E-Newsletter | December 11, 2020 |
|
The Legacy of Florence Evans Bushee:
Horsewoman, Collector, Preservationist & Philanthropist
|
|
This month we celebrate the 139th anniversary of one of Newbury's much admired and respected citizens, Florence Fowler Evans Bushee, who was born on December 13, 1881 in Everett, Massachusetts.
Her mother, Florence Carlton Fowler, a Boston native, descended from early New England families and was a life member of the New England Historical & Genealogical Society and active with the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was involved in numerous philanthropic organizations and devoted much of her time to charitable work, a practice she clearly passed on to her daughter.
Florence Bushee's father, Wilmot Roby Evans, was prominent in Boston business and financial circles and served for many years as president of the Boston Five Cents Savings Bank, founded, with others, by his father in 1854. The elder Evans was the bank's first treasurer and later president beginning in 1874 until his retirement in 1907, at which point his son succeeded him in this office.
|
|
The Evans family purchased the farm at 1 Newman Road in 1907 and Old Town Hill Farm flourished and expanded from 1925-1975 under the ownership of Florence Evans Bushee. |
|
1907 was also the year that the Evans family moved from their home in Everett buying the old Newman farm near Old Town Hill in Newbury. Here Evans set out to establish what became Old Town Hill Farm renovating the original twin chimney colonial house with thirteen rooms and eight fireplaces. He also expanded the cow barn and added a Dutch colonial horse barn and several outbuildings, including a blacksmith shop.
Florence's mother died in 1920 at which time Florence and her husband, Rufus Wells Dibble, had moved to Newbury. They were later divorced. By 1925, her father had died bequeathing the Old Town Hill Farm to his only daughter. Under her ownership, the farm flourished for the next 50 years and reflected her many and varied interests. She was an accomplished horsewoman, a discerning collector and antiquarian, a patron of the arts, a preservationist and a philanthropist.
She quickly established Old Town Hill Stables where she raised prize horses and crops. There were also formal gardens, and orchards. The field behind one of the barns was the Race Track and was used by Florence and her staff of horse trainers for many years. Her most celebrated horse was named Flowing Gold.
Henry Rolfe who worked at Old Town Hill Farm after World War II remembers that the last occupant of the elegant stable was a horse named Hiram who "cultivated" the vegetable garden through the 1950s.
In June 1940, Florence married the Rev. George A. Bushee, a graduate of Williams College and Yale Divinity School. Together, the couple enjoyed summer visits to Brookfield, VT and Jackson, NH, where the Rev. Bushee was head of the Thorn Mountain School for Boys. The Rev. Bushee died in 1961 and the following year, Florence Bushee established a scholarship in her husband's name for students at Yale Divinity School.
|
|
A group poses with a sign announcing the current show, Petticoat Fever: A Non-Tropical Farce in Three Acts. This show is a screwball comedy featuring a lonely, bored wireless operator on the coast of Labrador and a couple stranded there by a plane crash. The play came to the Newbury stage in 1940. |
|
Florence Evans Bushee was a staunch supporter of the arts community and was an accomplished pianist in her youth. In 1939, the old Dutch Colonial barn took on a new life as the home of The Ould Newbury Studio Playhouse, a summer theater. Bushee sponsored musical and theatrical productions until 1941 when the theater closed due to the threat of war. In the 1940s, Sam Sargent, artist and founding member and leader of the Newburyport Art Association, used the barn to display his paintings.
By 1952, Mrs. Bushee was focusing her efforts on conserving the fragile landscape surrounding her. A forward-thinking preservationist, she worked with The Trustees of Reservations to create Old Town Hill reservation, donating 126 acres of property near her farm in 1952 and adding more land in 1960 and 1966 to create a three-mile network of trails.
Her preservation efforts continued with the renovation of the circa-1728 Seddon Tavern on Newbury's Lower Green after a devastating fire in 1940. Although not an original building, it has been described as a " a meticulous reconstruction of the tavern" ... reflecting ... "a mid-20th century antiquarian understanding of 18th century architecture."
A second and extensive restoration effort occurred in 1954 when Bushee acquired the circa-1715 Dole-Little House above the Parker River. The paneling from one chamber was installed at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.; a copy replaces it in the original chamber. Historic New England was bequeathed the house after Mrs. Bushee's death in 1975. In spite of her fierce passion for preserving the past in a positive way, in a tragically ironic turn of events, Bushee’s own estate was razed by developers in 2013.
During her lifetime, Florence Bushee supported numerous community non-profits including the Museum of Old Newbury, she served many years on the Board of Directors and bequeathed the bulk of her estate to the museum.
In 1953, Bushee paid tribute to her father by establishing the Wilmot Roby Evans Corporation, a private foundation that provided financial assistance to Newbury area students seeking a college education. For the next 22 years she provided scholarship aid to worthy students. In 1986, recognizing her foresight, the directors of the foundation renamed it in her honor. In addition to scholarships, the Florence Evans Bushee Foundation funds summer internships at the museum for students interested in pursuing a museum career. Her legacy will inspire the next generation of preservationists.
|
|
Florence Evans Bushee is seen here preparing to drive her famous coach-and-four. Bushee used this coach, named the Valiant, for charity events both locally and across the country. The vehicle was used by Newburyport’s Junior Victory League to sell war bonds and stamps during WWII. Here Postmaster John Woods Kelley* greets Mrs. Bushee along Green Street. *Kelley was the grandfather of Jim Chandler. Photo courtesy of Sally Chandler. |
|
This 1930s Christmas card from Old Town Hill Farm commemorates Florence Evans Dibble's record-breaking trip from New York City to the Atlantic City Horse Show earlier that year. The approximately 110-mile trip took just under ten hours to complete. Seats on this historic ride were auctioned to raise money for charity. |
|
|
|
Do you see what I see?
A gilded steel replica of the Museum of Old Newbury Merman, featured high atop the Custom House Maritime Museum's "Maritime Tree," is up for auction.
Joan Whitlow, executive director, Custom House Maritime Museum, shares, "We knew the Merman would be the perfect topper for our tree. Like the colorful light display, it catches the eye and beckons one and all to stop and admire." The tree will be lit until January 7, 2021.
The hand cut and crafted Triton with Horn, also known as the Merman, is similar to the one on the Museum of Old Newbury's sign, made by museum Co-President, David Mack. It can be used as a tree topper or garden ornament. The piece measures 15"H x 18"W and is mounted on a 3' steel pole.
|
|
Maritime Tree sparkles with the perfect dusting of snow. Image courtesy of Jack Santos. |
|
When getting "hooked" on something is a good thing!
Hooked and Braided Rug, probably Newburyport, late 19th century.
This small, religiously inspired rug, by an unknown maker, is similar in design and color to other hooked rugs by the same maker in the museum's textile collections.
From the collections of the Museum of Old Newbury.
Click on the image to begin.
|
|
Something is Always Cooking at the Museum
The Museum of Old Newbury's Executive Director, Susan Edwards, shares her traditional holiday danish recipe this week. Chance of it becoming your new go-to dish? 100%!
Christmas Morning Danish Puff
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons water
Cut butter into flour, sprinkle with water, mix with fork to form a ball. Divide in half and roll into two long strips (12"x3"). Place 3" apart on un-greased baking sheet.
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 cup flour
3 eggs
Bring to a boil and add almond flavoring; remove from heat. Stir in flour. When smooth, add eggs, one at a time. When smooth, spread over pastry strips on baking sheet and bake 1 hour at 350ºF.
Frost with butter frosting (butter and confectioner's sugar) and sprinkle with almonds, if desired.
|
|
Learn about upcoming programs, register, find Zoom links and catch up on previous presentations here. |
|
Watch the Latest Episode of "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!" Here
Jack Santos, Custom House Maritime Museum, and Colleen Turner Secino, Museum of Old Newbury, talk all things Ould Newbury on the most recent episode of "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!" (Watch here).
And save the date for Friday, December 18, 2020's show, featuring special guest, Alex Cain (get link here), author, academic dean and one of the founding partners of Untapped History, a historical walking tour company based in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Season 2 of "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!" starts Friday, January 8, 2021.
|
|
Join Mike Welch as he walks you through holiday terms and origins, plus croons a few carols, complete with lyrics for you to sing-a-long. |
|
A Colonial Christmas Premiers Friday, Dec. 18, 2020
The Museum of Old Newbury is proud to present a holiday program to watch at your leisure. Board Member, Historian and Re-enactor Mike Welch will take you back in time and explain what holidays were like in the late 1700s through 1800.
Just when did we start "dashing through the snow?" Mike Welch explains this and many other origins of holiday terms and traditions. And listen to Mike as he performs traditional carols, complete with lyrics so you can join in.
Gather 'round the computer screen and enjoy this cozy Colonial Christmas show, premiering on Friday, December 18, 2020; link available in that day's e-Newsletter.
|
|
A Newburyport Travelogue - Part 2
Tuesday, January 5, 2021 @ 7:00 p.m.
Hold onto your armchair, we are heading to Europe.
Newburyport has a rich and storied history that connects it to places spanning the globe. Stories of Newburyport can be found in faraway lands like London, the Caribbean, Chile, Oregon, California, Bermuda and Hawaii. With Jack Santos as your guide, learn about Newburyport’s connections to the world.
Find out how you can be a Global Newburyport History Explorer – far from Market Square!
This is a virtual event and is free of charge; register here. We will send the Zoom link the day before, Monday, January 4, 2020.
(Miss Part 1? Check it out here.)
|
|
Black Flags, Blue Waters:
The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates
Thursday, January 14, 2021 @ 7:00 p.m.
|
|
In this virtual event, best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin will take us through the Golden Age of American piracy when lawless pirates plied the coastal waters of North America and beyond.
Dolin will explore how colonists at first supported these outrageous pirates in an early display of solidarity against the Crown, and then violently opposed them.
Legendary pirates such as Blackbeard, the ill-fated Captain Kidd, and sadistic Edward Low, who delighted in torturing his prey, will all be discussed.
Black Flags, Blue Waters was chosen as a "Must-Read" book for 2019 by the Massachusetts Center for the Book.
This is a virtual event and is free of charge; register here. Donations graciously accepted.
|
|
Wreaths Capture Museum of Old Newbury's Holiday Spirit |
|
A pandemic is not going to stop the Newburyport Garden Club from donating two holiday wreaths to the Museum of Old Newbury for display on the entrances of High and Fruit Streets.
Garden Club Members Judy Wilkinson and Sherry Evans designed the elegant pieces. Each features assorted evergreens, including boxwood, cedar, fir, spruce and pines of varying lengths, with holly, andromeda, cones and more interspersed. Both used matching ribbon to "tie" the pair together.
Susan C.S. Edwards, executive director for the Museum of Old Newbury, observes, "Each wreath is quite striking, yet perfectly complement one another. And Sherry's touch of apples for the Fruit Street entrance is particularly charming."
|
|
You know what today is? A great day to order the 2021 Cushing House Calendar and your holiday gift giving worries are history.
You can stop by the Brown Chapel (Oak Hill Cemetery, 4 Brown Street, Newburyport), Saturday and Sundays through Christmas, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m., and purchase your 2021 calendar from Newburyport native and historian, Ghlee Woodworth.
COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place; masks and social distancing required.
$16.50 per calendar.
|
|
During this difficult period of COVID-19, we rely on your support more than ever. We are working to reschedule many of the programs that we have had to postpone, as well as develop new, online programs for you to enjoy and keep us connected. We hope, if you are able, that you will consider a donation to the museum. Thank you for your continued support.
|
|
Museum e-Newsletter made possible through the
generosity of our sponsors:
|
|
|
Museum of Old Newbury
98 High Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-462-2681
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
