Then and Now: Stoneham Historical Society

It's not an accident that Stoneham Historical Society is housed in a beautiful historic building.

The Historical Society, which operates under the motto, "Pride in our Past, Faith in our Future" is now housed in a facility that once reflected a different kind of pride and faith: that in our American soldiers.

The Historical Society maintains two historic buildings at 36 William St., according to the organization's website.

The first - recognizable as a large, distinct stone building - is the Spanish War Hall which was established in 1902 as the headquarters of the United States War Veterans. According to the Historical Society, it was later deeded to the society and now houses the Stoneham Historical Society's museum and library as well as serving as their meeting hall.

The Historical Society was established in 1922, and their collections at the museum reflect that span.

According to the Historical Society's website, their collection includes a variety of artifacts, documents, newspapers, and thousands of photographs related to Stoneham's history. Much of the collection has come from donations by local institutions and private citizens.

The second building on the property is a small Ten Footer - a building where shoemakers worked and sold shoes prior to large scale industrialization. 

It seems appropriate that the Historical Society is home to a building reflecting Stoneham's shoemaking heritage. Just over 100 years ago, shoe making was big business in Stoneham, which was also known as "Shoetown."

In her 1921 book "The Organization of the Boot and Shoe Industry in Massachusetts Before 1875," author Blanche Evans Hazard cites a historical collection known cumulatively as the Barber Statistics. In 1837 out of a population of 932 people, more than half of the community (287 males, 180 females) was employed in the shoemaking industry. This workforce produced a staggering 380,100 pairs of shoes worth an estimated $184,717.

So, if you're interested in learning more about Stoneham's history, check out the Stoneham Historical Society Museum and the attached Ten Footer. Tours of the museum are available by appointment.