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“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald
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From the Black House desk... | | |
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We wrapped up the summer season with free museum tours for Hancock County Residents last weekend. The tours were fully booked! The comments from many were along the lines of "I have driven by for years and always wondered...", "I haven't been here in 15, 20, 30 years.....", or "I've often wondered what was up the driveway, but have never been".
I am pleased that locals saw or heard about the promotion and made the effort to visit. We got positive reviews for the tours. Early in the season we were told our guided tour was better than Monticello, last weekend we got told the audio tour was better than Hearst Castle! My staff do a great job of telling the story and sharing their enthusiasm for this museum while Paul Dupuis from Star 97.7 did an excellent job as our audio voice after Education Director Kelly refreshed the script and created a printed visitor guide/souvenir. Through October, the museum is open Sundays only, 10 am - 4 pm. Then our Black Friday at the Black House gift shop sale-a-bration!
The other comment I heard more than once, and remember, these were residents and locals, was "what are you building?" The barn has been a topic of conversation, planning, and fundraising for more than ten years so I am continually amazed by this recurring question about our construction project. It demonstrates to me the disconnect - too many people simply do not know Woodlawn. I am confident that within five years, many residents will have attended some kind of event in the barn at least once.
Col Black's grandson gave Woodlawn to the Trustees for Public Reservations, confident it would be managed as a museum and public park with a small endowment. Nearly two hundred years after the mansion was built (1824-7), it needs much more support than just the earnings from that fund. Not only does an estate like Woodlawn need members and generous donors, it requires the love and fierce pride of the locals who champion it. I recently had someone tell me that "Woodlawn is ours" (after which she admited not having visited in years).
I will do what I can to continue to keep tour prices low, events free (with sponsorship!), and bring back schools with a revamped education program. To do that, I need more than kind words: generous gifts, renewing members, and willing volunteers. Thank you for caring about Woodlawn.
Kathy Young
director@woodlawnmuseum.org
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Woodlawn Croquet Tournament
Sept 7-11
We have a full roster of players from around the country: Florida, New York, Illinois, Oklahoma, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Utah, and Maine: Yarmouth, Northeast & Southwest Harbors, Sorrento, Surry, Tremont, Hancock, Stonington, and Ellsworth. Welcome everyone!
The championship finals are played on Sunday at Woodlawn ~ the public is welcome and encouraged to come watch the action.
This is world-class croquet!
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Organ Concert & Celebration
First Congregational Church of Ellsworth
September 11, 2:30 pm
2 Church Street
Come along to hear a lovely concert on the refurbished pipe organ donated by George Nixon Black, Jr 110 years ago. He was following in the generous footsteps of his grandfather, Col John Black who donated the first organ to this church in 1853. There will be multiple organists and a few folks from Woodlawn telling the story of the Black Family involvmeent with the church over the years.
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Barn Update
The walls are going up! The basement walls were poured in just over three hours. At the rate things are going, we will indeed have a barn by Christmas! Keep up the good work E.L. Shea & crews!
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Gong Bath Immersion
Sunday, September 18, 1-2:30 pm
from the Forest Ridge Stage
You will NOT want to miss this relaxing and transformative experience of gongs and chimes. You need to bring something comfortable to lie on, such as a blanket or yoga mat. You can enjoy this sitting in a chair but stretched out is preferable!
Jim Doble is a musical instrument creator and Sound Therapist who will create waves of sound to help participants sonically cleanse, rejuvenate, rest, and recuperate. He has been spreading good vibrations around the globe for nearly 30 years. In the last several years, Doble has collected and made a variety of large gongs and other instruments for use in group Sound “Baths.”
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A Closer Look at Collections:
Ring Around the Napkin
What is the origin of the napkin ring? Google says they are an invention of the European bourgeoisie (upper middle class), first appearing in France about 1800. By the mid-nineteenth century, napkin rings were used in American middle and upper class households. Made of metal, wood, bone, porcelain, or glass, napkin rings were made both individually and in sets.
Napkin rings evolved out of a desire to match napkins to their unique users over the course of several meals/days. Growing concerns for personal hygiene required that napkins used repeatedly between washings be reliably returned to the same person at each meal. If the napkin could be personalized by a unique ring placed around it after each meal, the napkin could confidently be returned to the same user again and again.
There are twelve napkin rings in Woodlawn’s collection including a set of three relatively plain wooden rings, five bone rings from an original set of twelve (each one was numbered individually), and four silver rings, all of different designs. In a family of the Black’s stature, it is likely that silver napkins rings were given as either christening, birthday, or anniversary gifts. Relatively easy to make, silversmiths could produce the basic ring quickly and then customize it with monograms, names, engraving or chasing designs.
Each of George and Mary Black’s grown children — Mary Ann, Nixon, and Agnes — had their own napkin ring at Woodlawn. A fourth ring is simply marked “B”. “Nixon” is engraved without further embellishment on the masculine looking ring, while Agnes’s is befitting of a daughter. Mary Ann’s napkin ring presents us with a mystery. It is clearly marked as a gift from CPM to MAB. But who was CMP? Just this month our staff have theorized that CPM was Caroline Peters Means, Mary Ann’s aunt on her mother's side of the family.
Have you given or received such a gift yourself? Perhaps you enjoy the decorative accent that modern, colorful, napkins rings give to your table settings. Whatever your own napkin ring experience is, you may enjoy knowing that napkin rings originated over two centuries ago and were used in the Black family’s home.
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Dogs off Leash - Loving it!
Sunday mornings 8:00 - 9:00 am (ish)
Meet out by the two benches in the North field. No fence - dogs must be well socialized and have good recall.
Please RSVP to tell me you are coming! Thanks, director@woodlawnmuseum.org
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Holiday Preparations
While the museum will again be closed for the Christmas season, Woodlawn is going to put on the outside glam. Starting with Autumn Gold, we have big plans to keep the spirit of the seasons alive with decorations and events.
In fact, my scarecrows need overalls! And some straw hats - if you can help, please call the office at 667-8671. About five haybales would be welcome as well.
Watch for the red tractor! Did I say reindeer?
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Your support of Woodlawn maintains a unique historic home, trails, and programs for the Ellsworth community.
Thank you!
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Woodlawn Museum, Gardens & Park
Black House Drive, P.O. Box 1478
Ellsworth, Maine 04605
(207) 667-8671
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