DCH Stands Strong - 4/8/22

DCH Stands Strong

   This article was published in the Dedham Times on April 8, 2022

Did you know?

• The acorn you see on the banner over the Community House was incorporated into the DCH logo in 2002.
• It is a nod to the famous “Avery Oak” that stood for hundreds of years on East Street and has been part of Dedham’s town seal since 1878.
• Across many cultures, the acorn has come to symbolize youth, humble beginnings, growth, strength, eternal hope, and unlimited potential.

As DCH celebrates its Centennial, the acorn is an appropriate symbol for its past and future. DCH started small but strong, growing over time while adapting to changing circumstances and community needs. The past two years of the pandemic provide an example of this resilience. In March 2020, just after DCH celebrated the 50^th anniversary of its Preschool, the future became unclear. How would children, families, and staff be kept safe? How would the preschool, summer camp, pool, classes, and events operate? How would DCH survive an interruption in its programs?

Through hard work, creativity, and gratefully accepted generosity, DCH emerged strong. By summer 2020 the pool and outdoor recreational programs were adapted and re-opened. Children returned to nurturing preschool classrooms in fall 2020, and DCH Summer Camp was back in 2021—this time with a newfound appreciation for its impact on youth employees, not just the campers served. More than ever, campers and counselors alike needed the community building and social interaction that DCH Summer Camp brings.

While especially important in recent years, the impact of DCH’s offerings is nothing new. Past DCH participants from multiple generations share memories that run deep. They recount swim lessons in the Charles River; woodshop class and a community kitchen in the basement; ballroom dancing in the gym; sewing, quilting, and cooking classes in the house; drop-in billiards and dances for youth. For 100 years, DCH has been a strong presence for children, young adults, and life-long learners. Through its programs, DCH provides an opportunity to learn and grow, develop skills, and socialize—no matter your age, ability, financial circumstances, or background. Here’s to another 100 years!

DCH Summer Camp staff and campers on a field trip to Water Wizz in 2019.

A House with a History - 3/11/22

A House with a History

   This article was published in the Dedham Times on March 11, 2022

It’s an unusually warm day on September 20, 1848, and the train is pulling into Dedham Square, carrying a young Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, 39 years old and a member of congress, steps into a crowd holding banners, a brass band playing. He heads up High Street to what will become the Dedham Community House (DCH) nearly 75 years later. Stumping for presidential candidate Zachary Taylor, Lincoln enters the house for a pre-speech social before addressing his audience across the street. Midway through his speech, he hears the bell of the train in the distance. With a commitment in Cambridge, he bolts for the station, passing forever from Dedham—but the visit from this future president seems a fitting piece of history for one of the most cherished buildings and organizations in town with its own vision of unity.

Indeed, the roots of DCH run deep. It all started with a couple of English elms imported and planted on the front lawn by Rev. Jason Haven on his graduation from Harvard in 1789. By 1795, Haven’s friend, famed Boston architect Charles Bulfinch, designed and constructed the Haven House as a private home, aiming for both grandeur and simplicity. More than 125 years later, a group of citizens united as the Dedham Community Association and purchased the estate. Their mission as expressed in the 1922 articles of incorporation: to advance civic, educational, literary, benevolent, and social interests, and encourage physical and mental improvement. They created a recreational center, living up to what would become its nickname in the early years, the “Dedham Playground,” and offered, among other programs, a summer camp that continues today as DCH’s oldest program.

The “playground” would only expand its programming and its purpose. In 1931, the organization re-confirmed its position “in the heart of the town, in the service of the town.” With tennis courts and meeting rooms, clubs and classes, activities and crafts, a playground and a park, Dedham Community House continually sought to serve the needs of all residents of Dedham and its surrounding towns. The original swimming pool came in 1960 when the Charles became too polluted for swimming. In 1965, a gymnasium replaced the badminton courts of the 1940s. And in the 1950s and 60s, music echoed through the Haven House, where the Dedham Youth Orchestra practiced, and DCH offered discounted music lessons in the summer.

With the turn of the century, the organization continued to grow, purchasing the Bullard House, where the DCH Preschool has thrived for over 50 years; partnering with Dedham Country Day School to improve and share the field; and constructing a new pool and pool house in 2010, which offers daily rates and season passes. Today, children, adults, and families enjoy the campus through classes, school vacation programs, and seasonal events, in addition to the cornerstone offerings of the preschool and summer camp. And music still fills the Haven House, as Dedham School of Music has collaborated with the organization.

It’s been almost 175 years since Lincoln left Dedham that September day. The buildings and grounds of DCH have seen many iterations—adapting to meet the needs of the town—but they have never lost their purpose: to serve and unite our community. In offering affordable programming, free events, and financial aid, Dedham Community House is, and will continue to be, truly a space for all.

DCH Summer Campers playing cards in 1980.

DCH Teen Campers on a field trip to the MIT Museum in 2019.

100 Years of Enriching Our Community - 2/11/22

100 Years of Enriching our Community

   This article was published in the Dedham Times on February 11, 2022

You might know DCH because of the preschool situated on the banks of the Charles River, or the camp streaming with kids on summer mornings. You might have cooled off at the pool nestled at the back of the campus, or signed up for programs running throughout the year. Maybe you have attended the Spring Gala on a night in March, painted a pumpkin at the Fall Festival on a crisp autumn day, or picked out a Christmas tree the first week of December. Whatever your interaction with DCH, you can envision the Haven House at the heart of this organization, standing proudly on the corner of Ames and High Streets in the center of town, firmly rooted in historic Dedham.

Founded in 1922 as the Dedham Community Association, this charitable, nonprofit organization is committed to building a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. Centered around the Haven House, a Bulfinch design built in 1795, the association initially served to preserve this historic building and provide a recreational center to the community at its founding. One hundred years later, the Board of Directors and staff of DCH are equally dedicated to serving and uniting Dedham by promoting innovative programs, community leadership, and the preservation of its historic campus. In fulfillment of this mission, DCH operates its highly regarded preschool, its popular summer camp and outdoor pool, a variety of enriching classes for all ages, and several special seasonal events. Its programming serves people of all ages, from all income levels, and from all corners of the town. What’s more, it prides itself on being accessible to everyone with free events, affordable rates, and more than $150,000 in financial aid and donated space provided annually.

Dedham Community House's "Haven House" at 671 High Street, in 1941 and present day.