The Toy Cupboard Theater & Museums were originally located on the corner of Main St. and George Hill Road in S. Lancaster, MA. It was established by Herbert Hosmer, Jr. who lived on the property with his mother, father and Great Aunts. During the summer of 1939, Herbert transformed a section of an old carriage shed into a toy shop where he sold small toys, paper dolls, doll-house furniture and children's books. He then extended the toy shop into another section of the shed and turned it into a cozy little puppet theater which presented it's first public performance on July 4th, 1940Herbert had returned to his boyhood home after spending several years as a teacher at the Fessendon School in West Newton. He missed his family and especially the town he loved so much. The large colonial home was owned by his aunt who left it to Herbert's mother upon her passing. The sprawling rooms of the old house were filled with family heirlooms and antiques from generations past. He spent much of his early childhood exploring the treasures that were contained here. His Aunt and Grandmother were often left to care for Herbert as both of his parents worked. His mother, Elizabeth a town librarian. His Father, Herbert Sr. worked for a local business.Herbert's relatives read many stories to him as a young boy which he always remembered fondly and knew that it was from this early introduction to literature, the reason for his great interests in story telling, collecting children's books and puppetry. Although he spent much of his youth away at private schools, upon his return he always enjoyed spending time learning about his family history from the older relatives. He learned the important and valuable lessons of family heritage and ancestry. His love of puppets grew as he attended high school and with the help of his Grandmother, mother and aunts, he began to design and construct the puppets that eventually were to perform on his magical stage...
