader community conversation following the discussion. This free public event promises to offer a compelling reflection on the past—and what it means for us today.
Free and open to all. Advance registration is highly recommended.
https://twonationsonebattle.eventbrite.com
This program has been made possible through financial and in-kind donations from the following co-presenters: Friends of the Charlestown Public Library (including partial funding from the City Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library), the Bunker Hill Monument Association, British Consulate-General Boston, Bunker Hill Community College and the National Park Service.
Speaker Series: Alexander Cain on the Siege of Boston
Please join the Friends of the Charlestown Public Library in partnership with the Bunker Hill Monument Association, for another lecture in our free series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Bunker Hill Monument. All talks will be held at the Charlestown Branch Library, 179 Main Street, and are open to all.
Thursday, May 22 - 6:00 p.m.
Charlestown Branch Library
Free and open to all!
"An Uninterrupted Peal of Thunder" will explore the strategic context of the Siege of Boston, the critical decisions leading to the confrontation on Breed's Hill, and the intense, three-pronged British assaults met with fierce colonial resistance. Discover the dramatic events, from the fiery destruction of Charlestown to the heroic last stand of figures like Joseph Warren, and understand why this bloody engagement, despite being a tactical loss for the Americans, served as a crucial turning point in the early days of the Revolution, forever altering perceptions of colonial fighting capabilities. Join historian Alexander Cain as he unravels the complexities and enduring significance of this iconic battle.
About Alexander Cain: Alexander Cain, JD, graduated from Merrimack College in 1993 with a degree in economics and from the New England School of Law in 1996 with a juris doctor. He directs a Merrimack Valley-based vocational program that introduces high school students to advanced manufacturing and skilled trades careers. Alex frequently lectures on the military and social influences of 1775 Massachusetts. He has published multiple research articles that have shed new light on the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, the Siege of Boston, and the loyalist refugee experience during the American Revolution. Alex has also published two books, We Stood Our Ground: Lexington in the First Year of the American Revolution and I See Nothing but the Horrors of a Civil War and is the author of the blog and podcast “Historical Nerdery.” He resides in Massachusetts with his wife, Paula. They have two adult children, John and Abigail.
Alexander Cain, J.D.
Speaker Series to Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Bunker Hill Monument
Please join the Friends of the Charlestown Public Library in partnership with the Bunker Hill Monument Association, for a series of free lectures celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Bunker Hill Monument.
All talks will be held at the Charlestown Branch Library, 179 Main Street, and are open to all.
Patriarch and Prophet - Keith Stokes
Thursday, April 3, 6:00 p.m.
Keith Stokes joins us to lecture on his ancestor, Judah Touro. Touro was the hazzan, a role similar to a cantor, at the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island beginning in 1762. Among his many charitable works was contributing to the construction of the Bunker Hill Monument. Stokes, a descendant of Touro and his Black house woman, will describe how a Jew from Newport and New Orleans joined with a Protestant Brahmin to ensure the monument was built.
Lafayette In America - Alan Hoffman
Thursday, April 10, 6:00 p.m.
Join Alan Hoffman, president of the Massachusetts Lafayette Society and author of the book Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825, on a deep dive into the connection between Gilbert du Motier (better known as the Marquis de Lafayette) and the Bunker Hill Monument. Learn about the Marquis’ activities from 1777 to 1781 during the Revolutionary War, and how he laid the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument during his grand tour of the United States to mark the 50th anniversary of the Revolution.
Lady Editor - Melanie Kirkpatrick
Thursday, May 15, 6:00 p.m.
Melanie Kirkpatrick, biographer and author of Lady Editor: Sarah Josepha Hale and the Making of the Modern American Woman, joins us to discuss Mrs. Hale’s patriotic and feminist work. Learn about the famous bake sale that raised funds for the completion of the Bunker Hill Monument!
The Bunker Hill Monument
Recording: Nancy Blanton of the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum on Paul Revere and Charlestown
A talk and Q&A with Nancy Blanton, Director of Outreach and Engagement at the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum in Arlington, Talk given at the Charlestown Branch Library on March 7, 2025.
Recording: 2024 Holiday Concert
Thank you to everyone who attended the holiday concert at St. Mary’s of Siena on December 8! For those who missed it, please enjoy a recording of the beautiful music from the Beatrice MasterSingers.
Join Us for a Free Holiday Concert on Sunday December 8 at 3pm
St. Mary-St. Catherine of Siena Parish and the Friends of the Charlestown Library announce a Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 8th at 3:00 at St. Mary’s Church, 55 Warren Street. Please join us to bring in the holiday season with festive music in a beautiful setting!
St. Mary’s Church in Charlestown
The concert is free with a suggestion of donations to Harvest on Vine Food Pantry.
The Beatrice MasterSingers will present an hour-long program of familiar holiday songs and innovative new arrangements. Founded by Artistic Director Stephanie Beatrice to bring a unique level of vocal artistry to the presentation of choral music, The Beatrice MasterSingers, a distinguished 24 member ensemble within the Dee Opera Company, is dedicated creating a profound listening experience rooted in the fundamentals of choral artistry. They will be accompanied by Heinrich Christensen, Music Director of King’s Chapel, on St. Mary’s historical Woodberry and Harris organ, in place since the church was consecrated in 1892.
Stephanie Beatrice, artistic director of the Beatrice MasterSingers
St. Mary Church, 55 Warren Street
(617) 242-4664
Accessible entrance available
Celebrating Maureen Marx! June 27, 2024
Please join the Friends to celebrate our retired branch librarian, Maureen Marx, and her 45 years of dedicated service, friendship and
advocacy for Charlestown.
It’s Maureen’s turn! (Maureen Marx, left, with 2022 Friend of the Year, Rosemary Kverek)
Thursday, June 27
5:45 pm: Friends’ Annual Meeting (open to all active members)
6 -6:45 pm doors open with music performance
6:45 – 7:45 pm ceremony
This tribute includes Maureen’s kind of rocking music performance with Blues guitarist/singer/songwriter Ryan Lee Crosby accompanied by world music/jazz/classical percussionist Grant Smith.
The Friends' Annual Meeting precedes the event at 5:45 pm; all active members are invited to attend.
Charlestown Public Library
179 Main Street, Charlestown
free and open to the public
Giant Spring Book Sale Starts May 9!
Presented by the Friends of the Charlestown Branch of the Boston Public Library
at the Charlestown Public Library
179 Main Street, Charlestown
1st PICK FRIENDS PREVIEW*
Thursday, May 9 • 5-7:30 pm
* for dues-paying Friends of the Charlestown Public Library
Friends save 50% throughout the sale.
Not a Friend? Join today! (Annual Friendship Dues: $25 Family, $15 Adult, $10 Senior)
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Friday, May 10, 10-4:30 • Saturday, May 11, 10-4:30
Last Call: Monday, May 13, 11-5:30
Hundreds of titles📚 for adults, young adult, children
Great selection of DVDs and CDs. 💿
Cash, check, and Venmo accepted.
Dance Music of the Germania Musical Society Concert Recap
Thank you to those who were able to join us on March 3 for Psychopomp’s wonderful performance of the Dance Music of the Germania Musical Society. If you missed the event, please enjoy the recording of the concert and the review in the Boston Music Intelligencer.
Full length recording of Psychopomp performance March 3, 2024.