Managed by the Westborough Center for History and Culture at the Westborough Public Library, The Ebenezer Parkman Project is a unique collaborative effort on the part of the Westborough Public Library, the Congregational Library and Archive’s New England’s Hidden Histories, the American Antiquarian Society, and the Colonial Society of Massachusetts to digitize, transcribe, and make accessible the remarkable writings of the most eminent clergyman in central Massachusetts.
This project is mainly based on the work of Prof. Ross W. Beales, Jr., who has dedicated much of his academic career to studying Parkman and the town of Westborough. His transcription of Parkman’s 2,000-page diary is the heart of the project, and his transcriptions of other works by Parkman and his research into the people who lived in Westborough during Parkman’s time fill out the body of this website, which is rich in content about Westborough and colonial life in rural New England.
Much of the digitized content–Parkman’s church records, sermons, and miscellaneous papers–is presented online at New England’s Hidden Histories.
Dr. Ross W. Beales, Jr. (Professor Emeritus, College of the Holy Cross), Dr. James F. Cooper (former Director, New England’s Hidden Histories), and Dr. Anthony T. Vaver (Local History Librarian, Westborough Public Library) together direct The Ebenezer Parkman Project. Allison Milne entered the diary into the blog as an intern, and we are grateful for all the work she did on this project.
Project Launch
The Ebenezer Parkman Project was officially announced and launched with a public program held at the Mill Pond School in Westborough on April 25, 2019 with presentations by the three founding collaborators. Click here to view a video of the celebratory program, courtesy of Westborough TV.
Ross W. Beales, Jr., James F. Cooper, and Anthony T. Vaver at the celebration of the official launch of the Ebenezer Parkman Project.
