March at Woodlawn

March 2025 Newsletter

Looking ahead to Spring!

As we enter March and start to dream of spring we are excited for the coming activity at Woodlawn. We are hosting the DaPonte String Quartet today, March 1st at 3:30PM for a concert, alongside our partner the Ellsworth Community Music Institute. Tickets are available at the door so come by for a great performance! In recognition of March being women's history month, our history lecture series will feature a talk from Alissa Wetherbee of the Axe Women Loggers of Maine on March 3rd. This session will focus on the history of lumberjills in the forestry industry. Our next indoor craft and farmers market will be on March 8th. Finally, we will close out March with a program on nature journaling with Karen Zimmerman on the 29th.

These programs and events are made possible by the generosity of our community, supporters, and partners. Woodlawn exists to preserve history and be a center of education and recreation. We can only do that with the help of the public. Thank you for your encouragement through outreach, attendance, and support!

Although I am departing Woodlawn, I am proud of the programming and events we have offered to the community. Woodlawn is a wonderful asset to Ellsworth and all of Hancock County. Woodlawn has a bright future and with increased engagement it will only grow as a historic and community resource.

With gratitude,

Evan Moats

Executive Director

Meet our New Trustees

We are excited to introduce you to Chris Crockett and Shannon Waldner. They have just recently joined the Woodlawn board along with Christine Wellman, who we featured in our February newsletter.

Chris Crockett

Chris is an Ellsworth High School graduate and lives in Surry. Chris began his career in newspapers at The Ellsworth American in 1995, leading the technology and digital initiatives for The American. He assisted in the launch of the Mount Desert Islander in 2001.

In 2020, Chris was promoted to publisher and led a group of weekly newspapers

including The Ellsworth American, Mount Desert Islander, Courier-Gazette, Republican Journal, Camden Herald and The Free Press. In 2024 Chris helped guide the launch of the Midcoast Villager, a combination of the Midcoast Maine weekly newspapers. Chris continues to lead The Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander as publisher.

Chris spent twelve years serving on the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors including two years as board chair. In 2019 Chris joined the Maine Press Association board of director and served as board president in 2022.

Shannon Waldner

Shannon and her husband divide their time between Atlanta, GA and Hancock, Maine. They have six adult children and two grandchildren. Shannon is engaged in volunteer work in Atlanta and she is active in her Hancock Point community where she is on the Board of Directors and the Secretary for the Crabtree Neck Land Trust. Shannon also does administrative work for Hancock Point Village Improvement Society and is on the Hancock Point Chapel Committee.

Shannon and her husband are avid sailors on Frenchman Bay. And they enjoy hiking in GA and in ME as much as possible. Shannon loves nature, books and dogs.

DaPonte String Quartet Live Performance March 1st at 3:30 PM

More Information

From the Archives

Elizabeth Black Dyer

1809-1863

By Roz Rea, Trustee

Women’s History Month begins today. To celebrate let’s take a look into the life of Elizabeth Black, fourth child and second of two daughters born to John and Mary Black. In her lifetime Elizabeth was a daughter, sister, cousin, wife, mother, aunt and grandmother.

The story of Elizabeth’s life can be pieced together from evidence in Woodlawn’s archives and collections as well from her descendants. For example, this silver baby’s cup, owned privately, was purchased in Boston from Jones, Ball & Low company. It was a gift to her from her father. The cup is shown alongside silver spoons from the Woodlawn collection that

were made by the same silversmith, William Moulton (1772-1861).

Little is know of Elizabeth’s childhood until, in the early 1820s, she went to Taunton, Massachusetts to live with relatives and complete her education. Prior to returning to Ellsworth in 1824, one of Elizabeth’s friends wrote in her memory book.

To Elizabeth

When Morn awakes the slumbering world,

And bids the shadowy night to flee,

Refreshed with rest, and gay with hope,

Elizabeth, think on me!

In 1829 Elizabeth married David Dyer of Castine. Their first son, John Black Dyer, was born within the year. Proud grandfather, John Black, announced “Elizabeth has a little boy a few days old” in a letter to Elizabeth’s brother. In due time, a daughter (Elizabeth) and another son (Frances) were born. The Dyers stayed in Ellsworth for a decade before moving to Boston to represent the Black family's lumber business in the city. Ten years later the Dyer’s fourth child, Charles, was born in Boston.

Elizabeth appears regularly in John Black’s travel journals when he is in Boston. Although her father stayed in a local hotel, he usually “took tea” at Elizabeth’s meaning he ate supper there and passed the evening with the family. Elizabeth accompanied her father to museums, the theater, and on visits to see friends and family. She also helped her father shop for things wanted back in Ellsworth by her mother and her sister Mary Ann. In the 1850s as her father’s eyesight failed, Elizabeth took care of him after several eye surgeries done in Boston.

Elizabeth passed away on January 3, 1863 at age 53. She was the first of her siblings to die. Her husband and their four children ranging in age from 15 to 34 survived her. David Dyer lived another ten years. The couple is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett, Massachusetts.

Upcoming Events

History Lecture Series

History of "Lumberjills"

March 3rd at 6PM

Alissa Wetherbee, co-owner of the Axe Women Loggers of Maine will speak about the history of "Lumberjills".

As men enlisted during WWI & WWII, women, who would soon be known as Lumberjills, answered the call with axes and saws. These unsung heros cleared land for farming, ran sawmills, and continued the production of timber for manufacturing products such as telegraph poles, airplane propellers, bridges & ammo boxes! Their hard work helped break gender stereotypes and paved the way for modern day female foresters. Learn about the challenges they faced & overcame!

RSVP

Maine's Granite

Industry

April 21st at 6PM

Steven Haynes, founder and curator of the Maine Granite Industry Historical Society and Museum will speak about the history of the Granite Industry in Maine.

Granite quarrying began as early as 1830 in Maine and is still a large industry today with quarries operating in several areas around the state.

The Maine Granite Industry Museum works to collect and preserve any type of material pertaining to this important industry.

RSVP

Woodlawn's History Lecture Series is sponsored by:

Legacy Properties of Sotheby's International Realty.

Science Saturdays

Nature Journaling

March 29th

1-3PM

$10 per person

Join Maine Master Naturalist, Karen Zimmerman for a workshop on nature journaling.

No art skills required, just curiosity about the world around us.

In the event of bad weather this event maybe cancelled or postponed.

This is open to ages 10+ and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Amphibians

April 5th

10AM-12PM

$10 per person

Join Maine Master Naturalist, Judy Walker to learn about amphibians through a visit to the Woodlawn pond.

In the event of bad weather this event maybe cancelled or postponed.

This is a family friendly event and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Upcoming Workshops

~For Homeschool Families!~

Author Kimberly Ridley is coming to Woodlawn for a fun interactive workshop for homeschool students in grades K-6.

Learn about the amphibians and plant life that call the Woodlawn pond home. The session will include creating a nature journal, a science writing activity, and a visit the pond to look for amphibians.

All materials will be provided and each family will take home a copy of her book, The Secret Pool.

Space is limited to 15 students per session and pre-registration is required.

Morning Session

Afternoon Session

Woodlawn's Winter Craft & Farmers' Market

We hope you will join us at our Winter Craft & Farmers' Market on

Saturday, March 8th from 10AM-1PM.

We are excited to offer a selection of baked goods inspired by the Woodlawn Teas recipe book, adapted from the recipes of Irma Eliason. Irma and her husband Axel were Woodlawn's caretakers from 1916-1965.

Stop by our pop up gift shop to pick up a sweet treat and a copy of Woodlawn Teas.

We would love to know if you recreate any of Irma's recipes.

Our last market of the season will be on

Saturday, April 12th from 10AM-1PM.

For questions about the markets, please reach out to Venue Coordinator, Lesley Clisura at lesley.clisura@woodlawnellsworth.org