By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
As a part of Medfield’s Historical Weekend, the Medfield Public Library (MPL) housed an exhibit for Hannah Adams, which was run by Theresa Knapp, president of the Hannah Adams Women’s Club. Knapp played the role of Adams, dressed in authentic attire from the late 18th century.
Hannah Adams was born at 49 Elm Street in 1755 and she was the first woman to make a living as a professional author. Adams began the women’s club in Medfield during her lifetime, and the women’s club today is a continuation of the original club that Adams had founded. According to town historian Richard DeSorgher, this group has been called the first recorded women’s club. The women’s club was formally recognized in 1894; as of this year, the club is 129 years old.
The display consisted of replicas of Adams books, meeting minutes from the women’s club, a photo of the esteemed author, a photo of the home where she was born, and year books from the women’s club.
“She was a celebrity, according to these records,” Knapp shared. This was plain to see as Adams was a trailblazer for women writers. Her inspiring story brings a great appeal to joining the Hannah Adam’s Women’s Club.
Knapp shared that the women’s club today does a lot of work for the community, such as a scholarship that is presented to a Medfield student each year and fundraising for the Medfield Home Committee and other charities within the area.
“We do a lot of fundraising throughout the year. We meet monthly from October to May; we have a speaker, we have refreshments, and we have a door prize,” Knapp shared. She went on to say that the group currently has forty members of various ages, though they are always accepting new members. Some of their programs include: gardening, meetings about mental health and friendship, and discussions from local authors.
For more information about Hannah Addams and the women’s club,
