Friends of BFL Sunday Series: Harwich History with Paul Doane

Library : Brooks Free Library

Location : Thornton Meeting Room

Start : Sunday 7th of June 2026 2:00 PM

End : Sunday 7th of June 2026 3:00 PM

Description :

Paul is a lifelong Harwich resident and a twelfth generation Cape Codder, a direct descendant of Eastham’s (then known as Nauset) first non-native resident, Deacon John Doane, who was among the “Old Comers” that left Plimoth colony to settle the lower Cape area in the 1640’s. He is a lawyer and former four term Massachusetts State Senator, combat decorated US Naval officer, Wall Street executive and CEO of three statewide multibillion dollar public pension funds. A former Harwich Town Moderator as well as President of Pine Oaks Villages Phase I, he has continued to serve the Town on numerous Committees including for the past thirty five years as chair of the Caleb Chase Fund Trustees. He and his wife of 50 years, Helen, have two children, Seth, a “CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent in Rome, Italy and a daughter, Sarah, a university executive in Halifax, Nova Scotia and two grandchildren. Both he and his late mother Doris, who wrote, among others, “A Book of Cape Cod Houses,” were former Presidents of the Harwich Historical Society, Paul’s first employment. He has led numerous walking tours of Harwich Center highlighting the 300 years of town history and the early founding families.This program is paid for and hosted by the Friends of the Brooks Free Library. For more information about the Friends of Brooks Free Library, visit www.brooksfreelibrary.org/about/friends-of-brooks-free-library