New Berlin Historical Society

The New Berlin Historical Society will host the annual South East Regional Meeting of the Wisconsin Council of Local History on August 21, 2010. Delegates from historical societies in the region will gather at Historical Park for discussions on topics of mutual interest and to learn more about New Berlin history.

fire station frontThe meeting will be held in old fire station #3, now part of Historical Park. This building was recently made available to the society by the city. Society members are busily engaged in making the facility ready for the event. Seating will be provided in the center bay area for the meeting. Located adjacent to historical buildings in Historical Park, and accross the street from the Freewill Baptist Church and the Weston Antique Apple Orchard, attendees will find the afternoon tours of these facilities particularly convenient.

The morning presentation by the Society will feature a talk by Ken Weston on antique apples and the Weston Orchard. Ken, a retired math professor, is passionate about the preservation of heirloom apple varieties. He has conveyed his expertise to audiences throughout the midwest.

Ken, and sister Genevieve, donated the orchard and buildings to the city in 2005, but continue to operate the business. Over 100 varieties of apples are grown. Both the barn and orchard are on the National Historic Register. Learn more about the orchard at http://www.westonapples.com/.