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HEARTHSIDE HOUSE MUSEUM NEWSLETTER
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"The House That Love Built" Vol. 9, Issue 2 Feb. 2016
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Seems like it was just Christmas, and here we are just a little more than
4 weeks from opening for the 2016 season!
We're excited to present some more wonderful programs this year, and to welcome some
new faces among our volunteers to help share our history with all of you who come to visit. As we start the season, it's a perfect time for new folks to join in and be a part of the process from the beginning. The enthusiasm and ideas that new volunteers bring with them is contagious and helps re-energize those who have been around awhile. From our
volunteer meetings, there is a collective voice generating new ideas, and weighing in on others. Our
docent training provides a great opportunity to learn the skills it takes to be a good guide, while also learning the ever-expanding history of this house.
If speaking in public is not your thing, there is
committee work to plan our events, plus many tasks and
other ways to be involved behind the scenes. All it takes is
an interest in helping to preserve this beautiful home,
some time to give, and willingness to
become part of the "family" of friends who have come to love Hearthside. The rewards are many! Don't hesitate to raise your hand and offer to help.
February is the month associated with love. It seems a shame that at "The House That Love Built" we can't do some kind of romantic event around Valentine's Day, but during the winter months, there's just no guarantee there won't be snow on the ground, which affects our ability to provide parking. So, we'll postpone our celebration of romance and love until
Thursday, April 14 when we'll host a very special, after-work
Chocolate & Wine Tasting! You'll want to mark your calendar for this one. Details will follow in the next newsletter and tickets will go on sale to members first, followed by the general public on March 14.
There are lots of opportunities coming up to connect with Hearthside in some way. I hope we'll see you in the very near future.
Wishing you a
Happy Valentine's Day!
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Sat., Feb. 20 Volunteer
Meeting
Sun. Feb. 28 Docent Training
Sun. March 13 Season Opens-Tour Day
Sat. March 19th Annual Meeting
Sun. April 10 Tour Day
Thurs. April 14 Chocolate and Wine Fundraiser
Hearthside is closed during Jan.-Feb. and scheduled to re-open in March for tours.
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| 2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS ANNOUNCED |
15th Anniversary Celebrated with Special Event Featuring the Roaring 20's on July 16th
Each year, Hearthside strives for a
balance of guided tours for visitors to learn about the fascinating history of the house, while also hosting a
series of historically-themed events that attract various audiences, many of whom would never visit otherwise. These events are always an
enjoyable way to deliver lessons in history, such as our afternoon teas (each year with a different focus), the Victorian Mourning & Funeral Customs, Old-Fashioned Christmas traditions, and American Girl Doll events. Special past events such as the 1904 World's Fair, the War of 1812 exhibit, Great Gatsby Auto Exhibit, Civil War Reenactments, and the hand-colored photography of David Davidson are examples of how we have provided a wealth of history, while also giving our visitors a fun-filled family experience.
This summer, our big extravaganza to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Friends of Hearthside will be a commemoration of the 20th century's most fascin ating decades-the Roaring '20s, the decade of prosperity, decadence, and flamboyance. From throwing out manners and morals, to prohibition, gangsters and scandals, to outrageous fashions, dance and music, this decade changed America. Our planning committee has been meeting regularly sorting out lots of great ideas; their biggest challenge is fitting everything into this one-day event. It's shaping up to be quite unique, just as all Hearthside events are. The exhibit will explore many of the key events of the era and as always, be filled with a combination of learning about our history in a most engaging and fun way! It all happens on Saturday, July 16th. Plan to be there; it promises to be the "Bees Knees!"
Watch for details on all our upcoming events and openings in future issues of this newsletter, on Facebook, and on our website. For a complete list, click here to view the
2016 Calendar of Events.
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| 15TH SEASON LAUNCHES SUN. MARCH 13TH |
March is Women's History Month, so as we open our 15th season on Sunday, March 13th, Hearthside pays tribute to women from our past, and some of the "trailblazers," both nationally and locally. 
Doors open at 1:00 p.m. for tours with our docents leading the way. Last admittance at 3:00 p.m. General admission is $8; $6 age 62+; $4 age 10-17; members and under 10 free.
Hearthside will present opportunities each month throughout the remainder of the year for discovering how exciting history can really be. Check out our 2016 Calendar of Events for dates and times.
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| RESTORATION OF ROOFLINE COMPLETED |
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| A hole in the curved roof, rotted beading and trim, and a separation of the gutter system along the roofline shown prior to the restoration project. |
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| Completed restoration work has brought back the beauty of Hearthside's distinguishing features of its curved roofline. |
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| Additional work to replace rotted trim at the back of the house was also part of the project. An investigation of the damage to the front porch ceiling meant removing all the ceiling planks, which revealed severe rot throughout the supporting beams. This will require a major fundraising effort. |
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Thanks to the
1772 Foundation, Hearthside has had another
significant restoration project completed, this time the cornices and trim of the rear roof.
The beaded cornices and ogee curve roofline are one of the most distinguishing features of Hearthside's architecture so the deterioration of this area was quite noticeable.
Upon award of the grant, the project was undertaken in the fall of 2015 by Giroux Contractors and completed on Dec. 31st.
A match for the grant was required from Friends of Hearthside, dollar for dollar, which was covered by our fundraising efforts.
As part of the restoration, the contractor was able to do some investigation as to the damage that appeared on the front porch ceiling following an ice dam last winter. The news was worse than
expected....several of the main support beams, which are actually tree trunks, are broken and rotted. It is going to require major repair and restoration, along with significant funding to undertake this large-scale project, which is expected to take place this spring/summer.
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| VOLUNTEER MEETING TO BE HELD SAT. FEB. 20TH |
The next meeting of the Friends of Hearthside takes place on Sat., Feb. 20th at 10 a.m. at Hearthside. Throughout the year, the volunteers of our organization meet to develop plans for the various activities.....events, tours, themes, topics, house improvements, and more.
Not only are the meetings very informative and productive, but they offer a great opportunity to socialize. Everyone brings their own set of skills and areas of interest, but together, all are there for the same reason....an interest in history and strong desire to preserve Hearthside for the future. The enthusiasm is contagious with every new idea presented, which is what has helped keep Hearthside growing and being more successful with each passing year.
Please note: If you are planning to attend, please let me know by sending an Email, or leaving a message at 726-0597, and we'll have a chair and materials set for you! In case of inclement weather(or a yard full of snow), I will contact those who have signed up if necessary with notice that the meeting is cancelled.
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| DOCENT TRAINING SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, FEB. 28TH |
| Ever come to Hearthside and admire the knowledge, historical dress and presentation by our docents, and say to yourself that you wish you could do this? Well here's your chance. We welcome men, women, teens and children age 10 and older to join us as trained docents (interpretative guides) to give tours during the year. It's an important, and enjoyable, role, especially when you feel confident about the information you're presenting. Each year, we bring on new docents and offer training to make sure everyone presents the correct information and image to our visitors. We ask docents to be available for as many of our opening dates as possible, but realize that not everyone can make every event or tour. So the more trained docents we have, the better prepared we can be. Work weekends? Not a problem. In addition to our scheduled tours, we have private group and school tours during weekdays as well. If you are interested in becoming a docent, our next training session is scheduled for Sunday, February 28th from 12:30-4:00 p.m. Sign up by sending an email, or call 726-0597 and leave a message. I'll get back to you to confirm your participation and answer any questions. |
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WHAT IS THAT UNDERGROUND ROOM?
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In November 2016, an archaeological exploration was conducted in Hearthside's side yard where a deep depression was clearly evident in the lawn next to the gazebo.
It all started when the Town purchased Hearthside in 1996. A backhoe that was brought in to do some work on the property suddenly hit that area and sank down, opening up a cavity. Those who were working that day describe what they saw as being an underground room, approximately 12 x 12. The hole was filled in and no one really spoke of it, until the area started to show an indentation, which grew deeper with each passing year.
During the 1904 World's Fair event at Hearthside in July 2015, this area had to be roped off to avoid visitors walking on uneven ground. This proved to be a great opportunity to showcase an exhibit on how an archaeological exploration would work, and so we invited Plymouth Archaeological Rediscovery Project of New Bedford to map out the area and be on hand to discuss the process with visitors to the Fair. That peaked our interest even more, and so in November 2015, we contracted with Plymouth Archaeological to conduct an initial examination of the site to
examination to determine whether there was anything significant about the underground chamber, and what may be causing the depression to be getting deeper. It was decided to do a cross trenching investigation in order to get the exact measurements of the "room," establish a date of construction, and to establish its original use.
The result of the investigation was that the dimension of the room was 12.35 x 13' square and the construction of this "room" was made of dry-laid stone backed by a porous coal ash fill with a roof laid on iron I-beams. Without any original artifacts being found (the only ones were pieces of trash from the 1970s), an exact date of construction could not be determined. So based on the materials found in the construction of the walls, it is estimated that the construction dates to the late 19th or early 20th century when coal furnaces became common. There was a second layer on the walls which consisted of repurposed cement slab pieces from a sidewalk or driveway that had been added much later. Given the evidence, it was determined that this was an early waste collection cesspit.
While this isn't an exciting find, we now have the answer to what lies beneath that indentation, and steps to level off the ground can proceed.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR - ANNUAL MEETING MARCH 19TH
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| With an early Easter holiday this year, our Annual Meeting is being moved earlier so instead of the last weekend in March, it is scheduled for Sat., March 19th. The meeting gets underway at 10 a.m. at Hearthside. Town Administrator Joe Almond has been invited to once again join us and make note of our 15th Anniversary. This is a great opportunity to hear about the administration's plans for Great Road, and for him to learn of our accomplishments over the past year, along with our plans for the year ahead. Elections of board members also takes place at the meeting. The proposed slate will be sent out with the next newsletter in advance of the meeting. Hope our volunteers will be out in force to show support for the work that has brought Hearthside to where it is today! |
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| A hand-crocheted bedspread was donated by Lincoln resident Rose Motaco. |
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| A set of 8 mahogany dining room chairs dating to 1850s were donated by Susan Cerra & Emily Cerra-Rand of Lincoln. |
The season of giving was alive and well with some wonderful donations coming in during the holiday seson to add to our collections, all from nearby residents. Each of these are well over 100 years old. One family decided to donate some wonderful old dining room chairs that had been in their family since the 1850s. These beautiful mahogany chairs are upholstered in a moss green velvet. The set includes 6 side chairs and 2 arm chairs. A handsome addition to our dining room! A hand-crocheted bedspread made by an ancestor in Portugal around the turn of the century was donated by another family. This is now displayed on the twin bed in the borning room.
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| This 1880s walking suit was donated by the Jordan family of Lincoln. Photo by David Cruz |
And, a beautifully burgundy bustled walking suit dating to the 1880s was donated by the Jordan family. The suit looks as though it was worn only a few times, and has wonderful details of pleating and pompom trim. It's fun to imagine a young lady from the family farm in Lincoln wearing this to a special occasion in the city, or maybe it was for her wedding? It was easy to picture an elegant lady wearing this green formal dress in the late 19th century to a party. What is most surprising is the fine details of trim and metallic threads woven through the mesh fabric for such an early fashion. The dress, which is in extremely fragile shape, was donated to us from the Blackstone Valley Historical Society.
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| This formal late 19th century dress is detailed with black netting and metallic embellishments. The dress was donated by the Blackstone Valley Historical Society. Photo by David Cruz |
Receiving gifts such as these are perfect "accessories" to our rooms and make tours so much more interesting to see articles that were actually used in the home so long ago. We are truly grateful for the generosity of these donors in sharing their cherished heirlooms so that others may come to appreciate such treasures and fine workmanship from the past. |
| SHOW SOME LOVE - GIVE TO THE ANNUAL FUND |
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Just before the holiday, we announced our
Annual Appeal. This campaign is seeking a
"gift from the heart," a donation above and beyond Membership. If you have a passion for history (which I believe our readership of this newsletter does), then please help us continue to work to
preserve this beautiful home and inspire a love of history for thousands of others who come to discover Hearthside each year. As you've learned by reading our newsletter, it's
important for us to raise funds needed to
match grants that we receive to address critical restoration.
Because Friends of Hearthside is a
501c3 nonprofit organization, your contribution is
totally tax deductible, plus you have the satisfaction of knowing that
100% of funds donated go directly toward restoration.
Please join our board members who have pledged a gift of $50. If you are not able to match that, or even make a larger donation,
any amount would be greatly appreciated! Some have had their charitable gift matched by their employer, doubling or even tripling their contributed amount.
Our goal is to raise $5,000, which for our small organization will make a BIG difference. We're 2/3 of the way there. Show some LOVE this Valentine's Day, and help us reach that goal by donating today. You may pay through
credit card through the link below, or
mail a check made payable to
Friends of Hearthside, 757 Great Road, Lincoln, RI 02865. My heartfelt thanks to you for your support of our efforts!
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| As they say, there's always something happening at Hearthside...come join us in 2016!
Sincerely,
Kathy Hartley
Founder, President & CEO
Friends of Hearthside, Inc.
The mission of the Friends of Hearthside, Inc. is to preserve, protect, promote, and interpret the heritage of the Hearthside Homestead (b.1810) and the Great Road Historic District through living history programs and events.
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