Historic New England

Sixty Years of Historic Preservation : The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities

In this article, Edward P. Alexander traces the history of preservation in America, specifically that of SPNEA, founded by William Sumner Appleton in 1910. Alexander reflects on the past 60 years of the organization, celebrating its role in the preservation of some of New England's finest antiquitie...

Date: 1970

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169792

Ref. Code: SC001.1970.061.221.001

The Past Decade

Between 1960 and 1970, SPNEA enjoyed unprecedented growth. Abbott Lowell Cummings, director of SPNEA, reviews the events that have shaped and defined the organization over that decade.

Date: 1970

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169793

Ref. Code: SC001.1970.061.221.002

Pompeii and New England : The Archaeology of Early American Murals

According to the author, only two peoples have been known to have applied painted decoration deliberately and consistently to the walls of their ordinary dwellings: the ancient Romans and 18th- and 19th-century New Englanders. Robert L. McGrath compares the art of murals in the homes of Romans and N...

Date: 1970

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169794

Ref. Code: SC001.1970.061.222.001

Books of the Pilgrims, As Recorded in their Inventories and Preserved in Pilgrim Hall

Rose T. Briggs reviews the intellectual life of the Pilgrims by focusing on their books, which were recorded in 21 inventories filed between 1633 and 1640 with the General Court of Plymouth County. Some of these books are preserved Pilgrim Hall in Plymouth, Mass.

Date: 1970

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169795

Ref. Code: SC001.1970.061.222.002

Ammi Burnham Young and the Gilmanton Theological Seminary

The Gilmanton Theological Seminary's career was short-lived, and its principal building, Seminary Hall, has long since been razed. The hall, with its simple, pleasant Greek Revival design, was recently definitely determined to be the work of Ammi Burnham Young. This article traces the history of Sem...

Date: 1970

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169796

Ref. Code: SC001.1970.061.222.003

A Vermont Country Wedding in 1858

Ellen Lyon Wright attended her sister Sylvia's wedding in Colchester, Vt., on June 8, 1858. The letter printed here was written by Ellen to her brother John, who lived in California, on June 25, 1858.

Date: 1970

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169797

Ref. Code: SC001.1970.061.222.004

The Kiss of Death Story

In weaving, it used to be that shuttles were reloaded by the weaver drawing the thread through the shuttle's hole with his breath. Tuberculosis outbreaks soon made a new method necessary. Horatio Rogers, M.D., takes a look back at the "Kiss of Death" shuttle.

Date: 1970

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169798

Ref. Code: SC001.1970.061.222.005

Materials in Early New England

When settlers first arrived in the New World, they were greeted with seemingly boundless resources. Timber and stone provided these settlers with materials to successfully start new settlements. Marian Card Donnelly reviews the building materials which colonists found and their initial response to t...

Date: 1971

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169799

Ref. Code: SC001.1971.061.224.001

The Winslow Pottery in Portland, Maine

In 1882, the Portland Stone Ware Company was renamed Winslow & Company. That name has survived to present time, even with all of the changes within the business since. M. Lelyn Branin takes a look at the Winslow Pottery in Portland, Maine, and explores its history.

Date: 1971

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169800

Ref. Code: SC001.1971.061.224.002

Portland, Maine, Engravers of the 1820s (Part II)

The work of engravers in Portland, Maine, in the 1820s mirrored a society that regarded engraving as a trade rather than an art. The engravings are respectably done, but none of the engravers of this period stayed long in Portland, probably because of financial problems. This article explores the li...

Date: 1971

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169801

Ref. Code: SC001.1971.061.224.003

Newburyport and a New Kind of Urban Renewal

Rehabilitation of Newburyport, Mass., provided the citizens with a unique downtown business district; one with "the flavor and nostalgia of the past, but with the conveniences of today." This article takes a look at Newburyport and how funds were raised for this new kind of urban renewal.

Date: 1971

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169802

Ref. Code: SC001.1971.061.224.004

What Is An Historic House Museum?

In excerpts from a speech given on April 24, 1971, George L. Wrenn III discusses how preservation serves to educate the public in its past in order to better understand its present and future.

Date: 1971

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169803

Ref. Code: SC001.1971.062.225.001

The Restoration of Original Paints at Otis House

Standards of accuracy when dealing with the restoration of old paints are fairly low; there just hasn't been much research on the subject. Morgan Phillips and Christopher Whitney discuss how SPNEA tried to restore the original paints of the first Harrison Gray Otis House in Boston.

Date: 1971

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169804

Ref. Code: SC001.1971.062.225.002

The Pendleton-Moore Shop : Lithographic Artists in Boston, 1825-1840

Because of new printing processes between 1825 and 1850, printed pictures flooded the market and found their way into American homes. During this time, lithography entered general use. David Tatham explores the pioneering Boston lithographic printing firm, the Pendleton-Moore Shop.

Date: 1971

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169805

Ref. Code: SC001.1971.062.226.001

Seven Utopias of Mid-Nineteenth Century New England (Part I)

This article, the first installment of a larger piece, looks at two spiritual communities of mid-19th-century New England: Brook Farm and Hopedale.

Date: 1971

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169806

Ref. Code: SC001.1971.062.226.002

Thomas Rundle, Housewright

Not much is known about Thomas Rundle, a housewright who was born around 1779. Richard Radis examines what is known about this man and his contributions to early American architecture.

Date: 1971

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169807

Ref. Code: SC001.1971.062.226.003

Hammatt Billings, Artist and Architect

Charles Howland Hammatt Billings was a versatile artist and architect who was commissioned to create designs for a pyrotechnic display on Boston Common, a Pilgrim monument, a theater and a clubhouse, among others. But many of Billings' accomplishments have gone unrecognized. With more research, argu...

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169808

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.062.227.001

The Musical Puritans

Other than psalm singing, did the Puritans of New England take part in musical activities? There is a clear division of thought on the subject. Barbara Lambert, keeper of musical instruments at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, weighs in on the matter.

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169809

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.062.227.002

Seven Utopias of Mid-Nineteenth Century New England (Part II)

In the second installment in an investigation of spiritual communities in mid-19th-century New England, this article focuses on the Northampton Association, Fruitlands, the Putney Corporation, Wallingford and the Come-Outers.

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169810

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.062.227.003

Special Province House Issue : Editorial Preface

The last remains of Boston's celebrated Province House were demolished in May, 1922. In this special issue of Old-Time New England, five articles examine one of the most ambitious houses erected in 17th-century New England.

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169811

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.062.228.001

The Province House, 1922

William Sumner Appleton recounts what he found in the Province House before it was torn down in 1922. The demolition revealed amazing characteristics of the house, such as its chimneys and brickwork.

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169812

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.062.228.002

The First Remodeling of the Province House, 1728

In 1728, the Province House was remodeled, achieving the form familiar to us from surviving views. Fiske Kimball looks at the documents that reveal the date of these renovations, published by the Massachusetts Historical Society and two volumes of the "Journal of the House of Representatives of Mass...

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169813

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.062.228.003

The Province House and its Occupants

Throughout the years, many people occupied the Province House in Boston. Walter Kendall Watkins traces the owners, from the burned property of Thomas Millard to Dr. J.P. Ordway made the house into an amusement hall in 1851.

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169814

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.062.228.004

The Province House Demolition

The demolition of the Province House provided an intimate glimpse into the original structure of the house. Its interesting chimney structure and brickwork were exposed for all to see, and what an amazing sight it was. Thomas T. Waterman's drawings, which were done as the house was being torn down, ...

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169815

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.062.228.005

The Province House: English and Netherlandish Forms in Gables and Chimneys

The Province House's style owed a general debt to certain aspects of architecture of the Low Countries of the 16th and 17th centuries. But neither its original sources in Holland nor its subsequent English intermediaries have been precisely identified. Nancy Halverson Schless takes a closer look at ...

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169816

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.062.228.006

Voyage of the Clipper Ship "Ringleader" (Part I)

Edward Payson Sargent was 19 when he made his voyage from Boston to San Francisco, China and London in 1855 and 1856. The following are excerpts from the journal he kept on the clipper ship "Ringleader.

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169817

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.063.229.001

Chairs for the Masses : A Brief History of the L. White Chair Company, Boston, Massachusetts

Between January, 1864, and December, 1869, the L. White Chair Company of Boston, was established, flourished briefly, then quietly disappeared. L. White produced cottage furniture, an architecturally simple concept that was already out of date in 1864. This article looks at the furniture it made, th...

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169818

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.063.230.001

Homes of Our Forefathers: by Edwin Whitefield : A Nineteenth-Century Tribute to Our Colonial Past

Edwin Whitefield appreciated the Colonial homes of New England. This appreciation showed in his carefully rendered watercolors. In this article, excerpted from her book "Edwin Whitefield: North American Scenery, Faithfully Delineated," Bettina A. Norton takes a look at Whitefield's art.

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169819

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.063.230.002

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Legends of the Province House" : His Use of Architecture, Artifact, and History

Nathaniel Hawthorne found inspiration in the Province House of Boston. He saw the building as a symbol of aristocratic pride and opulence and regarded it as an impediment to self-government. From this sprang his "Legends of the Province House," published as a whole in 1842. John S. Garner examines f...

Date: 1972

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169820

Ref. Code: SC001.1972.063.230.003

Pedro Tovookan Parris

This article contains euphemistic and harmful language regarding Pedro Tovookan Parris' life and history. Historic New England acknowledges historical records / objects may contain harmful imagery and language reflecting attitudes and biases of their creators and time in which they were made. H...

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169821

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.063.231.001

"The Paul Family"

Historic New England acknowledges historical records / objects may contain harmful imagery and language reflecting attitudes and biases of their creators and time in which they were made. Historic New England does not alter or edit objects and / or historical text.

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169823

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.063.231.003

Captain Paul Cuffee, Master Mariner of Westport, Massachusetts, 1759-1817

The dream of Paul Cuffee's life was to alleviate the suffering of his race. Cuffee, bearing the entire expense of each voyage, twice took freemen from America to Sierra Leone, where they could settle and farm. Katherine A. Wilder recounts his amazing story.

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169824

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.063.231.004

"The New England Puritan Attitude Toward Black Slavery"

Old Time New England article, 1973.

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169825

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.063.231.005

Gridley J.F. Bryant and the First Building at Tufts College

Tufts College's first structure, Ballou Hall is considered to be one of the most expertly designed and best-preserved examples of 19th-century Italian Renaissance Revival architecture surviving in New England. Bryant Franklin Tolles, former assistant dean at Tufts University, looks at the story and ...

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169826

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.063.232.001

William Billings and the Colonial Music "Patent"

William Billings, considered by some to be the most gifted composer of his day, was plagued by one problem that vexed him throughout his early career. Billings sought but failed to obtain from the state protection by the state prohibiting anyone else from profiting from his music. This is the story ...

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169827

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.063.232.002

Xenophon Cleveland : A Nineteenth-Century Artist and His Stencils

Joseph Cleveland Carter recounts the life of Xenophon Cleveland, a New England artist, decorator and designer of the 19th century.

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169828

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.063.232.003

Voyage of the Clipper Ship "Ringleader" (Part II)

Edward Payson Sargent was 19 when he made his voyage from Boston to San Francisco, China and London in 1855 and 1856. The following is the second part of excerpts from the journal he kept on the clipper ship "Ringleader.

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169829

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.063.232.004

Voyage of the Clipper Ship "Ringleader" (Part III)

Edward Payson Sargent was 19 when he made his voyage from Boston to San Francisco, China and London in 1855 and 1856. The following is the third part of excerpts from the journal he kept on the clipper ship "Ringleader.

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169830

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.064.233.001

Special Issue on Gravestone Carving : Editorial Preface

John S. Garner provides an introduction to this special issue of Old-Time New England, concentrating on gravestone carving.

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169831

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.064.234.001

John Wright : The Hieroglyph Carver of Londonderry

Some gravestones leave one confused. What do the symbols represent? What was the meaning of hearts, birds or stars superimposed on skulls? Why do some skulls frown while others smile? Stonecutters' daybooks and diaries from the time didn't talk about designs, but a look at the work of New Hampshire ...

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169832

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.064.234.002

Gravestone Carving and Artistic Intent in Essex County

Stephen C. Foster examines the provincial work of Essex County gravestone carvers. These stones were unique, distinct in style from the original English influences.

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169833

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.064.234.003

Heraldic Design on New England Gravestones

Heraldry spread into America with the English settlers of the 17th century. But it wasn't until after the restoration that heraldry became truly popular; gravestones provide us with the best visible evidence of early American heraldic design. Loyd Grossman takes a look at some of these designs.

Date: 1973

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169834

Ref. Code: SC001.1973.064.234.004

Rethinking the Early Greek Revival : The Success of Influences and the Failure of a Builder

The Greek Revival Period that was so popular in architecture in the 1830s and 1840s was the result of a modification in the popular Federal style. Richard C. Cote takes a look at some of the builders, such as Thomas Pratt, who employed the Greek Revival style.

Date: 1974

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169835

Ref. Code: SC001.1974.064.235.001

John Pierce : Yankee Social Historian

Rev. John Pierce, D.D., was a mild, unassuming man whose writings have received little attention. As secretary of the Board of Overseers, serving under four Harvard presidents between 1816 and 1849, Pierce was a brilliant chronicler of his times. James R. McGovern argues that more attention should b...

Date: 1974

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169836

Ref. Code: SC001.1974.064.235.002

Vose and Coats, Cabinetmakers

Jane Nylander takes a look at Vose and Coats, cabinetmakers who have been heralded for their beautiful work.

Date: 1974

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169837

Ref. Code: SC001.1974.064.235.003

Seventeenth-Century Meeting House Turrets

Marion C. Donnelly explores the origins of meetinghouse turrets in New England, and what their functions were.

Date: 1974

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169838

Ref. Code: SC001.1974.065.237.001

Resort Architecture at Nahant 1815-1850

Nahant, Mass., was a popular resort until about 1850, when its popularity began to wane. But, until then, its proximity to Boston, and the people that vacationed in Nahant, made it a hot spot. Rebecca M. Rogers looks at the architecture of Nahant, from its cottages to its hotel.

Date: 1974

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169839

Ref. Code: SC001.1974.065.237.002

Daniel Raynerd, Stucco Worker

Daniel Raynerd's stucco work can be connected to at least six of the most important commissions of his day. He honed his skill by traveling to England in the 1790s, an unusual venture, but one that was made necessary by the lack of stucco workers to teach him. Jack Quinan explores the life of Daniel...

Date: 1975

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169840

Ref. Code: SC001.1975.065.239.001

Ebenezer Clifford, Architect and Inventor

Despite all of his great work designing buildings - and engineering a diving bell, among other things - Ebenezer Clifford has been reduced to a half-remembered legend. In this article, James L. Garvin unearths the story of an ingenious man with surprising talents.

Date: 1975

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169841

Ref. Code: SC001.1975.065.239.002

The Textile Factory in Pre-Civil War Rhode Island

The Rhode Island textile factory of the pre-Civil War period offers an ideal case study of the many influences that contribute to the shaping of all architecture. Theodore Anton Sande surveys the architecture of these buildings

Date: 1975

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169842

Ref. Code: SC001.1975.066.241.001

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