Historic New England

Charles Bulfinch and Boston's Vanishing West End

During 1960 and 1961, two large-scale land clearances leveled wholesale blocks of buildings, as well of some of the loveliest architecture to grace Boston. While many of these buildings may not have had historical signifigance, standing among them was a house designed in 1793 or 1794 by Boston's fam...

Date: 1961

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169713

Ref. Code: SC001.1961.052.186.001

Lewis and Bartholomew's Mechanical Panorama of the Battle of Bunker Hill

Panoramas provided popular entertainment to the masses before movies, television or radio were even imagined. Large canvas paintings unfurled off of rollers and depicting a story or journey, they provided escape and education to those who witnessed the spectacles. Minard Lewis and Truman C. Bartholo...

Date: 1961

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169714

Ref. Code: SC001.1961.052.186.002

A Genealogical Puzzle

A call to SPNEA members with Essex County ancestry to help with a puzzling piece of an iron fireback.

Date: 1960

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169715

Ref. Code: SC001.1960.050.179.004

Contract for Building Portions of a Turnpike in 1806

A contract from SPNEA's manuscript collections.

Date: 1961

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169716

Ref. Code: SC001.1961.052.186.003

The Forgotten Courtship of David and Marcy Spear, 1785-1787

A series of letters reveals two years in the courtship between David and Marcy Spear, as their relationship moves from formal and secret to flowery and open. These letters were arranged and edited by Robert Bartlett Haas, head of the department of arts and humanities at UCLA.

Date: 1962

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169717

Ref. Code: SC001.1962.052.187.001

When They Burned Peat in Middleton

Peat is normally associated with Ireland, where it is still used for fuel. But as early as 1790 to as late as 1870, peat was used in New England as an inexpensive source for heating. Essex County, for instance, once had no fewer than 21,000 acres of peat bog.

Date: 1962

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169718

Ref. Code: SC001.1962.052.187.002

Lewis and Bartholomew's Mechanical Panorama of the Battle of Bunker Hill (Part 2)

Part two of the article detailing the travels of an elaborate panorama depicting the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Date: 1962

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169719

Ref. Code: SC001.1962.052.187.003

Note on "Plans of an American Country Town" 1769-1770

The settlements of America were originally based on a European design. But with all the land to be had in America, what were once neatly planned towns and villages grew outward on tangents; the European design didn't work here. Featured here are two plans, published in "The Gentleman's Magazine," fo...

Date: 1962

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169720

Ref. Code: SC001.1962.053.189.001

Hartford in an Old Account Book

John Potwines was a silversmith and merchant who came to Hartford from Boston in 1737. His daybook provides interesting insight into everyday life in Hartford in 1752, from the price of a suit of clothes to the favorite beverage of Reverend Hezekiah Bissell.

Date: 1962

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169721

Ref. Code: SC001.1962.053.189.002

St. Michael's Church, Marblehead, Massachusetts, 1714, Part II

This article records, on the basis of early documentary and internal evidence, the individual features of the original building, as well as the multiplicity of changes and additions which have marked St. Michael's Church through almost three centuries. It is in this way that historical fact is separ...

Date: 1962

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169722

Ref. Code: SC001.1962.053.190.001

Friendship Cards

In the 1880s and 1890s, the friendship card was one of the most popular ways of showing affections. The brightly colored cards were treasured not only for the meaning they held, but for their collectability. These cards were stored in albums and cherised for years, sometimes lasting longer than the ...

Date: 1962

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169723

Ref. Code: SC001.1962.053.190.002

The Pedler's Cart

A comment on the origin of tin pedlers and how the manufacture of tinware was started in Connecticut about the year 1740.

Date: 1962

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169724

Ref. Code: SC001.1962.053.190.003

The Art of Richard Greenough

While his "Franklin" is considered to mark the pinnacle of Richard Greenough's career, the sculptor is an artist who certainly deserves to be remembered for his work. Growing up in the shadow of his older brother, sculptor Horatio Greenough, Richard carved out his own niche of well-crafted busts and...

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169725

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.053.191.001

An Early Well House, Sturbridge, Massachusetts

While early houses are well documented through historical records, diaries and even many still-standing examples, many accessory buildings are neglected. Privvies, smoke houses and well houses were rarely recognized in records, and because of their gradual disuse are now rare in their original form....

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169726

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.053.191.002

Yankee Pluck at Bird Island Light

William S. Moore is one of the people who have shaped American history, yet has fallen through the cracks. His letter, published here, reflects a smart man who presented forward-thinking ideas to the U.S. patent office.

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169727

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.053.191.003

Nathaniel Kene of Spruce Creek : A Portrait from the Court Records

Nathaniel Kene wasn't the most pleasant man in early-18th-century Maine, and court records back that up. While it is sometimes difficult to draw character studies of the everyday lives of the farmers, artisans and merchants of early America, some of the more "colorful" are revealed through court rec...

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169728

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.053.192.001

Peter Banner, His Building Speculations in New Haven (Part IV)

Peter Banner moved around New England during his career as an architect. In this installment of the series on Banner, his work in New Haven gets a close examination.

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169729

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.053.192.002

Old-Time New England Primer of Preservation : P is for Paper

It's not necessary to save everything, and it's certainly not necessary to throw everything away. Diaries, financial records, newspapers and letters from generations ago provide profound insight into the everyday lives of our forefathers (and mothers). It's all about saving with discretion.But once ...

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169730

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.053.192.003

Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary

In honor of the 125th anniversary of the founding of Mount Holyoke College in 1962, the Mount Holyoke Club of Western Maine reproduced a print of the original seminary building made by Nathaniel Currier in 1845. The print celebrates the lives of early New England students and reminds us of those who...

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169731

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.054.193.001

"Boston Chairs"

Boston chairs" were extremely popular in the middle states. But what exactly constituted a "Boston chair," and was it manufactured exclusively in the city? Shipping records and advertisements for Plunkett Fleeson's store in 1742 and 1744 shed some light on these handsomely formed and soundly constru...

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169732

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.054.193.002

The Lithographs of Fitz Hugh Lane

Before there was Winslow Homer, there was Fitz Hugh Lane. One of the most important and appealing maritime painters in American history, Lane's work with lithographs goes largely unnoticed. But artistically, Lane achieved just as much in his work with lithographs as he did with his oils.

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169733

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.054.194.001

Washington in Christ Church, Cambridge

Questions swirl around Christ Church in Cambridge, Mass., and its involvement in the Revolutionary War. Was it used for services? Was it used only for barracks? And most important, did George Washington worship there? How often? And where did he sit? These questions are difficult to unravel, as hist...

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169734

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.054.194.002

Isaac Damon and the Southwick Column Papers

The Southwick column papers came to light in the spring of 1950. Protected by only a piece of rough brown paper, they had lain undisturbed in one of the columns of the portico of the Congressional Church in Southwick, Mass., since the building was completed in 1824. The papers shed new light on Capt...

Date: 1963

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169735

Ref. Code: SC001.1963.054.194.003

The Foster-Hutchinson House

Thomas Hutchinson, Tory governor of Massachusetts, watched as an angry mob almost tore down his beloved three-story house on Garden Court Street on Aug. 26, 1765. Hutchinson longed for it during his exile in England until his death in 1780. This article explores the Foster-Hutchinson House, one of t...

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169736

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.054.195.001

The District Schoolhouse of Middleton, Massachusetts

Fighting over education and funding is an American tradition. Years of voting, arguing and allocating funds for building the district schoolhouses in Middleton, Mass., was a decades-long project. A division was approved, finally, in 1807. Read about the troubles and travails of building the schoolho...

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169737

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.054.195.002

Newburyport and Its Business District

The year was 1964, and Newburyport's business district was faced with a very real enemy: urban renewal. These pictures, taken from he negatives of Newburyport photographer George E. Noyes, date from as far back as the 1860s and show the historically important and just plain interesting buildings tha...

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169738

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.054.196.001

English Engravings as Sources of New England Decoration

English mezzotints and engravings found their way into Colonial homes until the Revolutionary War, according to inventory records and newspapers of the time. These engravings were sources for or inspired the architectural decoration of New England homes.

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169739

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.054.196.002

The Thompson, Connecticut Bank

The bank that stood in Thompson, Conn., since 1835, was emphatically horizontal in design, perfectly conveying the sense of mass and solidarity that a bank should possess. The banking company moved to Putnam, Conn., in 1893. In 1963, Old Sturbridge Village acquired the building and moved it to Sturb...

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169740

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.054.196.003

Dr. Manning's Mill

The modern woolen mill constructed by Dr. Manning in Ipswich has long since burned to the ground, replaced by a shapeless Caldwell block. The school that honored him has been taken down, and the cabinet containing his momentos was thrown out. Even the Mannings themselves have left Ipswich. But Manni...

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169741

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.055.197.001

Jason Russell and His House in Menotomy

Jason Russell's house in what is now Arlington, Mass., was the site of the bloodiest skirmish of the first day of the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775. The house, which has seen multiple additions since it was first built, still has bullet holes in its walls of the best room, entryway and hallway...

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169742

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.055.198.001

Bulfinch's Design for the Massachusetts State House

Published here for the first time are Charles Bulfinch's plans for the Massachusetts State House in Boston. Assumed lost for good in 1896 when a government committee arranged for the preservation of the building, they were finally discovered in the Phelps Stokes collection. The plans shed some light...

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169743

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.055.198.002

Recent Accessions to the Society's Museum Collections : Portraits of Captain and Mrs. Isaac Manchester

The unsigned portraits of Capt. and Mrs. Isaac Manchester are believed to have been painted by Cephas Thompson, an artist better known in the southern states than in his native New England. Susan Parsons article takes a look at these paintings, part of SPNEA's museum collection.

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169744

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.055.198.003

Letter to the Pacific

Lucretia M. Donald's affections for Elijah P. Chase shine through in this letter dated Sept. 2, 1841. The spelling is horrible and the syntax is a bit confusing, but nonetheless, her love for Elijah, away for two and a half years on the ship "Navigator" in the "Pac o," is unmistakeable.

Date: 1964

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169745

Ref. Code: SC001.1964.055.198.004

Preserving a New England Burying Ground : A Community Improvement Project

In 1963, the Deerfield Woman's Club undertook to individually photograph all 493 stones in the burying ground of Deerfield, Mass. This ambitious project provided the town with a permanent record of the site and began a process of preserving the historic grounds. The cemetery, which was replaced in 1...

Date: 1965

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169746

Ref. Code: SC001.1965.055.200.001

Boston's Greatest Hotel

The world's first luxury hotel, the Tremont House sat at the corner of Tremont and Beacon streets in Boston. Built in 1829, it became the model for the modern city hotel. It excelled in accommodations and service and entertained every noted visitor to pass through the city. But a little over 65 year...

Date: 1965

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169747

Ref. Code: SC001.1965.055.200.002

Notes and Gleanings

Notes and Gleanings" asks SPNEA members if they know anything about wrought-iron hooks sometimes found in plaster ceilings of early homes and addresses an earlier query about the cover illustration of the Winter 1965 issue of Old-Time New England.

Date: 1965

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169748

Ref. Code: SC001.1965.055.200.003

"Evidences of Daily Life in New England, 1790-1810" : Catalogue of a Special Exhibition at the Harrison Gray Otis House, February 17 to March 12, 1965

A month-long special exhibition staged during the spring of 1965, "Evidences of Daily Life in New England, 1790-1810" brought together domestic items both familiar and unfamiliar. This catalog of items gives a provocative glimpse into everyday life during a formative period in American history.

Date: 1965

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169749

Ref. Code: SC001.1965.056.201.001

Further Notes on Francis Alexander

A unique collaboration between father and daughter, "Hannah Blackstone" is an interesting little romance. Written in childlike verse by Esther Frances Alexander and drawn with delicate precision by her father, artist Francis Alexander, the volume is a charming piece of work. Catherine W. Pierce take...

Date: 1965

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169750

Ref. Code: SC001.1965.056.202.001

Peleg Chandler

The journey from New Gloucester to Halifax, Nova Scotia is a long one even by today's standards. In 1790, Peleg Chandler, Jr., barely older than 17, travelled to Halifax to become a schoolmaster and earn his way through college. His trip was documented in his journal: "Peleg Chandler's Journal from ...

Date: 1965

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169751

Ref. Code: SC001.1965.056.202.002

The Osborns and Their Redware : From South Danvers, Massachusetts to Loudon, New Hampshire

In 1775 there were 75 potteries operating in Danvers and Peabody, Mass. Of all the potter families, the best known was the Osborns. Their work was well-respected, and today it's appreciated by every collector with a keen eye. In this article, Madeline Osborne Merrill examines the craft of her ancest...

Date: 1965

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169752

Ref. Code: SC001.1965.056.202.003

Genealogy and Silver

The value of genealogy in the identification of unknown silversmiths' marks and the proper dating of silver cannot be overestimated. This article looks at several cases that illustrate how useful this method is and, at the same time, reveals some previously unknown facts concerning a few New England...

Date: 1965

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169753

Ref. Code: SC001.1965.056.202.004

The Lincoln County Court House

Built in 1824, the Lincoln County Court House at Wiscasset, Maine, is one of New England's best known public buildings. The account printed here, "County Agent for building a Court House - 1824," was found among the records of Lincoln County, and itemizes the work done on the building by N. Coffin, ...

Date: 1965

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169754

Ref. Code: SC001.1965.056.202.005

Embroidery in the Society's Collection

SPNEA has an excellent collection of needlework from the mid-18th to the late-19th century. This work represents some of the finest art created by women during this time. This article looks at how the work reflects the expanding artistic role of women in American society.

Date: 1966

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169755

Ref. Code: SC001.1966.056.203.001

Daniel Webster in Bronze

The statue of Daniel Webster at the foot of the State house stands proudly overlooking Boston Common. Eight feet tall, cast in bronze and occupying a 10-foot pedestal, it is a monument to one of the most popular and enduring figures in Massachusetts history. But the journey from the idea to finished...

Date: 1966

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169756

Ref. Code: SC001.1966.056.203.002

Journal of a Peddling Trip

This is the first part of a journal documenting Ebenezer Graves' trip through New England selling his silk. Beginning on March 21, 1853, it provides insight into Graves' everyday life, economic details and even the weather.

Date: 1966

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169757

Ref. Code: SC001.1966.056.203.003

The House the Parson Built

It is rare to find documents illustrating the building of a house from beginning to end. But Rev. Jonathan Fisher, while building his house in Blue Hill, Maine, kept a journal during its 1814 construction. The journal keeps track of the day-to-day progress and includes drawings of floorplans and det...

Date: 1966

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169758

Ref. Code: SC001.1966.056.204.001

Journal of a Peddling Trip

The conclusion of Graves' journal, detailing his peddling trip through New England.

Date: 1966

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169759

Ref. Code: SC001.1966.056.204.002

The West Parish of Salisbury, Massachusetts, and the Rocky Hill Meetinghouse

In 1793, Salisbury, Mass., was divided into two parishes, with the West Parish meeting at Rocky Hill Meetinghouse. But that church became a shell, despite the best efforts of parishioners. Charles I. Pettingell looks at the West Parish and its ultimate demise.

Date: 1966

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169760

Ref. Code: SC001.1966.057.206.001

The Treasurer's Book of the Rocky Hill Church

Old and calf-bound, the Treasurer's Book holds the financial records of West Parish Church from 1794 to 1941. These financial records provide a more intimate picture of the activities of a congregation than more formal historical records.

Date: 1966

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169761

Ref. Code: SC001.1966.057.206.002

Samplings from American Cookery, 1812

The selections from the cookbook American Cookery, published in Walpole, N.H., in 1812, are both entertaining and historically significant, providing an insight into the culinary practices of the day.

Date: 1966

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169762

Ref. Code: SC001.1966.057.206.003

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