Foster Preservation Society

Old Home Days

Old Home Day Celebration, pre-1910

Annual Old Home Days - held every year during the last weekend in July.

The first Old Home Day celebration was held in 1904 by the Old Home Association to raise funds to repair the Town House.  The affair consisted of a dinner served at tables improvised from locally cut boards with borrowed dishes for the food (yes, a volunteer was recruited to wash them all).  Chowder was cooked in large iron kettles and a clambake carefully tended by designated committee members.  Native sons, including a few dignitaries such as U.S. Senator Nelson W. Aldrich were invited.  Aldrich was born in the Burgess Homestead on Burgess Road in Foster (click on the picture of Aldrich to the right for more information about him).  Attendees at that first event would not recognize the Town House grounds during Old Home Days in the twenty-first century.  The event has grown and evolved, changing drastically over the decades.  Yet it has survived due to the perseverance of a core of community spirited citizens who, over the years, have recognized the value of the Old Home Day tradition.  We invite you to visit the Preservation Society in the Town House to learn a little about Foster History.

Foster Preservation Society sets up a display and gift store

in the Town House every Old Home Days

 The Society sets up our tables on the main level of the Town House.  Displays include our popular album collection for browsing.  Preservation Society volunteers and Town Historian Viola Ulm are always on hand to answer questions and tell stories of the "old days" in Foster.  You can purchase our publications and old maps.  They make wonderful gifts, many of these items are available year round.  Click here for ordering information.

We always have our popular RAFFLE/SILENT AUCTION of handcrafted items as well as donated merchandise.  Drawing takes place at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.

We have commissioned a limited edition series of ceramic tiles (see picture below).  The first tile depicts the Town House.  Tiles will be available during Old Home Days for $15.00 each.

Old Home Days volunteers are always welcome.  Click here for the volunteer job description.

Please call us at (401) 397-5687 or email for more information.