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HEARTHSIDE HOUSE MUSEUM NEWSLETTER
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"The House That Love Built" Vol. 9, Issue 9 Sept./Oct. 2016
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Fall seemed to have arrived early at Hearthside, with fallen leaves covering the lawn well before any other property around. Guess she wanted to get going on al
l the various activities scheduled during this season!
Indeed, our calendar indeed was already quite full, but add in a few unexpected activities, and my own calendar could barely keep up. And as a result, this is the Sep
tember newsletter, as well as the October newsletter.
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Hearthside proudly flying the flag on Great Road Day when we welcomed over 220 visitors.
Photo by Bill McManus
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The past few weeks have marked
two pretty significant historical events
for us, both of which makes me realize how important the work we do really is. As caretakers of our history, we must do it right to pass along to the next generation, and therefore it underscores the tremendous responsibility we have!
One of those events was the release of our long-awaited historical cookbook. The
Culinary Journey in Time: 1810-1910
offers up a unique look at what the families who lived here during that century would have been eating. Food really does tell a story, and the book is filled with them. It makes for an interesting and entertaining read, especially with descriptions of "how to clean a calf's head for Mock Turtle Soup of Calf's Head," or "rubbing the pigeon's for Pigeon's Pie." But there are also many great traditional recipes for more common foods that we enjoy today such as chowder, pot roast, and apple pie.
The recipes contained in the book were the inspiration for this year's
Victorian Dinner Party.
This is always a really special evening with delicious foods and great conversations, but this year will be particularly more so. And of course, this is an important fundraising event so we appreciate all who come and join us!
Through this look back at history at the foods served at Hearthside, we've come to appreciate the "other story" about Hearthside's builder,
Stephen Hopkins Smith. He was a
well-known horticulturist and founder of the RI Horticultural Society. Over the next year, our goal will be to
delve deeper into historical records to learn more about the significant role Stephen played in many important discoveries about fruit propagation, fertilizers, butter making, and other plant species that he researched and produced reports on.
The other major event has been the
permanent return of the Talbot Looms to Hearthside. It is pretty incredible when you think about the fact that this collection
has stayed together for well over 100 years and has found its way back to where it all started by Arnold Talbot in 1904.
We are excited with the prospect of planning out the incorporation of many of the items into our attic exhibit and to displaying some of the very textiles made here. This will certainly be a wintertime project during the time when we're closed.
There is certainly
power in partnerships and working with our neighbors on Great Road Day in the past has always proved to be successful. Coming up in November, we've partnered with
Historic New England to present a joint tour with the 1693 Arnold House just a short distance down the roa
d from us, in a contrasting look at two mansions.
We've formed another partnership for the following month, too. Those who've come to enjoy Hearthside every year at Christmastime will be in for a real treat this year as we kick off the season on
Dec. 4th with a bit of a different twist....a celebration of the classic story
"The Nutcracker." We've partnered with
Heritage Ballet for a special appearance by several of the dancers to be part of our "decor" as the story is told throughout the house.
Families who often come to Hearthside and take pictures of their kids in front of our beautifully decorated trees can now plan on getting a family picture done. On
Sat. and Sun. December 10 and 11
, we'll have a photographer on site to take those holiday pictures for you so that everyone in the family is in them! We're asking for a $10 donation for this.
But before we get into the spirit of the Christmas season, we're in a more somber spirit....that of
Gone But Not Forgotten, our Victorian Mourning and Funeral Customs exhibit which opens this Saturday!
Hope you'll join us for one of the October dates being offered for this
most unusual event.
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Sat., Oct. 15 Gone But Not Forgotten- Exhibit/Candlelight Tours+
Sun. Oct. 23 Gone Bit Not Forgotten -
Exhibit/Tours
Sat. Oct. 29 Gone But Not Forgotten - Exhibit/Candlelight Tours+
Sun. Oct. 30 Gone But Not Forgotten -
Exhibit/Tours
Sun. Nov. 6 A Tale of Two Mansions on Great Road:
Hearthside & the Arnold House-
House Tours+
Sat. Nov. 12 Victorian Dinner Party: A Culinary Journey From 1810-1910
Fundraiser**
Thurs. Dec. 1 Membership VIP Reception***
Sat. Dec. 3 American Girl Doll Christmas Party***
+ Call to reserve tour time
**Advance ticket purchase only
*** Members Only
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| THIS IS HUGE!!! HEARTHSIDE RECEIVES TALBOT LOOM COLLECTION |
History has been made once again at Hearthside! And it's a huge deal! On Monday, September 26th, the
remainder of the Talbot Collection was transferred to Hearthside from the
American Textile History Museum. It took a team of five of us, along with the wonderful staff from the ATHM, to disassemble all the looms and spinning wheels, number, and pack up all the pieces for the move. We managed it in record time and made it back to Hearthside from Lowell with two truck loads and a trailer filled with looms, spinning wheels, several boxes of textiles that were woven by the Talbot weavers over a hundred years ago, and a supply of tabletop looms for educational use.
It is somewhat bittersweet however, since the donation was made possible due to the closure of the American Textile History Museum. With the closing of that museum, all their collections had to be de-accessioned.
Frances Talbot, the last member of the family to run the hand weaving business in Philadelphia, had left all the family's antique weaving equipment to the Museum. Her nephew,
Bill Talbot of Cincinnati, has transferred his inheritance of this collection directly to Hearthside.
We are thrilled and most honored to have the
Talbot Collection back home again where it all started back in 1904! This significant acquisition will be incorporated into our current weaving exhibit (although many pieces will need to be stored because of lack of space), and the tabletop looms will become part of an expansion of our exhibit next year which will be geared toward educating kids about hand weaving.
Very special thanks to the staff at the American Textile History Museum for working so closely with us to make this transfer happen, and to
Dave Westcott whose valuable knowledge and advice provided for the successful disassembly of the delicate equipment, and his generosity in taking time out of work and providing for the truck rental to move everything. And of course, to the volunteers who were pretty sore at the end of the day from all the physical labor it took to make this major move! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
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The original Hearthside Looms sign that hung at the driveway to the house when Talbots operated their business here 1904-1926.
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Ready for the big move are volunteers Rachel Guadagni and Jenna Alessandro.
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Some of the Talbot equipment on display and ready to be picked up from the American Textile History Museum.
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The enormity of the Museum's closure saddens Jenna Alessandro as she gets ready to move a stack of boxes containing Talbot handwoven textiles.
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| Volunteers John Scanlon and Dave Westcott disassemble one of the five looms in storage that were moved back to Hearthside. The looms, which are 200-300 years old, were held together by wooden pegs. Each piece was numbered by Jenna and Rachel before being wrapped for transport. |
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The moving crew led by Dave Westcott, a noted weaver and spinner, and Kathy Hartley, John Scanlon, Kevin Marchand, Jenna Alessandro and Rachel Guadagni unload the trucks upon arrival at Hearthside.
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GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: VICTORIAN MOURNING & FUNERAL CUSTOMS
6th Annual Exhibit Opens Oct. 15th
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Dates for our 2016 Tours:
Saturday, Oct. 15th 4-7 p.m. *
At 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30 & 6:00
Sunday, Oct. 23rd 1-4 p.m. At 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30 & 3:00 Saturday, Oct. 29th 4-7 p.m. * At 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30 & 6:00 Sunday, Oct. 30th 1-4 p.m. At 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30 & 3:00 *Reservations recommended due to high demand for candlelight tours. It's October and that means that Hearthside goes into mourning for its annual Gone But Not Forgotten exhibit. This look at the traditions surrounding death and mourning is one of Hearthside's most popular exhibits. Each room throughout the 10 room museum is transformed to recreate the scene of a typical wake and funeral during the 19th century. The solemn occasion is a depiction of a household in mourning, in this case, for the death of Hearthside's owner Simon E. Thornton who died there in 1873.
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The drawing room, set up as it would have been in 1873 for the wake and funeral of Simon E. Thornton, features the coffin for the "deceased." Volunteers in period mourning attire enhance the exhibit with informative guided tours. |
For this exhibit, the house is decked out in black, with bunting and wreaths on the outside, and black draped mantles and mirrors inside. Upon entering the house, somber music plays in the background, and volunteer docents dressed in mourning attire lead visitors on a fascinating tour through the house as they hear about early funerary customs and view the exhibits and information panels in each room. Featured in the exhibit is an antique wicker coffin used to transport bodies to the grave, and the undertaker's book in which Simon E. Thornton's death was recorded. Since mortality rates among children was so high during the 19th century, a child's coffin is also on display.
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portable embalming table and the undertaker's embalming tools are set up in the very same bedroom w
he
re Thornton took his last breath in 1873.
In the dining room, visitors are offered a memento of a "funeral cookie," wrapped and sealed with black sealing wax, a common gesture by the family at a wake.
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A wreath containing "flowers" made from human hair is among the artifacts on display.
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The house tour concludes in the drawing room where the coffin is displayed, containing "the deceased" and surrounded by floral arrangements (used to disguise the odor of the body) is displayed, giving mourners a chance to pay their respects. Superstitions surrounding the afterlife are also part of the exhibit, with demonstrations of tarot card reading being featured. In addition to Victorian funerary memorabilia, objects on exhibit include Victorian mourning fashions, a wreath and jewelry made from human hair belonging to the deceased, special mourning stationery, and post-mortem photographs. Candlelight tours are given on the two Saturday dates and reservations are recommended because of their popularity. Sunday afternoon tours are the same, except done without all the candles and do not require reservations (unless a large group). All tours are given every half hour.
To reserve or for more information, send me an
EMAIL
or call 726-0597. Tours are filling quickly!
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| VICTORIAN DINNER PARTY SCHEDULED FOR SAT. NOV. 12TH |
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A formal dinner table is set for the Victorian Dinner Party. Photo by David Cruz
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A very unique dinner party is on the schedule once again this fall. The Victorian Dinner Party is scheduled for Saturday, November 12th. This elegant dinner is limited to 22 guests seated around one large table in the Music Room. The warm glow of candlelight from the candelabras and the beautiful fall table setting make for a perfect atmosphere for this intimate gathering. 
As a follow up to our recently-released cookbook, the menu for the dinner has been selected from among the recipes in the book which span from 1810-1910 and could have been enjoyed by earlier families who lived at Hearthside during that time period. Our guest executive chef,
Nate Martin from Roger Williams University, and Hearthside's chef
John Scanlon, will prepare the five course dinner of fresh foods from local farms in Hearthside's colonial kitchen. As guests are presented with each course, the chefs will present an explanation about the history and preparation of the dishes being served. Wine will be served during the evening. A special seasonal dessert is being prepared by retired
RI Supreme Court Justice Frank Williams.
This annual event is an important
fundraiser for Hearthside's Capital Improvement Fund. The cost is $100 per person and reservations should be made by calling Hearthside at 726-0597.
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GREAT ROAD DAY WAS GREAT!
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On
Saturday, September 24th, Hearthside and several other historic properties along Great Road participated in Great Road Day. Held annually in collaboration with the
Smithsonian's Museum Day, this event offers
free tours with the goal of introducing our community's valuable historic resources to visitors.
This year, Hearthside saw its
largest crowd ever for this event.....over 220 visitors! The majority were visiting for the first time and everyone pledged that they would be back for some of our other upcoming events. Featured at Hearthside were self-guided tours and cooking demonstrations over the open fire, and the introduction of our new Hearthside Cookbook, now available for sale in our Gift Shop or through
our website's online shop. A rare opportunity to visit the Moffett Mill was also featured along with demonstrations at the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop. Photos below by Justin Baro.
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Estelle Barada discusses the ingredients and method used for cooking some of the dishes over the open fire which she demonstrated.
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Hearthside Cookbook author, Lois Hartley, discussed the unusual foods she learned about in her research of 19th century recipes that are included in the book.
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Estelle Barada with her helpers, granddaughter Jayniece, and volunteer Dani Cournoyer.
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Estelle Barada tends to her fire and scoops out embers to be used in the cooking of the various dishes she prepared.
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Volunteer Ellen Metcalfe explains the Colonial kitchen set up to this young family on a tour through the house.
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Somebody had to sample the vegetable stew and Dave Cruz happily volunteered his services.
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Volunteer Bev Cournoyer on the front porch welcoming visitors to Hearthside.
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Ed Venditelli demonstrates heating metal in the forge prior to shaping it on the anvil.
Photo by Christine Maino
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS
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A TALE OF TWO MANSIONS
ON GREAT ROAD:
Hearthside & the Arnold House
Sun. Nov. 6th
11-2:30 p.m.
Call to reserve tickets for joint tour. $10
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VICTORIAN DINNER PARTY: A Culinary Journey from 1810-1910
Sat. Nov. 12th
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Call to reserve tickets ---limited seating. $100 each.
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CELEBRATE AN OLD- FASHIONED CHRISTMAS AT HEARTHSIDE
Dec. 1 VIP Membership Reception - members only
Dec. 3 American Girl Doll Christmas Party - Members Only
Dec. 4 "The Nutcracker: Clara's Dream Comes Alive"
With special appearance by performers from Heritage Ballet
Dec. 10 & 11 Self-guided Tours
Dec. 28 & 30 Candlelight Guided Tours
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| A GLIMPSE OF RECENT EVENTS |
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Over the past month, we've welcomed some very special guests, including an evening with internationally-acclaimed spiritual medium,
Roland Comtois,
two home school group tours, and a lively group from the
Middletown Senior Center.
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Ready to welcome home schoolers are Bev Cournoyer, Kristin Scribner, Lily Scribner, Jared Scribner, Estelle Barada and Rachel Guadagni.
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This group of home school students and their families spent the afternoon enjoying a picnic lunch at Chase Farm Park, blacksmith demos at the Hannaway Shop, and a tour of Hearthside.
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Here I am giving a lesson about one-room schoolhouses outside of the soon-to-be-restored Pullen Corner Schoolhouse.
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John Scanlon and Ed Venditelli guided each student with their time at the anvil at the blacksmith shop.
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Roland Comtois chatting with Christine Maino and me. He fell in love with Hearthside the moment he walked in. He taped a brief video prior to his Sept. 16th performance and posted it on his page for his Facebook followers to see just how beautiful the place was that he was appearing at.
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The "purple papers" of Roland, containing the messages he receives, are spread out on the table as he shares with the audience and finds those whom the messages are meant for.
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John Scanlon explains the Rumford Oven to this group from the Middletown Senior Center.
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The Talbot Loom history in the attic were of great interest to the senior group.
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A TALE OF TWO MANSIONS ON GREAT ROAD:
Hearthside & the Arnold House
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Sunday, Nov. 6th
11-2:30 p.m.
Hearthside is partnering with
Historic New England's Arnold House, lo
cated just a half mile down the road, to provide a tour which contrasts these two landmarks on Great Road.
The Great Road from Providence to Mendon, Mass. was opened in 1683. One of the first to settle here were the Arnolds. Eleazer Arnold built a stone ender house here in 1693, which became known as "The Splendid Mansion."
A little more than 100 years later, another mansion was built on Great Road that became known as Hearthside. In this joint program, one ticket will provide for a tour of b
oth mansions. Visitors will learn about the commonalities and differences of the architecture, the uses of these structures, and the families who lived in them over the years.
Call in advance to register for this limited capacity tour opportunity! $10 for joint tour.
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| TWO HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS SCHEDULED FOR MEMBERS ONLY |
To kick off the holiday season, we are hosting two very special events exclusively for our members taking place prior to the public openings for December.
In appreciation for member loyalty, Friends of Hearthside hosts an annual complimentary
VIP reception on
Thursday,
December 1st from 6:00-8:30 p.m.
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his year, our members will be invited to see
Hearthside in its holiday splendor at the start of the season before the public. This exclusive event is
open only to members who are current
in their annual dues.
Members of the board of directors will be on hand to personally thank members and discuss our future plans for Hearthside and the other properties we care for under our stewardship. It's a great time to visit in a relaxing atmosphere before the hectic period before the holidays sets in, and perfect for getting into the spirit!
So if your membership is expiring this fall, or you've let it lapse, now is the time to consider getting up to date with your dues. Click here if you wish to make payment online, or simply mail in a check made payable to Friends of Hearthside, 757 Great Road, Lincoln, RI 02865. Invitation will be sent out to current members in a few weeks.
Also just for our members is an invitation for the
American Girl Doll Christmas Party
on
Saturday afternoon, December 3rd.
This event will include
two seatings
, each limited to just 25 girls, accompanied by an adult. The party includes story time with a special historic message, hot chocolate and cupcakes (and one with a special prize inside), Christmas sing-along, visit with Santa,
and viewing the beautiful holiday decorations.
For the public, Hearthside's season will begin on Sunday, December 4th!
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| JOIN NOW AND BECOME A VIP TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE INVITATIONS |
Membership does have its benefits. Not only are you
supporting Hearthside so that we may
continue to open the doors and provide the community with
tours, unique programs and events that raise funds for its preservation, but
YOU get advantages.
Advance purchase on special event tickets---our members got the chance to buy
tickets to
the Downton Abbey Tea, the Wine & Chocolate Tasting, the American Girl Doll Tea, Roland Comtois spiritual medium, the American Girl Doll Garden Party
and for the
upcoming Victorian Dinner Party. Space is limited during these types of events so
having the opportunity to purchase earlier guarantees a seat!
Exclusive Events---only members may purchase tickets to our holiday event - the American Girl Doll Christmas Party on Dec. 3rd, and only members are invited to attend a VIP Reception given annually to show appreciation for your support. The 2016 reception will be held on Thursday,
December 1st, giving members a chance to enjoy a relaxed viewing of Hearthside's
elegant
holiday decorations prior to any public events.
Discounts
---our members get 10% discounted pricing on tickets for special events as
well
as in our Gift Shop.
Free Tours
---our members were given free admittance to our regular guided tour
days;
depending upon level of membership, members brought along additional guests. R
eciprocal tours were offered at other historic sites through our association with the
RI Historic
Sites Coalition.
Please think about the fate of the American Textile History Museum. Don't assume that any museum has adequate funding. Give today to make sure Hearthside continues on!
We very much appreciate each and every member and donor!
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| As they say, there's always something happening at Hearthside...come join us this fall season!
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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