Gov. Bellingham Cary House Museum

The Governor Bellingham-Cary House is a historic house museum in Chelsea whose house and surrounding acres have witnessed more than 350 years of American history, from the early days of European settlement onward. Its name links it to Richard Bellingham, a governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Today a board of trustees, including a curator, oversees the museum and organizes a calendar of public events.

The museum recently created its first curatorial internship, designed with the graduate program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts to give an aspiring museum professional hands-on experience before a museum career. Curator Janet Sartor, who has held the role since November 2024, leads the internship after more than 30 years in museums and art schools, including conservation work at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and educational programming at the Harvard Art Museums.

What to Know

• Upcoming programs are posted on the museum’s online event calendar.
• A new logo, designed by Pepper Fee, links the house’s Colonial heritage to the present day.
• Janet Sartor studied art conservation in Florence, Italy, and began at the house as a volunteer.
• The museum is a member of the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce.