2026 Programs and Events
All programs take place at 86 Friend Street in Amesbury unless otherwise noted. Registration information will be added as it becomes available.
The Abolitionist’s Refrain
Saturday, June 6, performances at 2:00 and 3:30
Join us for a performance of the original play The Abolitionist’s Refrain by Punctuate4Productions, written by Michael Cormier. There will be two performances, each lasting thirty minutes. Tickets, free thanks to the Amesbury Cultural Council!
Please note that space for both shows is extremely limited, so seats will be reserved on a first come, first served basis. Once you sign up we will notify you via email to confirm your space for the show or notify you that you have been placed on the waitlist.
Sign up to attend the 2:00PM show
Sign up to attend the 3:30PM show
From the Punctuate4 website:
“As the Civil War comes to an end Poet and Abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier celebrates the 13th Amendment that brings an end to slavery. After his initial jubilation, Whittier begins to grasp the true cost of the War. A returning Union soldier and African American poet help him see that abolishing slavery brings new challenges to a divided and wounded nation. Exhausted by decades of fighting to end slavery, Whittier is at a moral crossroad.”
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Amesbury Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The Poet’s Popsicle Party
June 27, 10-12PM at the Whittier Home, FREE
Bring the family and join us for a popsicle in the backyard to celebrate summer! Children’s music and puppets by Peter Sheridan, bubbles, crafts, and games will all be part of our celebration!
Special thanks to our popsicle sponsor, Coastal Connections!
Reading Frederick Douglass Together
July 8, 6PM at the Rocky Hill Meeting House, 4 Portsmouth Road, Amesbury
Join the Whittier Home and Historic New England for a public reading of Frederick Douglass’s speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” followed by a panel discussion about the legacy of slavery and racial justice in the United States today.
Sponsored by Mass Humanties
Abolitionist Voices of Newbury and Amesbury
Sunday, July 26, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Coffin House, 14 High Road, Newbury, MA and
John Greenleaf Whitter Home, 86 Friend Street, Amesbury MA
Join Historic New England and the Whittier Home Association for a special two-part tour exploring the lives and legacies of abolitionists Joshua Coffin and John Greenleaf Whittier. Participants will tour the Coffin House in Newbury, a Historic New England property and the home of teacher and abolitionist Joshua Coffin and the John Greenleaf Whittier Home in Amesbury. At the Coffin House, visitors will tour Coffin’s study and home, view his gravesite, and learn about his leadership in the abolitionist movement and his influence as Whittier’s teacher. At the Whittier Home, participants will explore Whittier’s life as a writer, reformer, and prominent voice for the anti-slavery cause.
Whittier’s Life Through Letters
Thursday, August 6, 7PM
Executive Director Erica McAvoy will give a talk about Whittier’s life which spanned the extraordinarily transformative nineteenth century. The lecture won’t just be recitation of facts, however; it will explore topics that were mentioned by Whittier in the letters he wrote throughout his life. Since Whittier was active in the abolitionist movement, he was a keen observer and participant of the tumultuous lead-up to the the American Civil War. His letters, therefore, offer a window into the world when Americans didn’t know how the division and tumult of their times would resolve, and whether the American experiment would last; a feeling that resonates with many Americans today.
The Poet’s Pumpkin Patch
Saturday, October 3, 12-2PM, FREE
Join us for a fun, kid-friendly Halloween party in the backyard. Pumpkins will be available for painting, and there will be treats and other fall-themed crafts and games. Costumes encouraged!
Susannah Martin and the Salem Witch Trials
Tuesday, October 6, 7PM
What does John Greenleaf Whittier have to do with the Salem Witch Trials? Join us for an engaging evening to find out! Historian and archaeologist Dr. Emerson “Tad” Baker will present a fascinating lecture on the Salem Witch Trials, their legacy, and their connection with Whittier and Amesbury.
Past Events
Whittier Home Association Annual Meeting
Monday, April 13, 5:30-8:00 PM at Crave, 10 Water Street, Amesbury
Members and friends of the Whittier Home Association are invited to the organization’s annual meeting at Crave in Amesbury. The speaker will be Executive Director Erica McAvoy who will share what the organization has accomplished since she came on board, as well as her vision for the museum’s future. Tickets include a buffet with caesar salad, chicken mushroom prosciutto penne marsala, New England cod with citrus beurre blanc, jasmine rice, and steamed broccoli. Coffee and dessert will be served and a cash bar will be available.
Registration for this event is closed.