Rediscovering

Black Stow

Our Mission

The mission of Rediscover Mapledale is to preserve the historical significance of the Mapledale Country Club at Stow Acres Country Club. The Organization aims to maintain the site in its historical context, using a Conservation Restriction to keep the land undeveloped and for golf use as long as it remains economically feasible.

The story of Rediscover Mapledale

Rediscover Mapledale (RM) began in 2022 as a committee of interested citizens of Stow, Massachusetts who wanted to raise up the largely forgotten story of the Mapledale Country Club, the first country club in the state that was built, owned, and operated by and for Black people. Collaborating with the Town of Stow and other community organizations, RM developed a 3- phase plan to bring new light to the story of Robert H. Hawkins, the Mapledale Country Club, and Black History in Stow.

Since that first meeting, Rediscover Mapledale has grown, officially incorporating as a non-profit institution in 2025. Today the group organizes regular programming, holds an annual golf tournament in honor of Robert H. Hawkins, and collaborates with others who are continuing the important work that Robert H. Hawkins began in 1926.

Phase 1

The first phase involved establishing a group identity and hiring scholars to write a report on the Mapledale Country Club in its historical context.
Phase 2

Phase two established on-site interpretation at the former Mapledale Country Club, now Stow Acres Country Club, and the creation of formal educational materials for dissemination in the local public schools.
Phase 3

The third, and final, phase of the project would be the centennial celebration of Mapledale Country Club in 2026.