News

The Society's members have been busy planning for several events in the community. Some are fundraisers for the Society while others are meant to foster community spirit.

RSS Feed and Facebook

We've added an RSS feed to make it easier to keep track of all changes to our events and the site in general. Please [subscribe] using the reader of your choice. We also make event announcements via our [Facebook group].

Heritage Harvest Festival - Celebrating the Keswick Fair 1848-1966

We've added a [Keswick Fair section] to the site to promote our plans for this major event in 2010. We will be adding details regarding all the events and evolving plans. Please check in often.

Heritage Harvest Festival 2009

Our fall Heritage Harvest Festival last year was a huge success, and this year it is shaping up to be even bigger and better. Check out the details on our [events] page.

Facebook

We have our own Facebook group at [Keswick Ridge Historical Society]. We'll keep our event schedule up to date on Facebook for those that find it convenient. Join up and keep in touch!

Bob Jackson

We were very saddened by the recent passing of Bob Jackson. Bob was a long time member of the Historical Society, providing expertise in many areas. He had a deep interest in the history and the stories of this area and worked tirelessly in preparing the DVD on Vanished Village. We are grateful for his many efforts on behalf of the Keswick Ridge Historical Society. He will be dearly missed.

Heritage Harvest Festival

The KRHS held a two day Heritage Harvest Festival on October 17^th and 18^th with a Roast Beef Supper, Country Dance, and an afternoon of activities. This was the result of some impressively fast planning and the hard work of Evelyn Jewett, Ethel Duplissea, Dawna Gordon, Judie Jewett, Ralph Stephenson, and many others. Many members of the local community contributed to the event with food, pies for the auction, music, and effort. All were appreciated and helped make the event a smashing success.

Check out pictures and video of the [Roast Beef Supper & Country Dance], the [Music, Demonstrations & Pie Auction] and the [Moose Calling Contest]

Anthony Flowers House

Dawn Bremner, from the [Queens Co. Historical Society], gave 4 of us a wonderful tour of the historic [Anthony Flower House] in Cambridge Narrows. Anthony Flower left England in 1817 and, after a difficult voyage, arrived in Saint John declaring that this is where he would stay. John Clark sold him 200 acres at Cambridge Narrows where he married Mary Greene, descended from a Loyalist family. He built their house about 1820 and added 3 small rooms at the back about 1830. Four generations of Flowers lived in the house until 1946 afterwhich Jim Flower from Illinois only came occasionally until the late 1980’s.

The House was given to the Queens Co. Hist. Soc. in 2002 after an auction sale of the household contents.

In Sept. 2003 the building was moved 4 kms to its present location on land purchased to receive the house.

The preservation and restoration of the Anthony Flowers House is a remarkable achievement by the Queen's County Historical Society and an inspiration for KRHS in its own efforts. The [photos] from the tour show the great condition of this house.

O'Ree Cemetery

Photos of the O'Ree Cemetery in Fall have been added to the [Historic Sites] page. They can be viewed directly [here] as well.

House & Garden Tour

The House and Garden tour on June 29^th was a huge success. The Keswick Garden Club and the Historical Society sold 120 tickets and the turn out was excellent in spite of a little wet weather. The gardens and homes were spectacular and the refreshments at the Gunn's were greatly received. The wet but pleased participants expressed appreciation for the event and lavished the gardens with compliments.

The Annual Keswick Ridge Quilt Fair

The 2008 Keswick Ridge Quilt Fair was held at Keswick Ridge United the weekend of May 9th and 10th. An impeccably organized event, it featured countless quilts created by local and regional quilters. While the quilt fair itself is not sponsored by the Keswick Ridge Historical Society, it is worth noting that the fair features several priceless vintage and "legacy" quilts, as well as detailed information about the generations of quilters who helped create them. As such, this annual event is a "must see" for anyone interested in the geneology and history of this area.

See pictures of this event [here].

Hot Toddy CD Launch

On May 4th the KRHS hosted Hot Toddy's CD Launch at the Keswick Ridge Community Hall. We were excited to be helping with the launch of their 7th CD by providing the venue and the canteen.

Spring Auction 2008

The KRHS spring auction has successfully returned for the 8th time. Auctioneer John Kirkland from Hartland donated his time and helped make the evening a success.

The spring auction is our major fundraiser and the money raised will go toward our many projects including a new roof for the [schoolhouse], setting up our [museum], and putting a foundation under the [McKeen Corner Store].

See pictures of the auction [here].

Keswick Ridge Music Nights

The music evenings are a chance for community members and friends to get together for an open-mic style night of sharing sounds and songs. Entry costs $2.00 and everyone is invited to join in. The first of these evenings was held on March 15th, at the Keswick Superior School and by all accounts was a resouding success.

Read what Dana McDade Kerr had to say about [our last Keswick Ridge Music Evening].

Second Music Night held Sat. May 24, 2008. Entry cost 3$ - canteen available.
See photos of this event [here].

Keep an eye on our [Coming Events] page for future Music Nights.

Modernizing Mactaquac: Mactaquac Regional Development Project 1966-1975

Josh Dickison shared his research on the economic development program that accompanied the construction of the Mactaquac Dam. A discussion followed where some of those who remember the time period first-hand shared stories of losing land, being hired to work on the dam and other impacts on their community. With approximately 35 - 40 members of the community in attendance this was quite successful.

Many of those who lived through this huge change in the region had not heard the policies and attitudes within the government and its consultant regarding the people of Keswick until now. Josh Dickinson has donated multiple copies of his thesis on the subject to the Society's reference collection.

See added information and photos of this event [here].

The McKeen Store

A committee has formed to explore the possibilities and costs related to creating a foundation for the store building. Currently on blocks, the store is in dire need of a permanent foundation as well as a roof and other improvements.