The Dorchester Historical Society, incorporated in 1891, is the successor to the Dorchester Antiquarian and Historical Society established in 1843. The collections of the Dorchester Antiquarian and Historical Society are in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The MHS website says: The Dorchester Antiquarian and Historical Society came to fruition when a group of local residents met at Deacon Ebenezer Clapp’s house on January 27, 1843. These men were concerned that the history of Dorchester, Massachusetts needed to be recorded and remembered for future generations. In 1855, the incorporation of the society by the Massachusetts General Court insured its long-term stability. … In January of 1870 the town of Dorchester was annexed to the city of Boston and as the town grew in population, it slowly evolved into a burgeoning suburb of the larger city. After a brief hiatus, interest in local history rebounded leading to the reorganization of the Dorchester Antiquarian and Historical Society in 1891. This attempt to organize the society saw new changes such as the admittance of women, which nearly doubled its size.
