Local historians are planning a weekend of events to ring in the 350th anniversary of the James Blake House, the oldest home in the City of Boston.

The Dorchester Historical Society (DHS) chose Dorchester Descendants week to commemorate the Blake House, built around 1661, with a series of “how to” lectures showing residents new ways to rediscover and preserve the history of the neighborhood, as well as opportunities to take free guided tours through some of the area’s most notable historical landmarks. DHS has also chosen this week to reveal a new book detailing artifacts from the organization’s collection.

“We have a lot planned for the week,” said DHS president Earl Taylor. “We want people to come and experience some of Dorchester’s history.”

Festivities begin on June 24 with a dinner reception at the Boston Winery, where the new book will be revealed publicly after more than a year of production. Taylor said the book was made possible by contributions from a direct descendant of James Blake who wished to share the neighborhood’s history.

On the following day, residents can learn how to ensure their own history is not lost to the ages through lectures on creating a family genealogy, preserving antiques, and how to form an effective oral history.

DHS chose to focus on do-it-yourself historical research this year in response to an influx of calls from Dorchester residents interested in learning more about their families own experiences in the area.

“We get a huge number of inquiries about genealogies,” Taylor said. “We have the resources to do some of them, but this will help people learn even more on their own.”

For those looking to stretch their legs and explore some of Dorchester’s history firsthand, the Blake House, Lemuel Clap House, William Clapp House, and Clapp Family Barn will also be available for free tours.

The Blake House is considered a historical location due to it’s age, heavy timber “West Country” style framing and it’s owner’s prominent role in Dorchester. Blake married into the Clapp family and became a member of the board of selectman, responsible for checking in on local families and fielding the 17th century equivalent of constituent services.

Taylor said the Blake house is a prime example of living conditions for Dorchester’s early upper-middle class, citing architectural flourishes found throughout the house as well as the abundance of fireplaces used to weather harsh New England winters.

“It’s crude by our standards,” Taylor said. “But for it’s time, this was definitely one of the nicer homes in the area.”

The schedule of events for Dorchester Descendants weekend includes:

Tues., June 21
7 p.m. Author Anthony Sammarco will discuss his new book Dorchester: A Compendium at DHS headquarters, 195 Boston Street.
Fri., June 24
6 p.m. Dinner Reception for Dorchester Descendants Weekend.
RSVP with Faith Ferguson, 781-862-8851 or Fait@dorchesterdescendants.org, $50 per person
Sat., June 25
10:30 a.m. “Introduction to genealogy” with Rhonda McClure, research director of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and “How to care for your historical artifacts” with conservator Christine Thomson.
12:30 p.m. James Blake House 350th Birthday Party at 735 Columbia Road
2 p.m. – 4 p.m. “How to do an oral history” with Boston University historian Virginia Myhaver. Open houses at the Blake, Lemuel Clap, and William Clapp Houses and the Clapp Family Barn.

All events are free and take place at the Dorchester Historical Society, 195 Boston Street unless otherwise noted. For more information, visit dorchesterhistoricalsociety.org or dorchesterdescendants.org.