The Christmas Tree Shop was not just an icon of New England, it was a destination with stores that boasted a diverse assortment of merchandise from seasonal decorations, home decor, housewares, food, giftware and just about everything else that the public just had to have. These were items you never thought you needed before stepping through the door, but who could resist a bargain?

Interested in learning more about the history and local charm of the Christmas Tree Shop?  Come join us on Saturday, January 25th at 1pm in the Hermann room as local author Anthony Sammarco presents an illustrated lecture on his newest book, The Christmas Tree Shops: Don't You Just Love A Bargain?  After the lecture, there will be a book signing with books available for purchase by Eight Cousins.   

Referred to as the “Balzac of Boston History” by the Boston Globe, Anthony Mitchell Sammarco is a noted historian and author of many books on the history and development of Boston, and he lectures widely on the history and development of his native city.  He commenced writing in 1995, and his 89th book, published in 2024, was The History of the Christmas Tree Shops.  He received the Bulfinch Award from the Doric Dames of the Massachusetts State House, the Washington Medal from Freedom Foundation, a lifetime achievement from both the Victorian Society and the Gibson House Museum.  He is president of the Osterville Village Library; past president of the Bay State Historical League and he served as a corporator of the New England Baptist Hospital for a decade.  He lives in Boston and in Osterville on Cape Cod.