June 27, 2003 

For everybody interested in exploring Walpole’s past, the Walpole Historical Society’s Deacon Willard Lewis House has a large collection of memorabilia and early town records.

Located at 33 West St. in Walpole center, the house is open to public on Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons from 2 to 4 p.m. The house is also open by appointment. There is no fee.

The home base for the historical society since 1972, the Willard Lewis house has records from early selectmen’s meetings and Town Meeting sessions, as well as some genealogies.

The house also has portraits of Sir Robert Walpole, Isaac Newton Lewis, and the various members of the Bird family, as well as scale models of various town buildings, and antique musical instruments.

All the articles and furnishings inside the home have been donated, according to historian Betty Cottrell. Cottrell is a member of the society’s board of directors.

There are also maps, books and other items for sale, including magnets depicting various town buildings, and Nash pottery.

Built in 1826, the Lewis House is the only Walpole home listed in the National Register of Historic Sites.

According to Cottrell, the left portion of the house (when viewed from the street) was supposedly the first schoolhouse in town, built in 1758.

The schoolhouse was originally located closer to the corner of West and Elm Streets, she said. (There’s a rock monument indicating where it once stood). It was later moved over to its current location for space considerations, she said.

When the Deacon Willard Lewis House was constructed in 1826, the builders put it right up against the side of the schoolhouse, she said.

The schoolhouse portion of the house was in ‘terrible" condition before undergoing a recent series of renovations, Cottrell said.

Most of the renovation work was paid for by the society through membership dues and the sale of Walpole-related items. The town also helped out with some funding, Cottrell said.

The historical society is a non-profit, voluntary organization that is supported by membership dues.

Membership is open to anyone of any age, nationality, place of birth or place of residency. The dues are $10 for an individual and $15 for a family.

An annual donation of $50 or more entitles the donor to the title of patron.

For more information, log on to www.walpolehistoricalsociety.org.