Historic New England

The Romance of Linden Hall

Written in 1886, this story contains a description of Linden Hall, a beautiful house in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169893

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.040.140.003

The Editor's Edgewise Word

A call for readers to write their own articles.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169894

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.040.140.004

The Chimney Corner, or Fireside Companion

Old-Time New England readers write in with short articles about old Vermont almanacs and the use of the brick oven, among other things.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169895

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.040.140.005

Editor's Edgewise Word

A call for submissions.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169896

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.141.001

George Washington Mark

In this article, Agnes M. Dods examines the life of George Washington Mark, a painter from nineteenth-century Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169897

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.141.002

The stone wall laid by Pitt Clarke's parishioners still lies outside of his house in Norton, Massachusetts. The residence is recognizable not only for its own solid construction, but for the personality behind it. Known as the Pitt Clarke house even after the passing of the original owner, the house...

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169898

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.141.003

The Old Burying Ground on Academy Road, North Andover

The old burying ground in Andover, Massachusetts, like the burying grounds of other towns, is a secret document, spelling out the town's history. Unfortunately, many of these grounds have been allowed to fall to ruin. Kate Hastings Stevens looks at the hidden stories of the burying ground in Andover...

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169899

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.141.004

The Chimney Corner, or Fireside Companion

This section is set aside in the hope of recording personal memories of general significance and folklore. Here, a reader contributes an article on ovens and how to heat them, while another writes about old Vermont almanacs.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169900

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.141.005

The Editor's Edgewise Word

In this one-page foreword, the author expounds on the importance of museums, especially museum houses like SPNEA's Harrison Gray Otis House.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169901

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.142.001

Nathaniel L. Stebbins, Marine Photographer

Nathaniel L. Stebbins, during his career, took over 25,000 photographs. SPNEA purchased over 5,000 of his negatives, and almost 4,000 of them are of sailing ships. This article takes a look at the contents of these negatives, Stebbins' life, and how the public can attain prints of the photograph.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169902

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.142.002

Our Colonial Comb Industry

The combs of today are cheap, mass-produced pieces of hard plastic, but originally, combs were made by hand, and it was a slow process. Hazel Baker Clark takes a look at the evolution of the comb industry and its humble New England beginnings.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169903

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.142.003

The Chimney Corner, or Fireside Companion

Random news bits.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169904

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.142.004

The New England Village Mill

A new settlement in the sixteenth century required three things in order to be self-sufficient: a minister, a blacksmith, and a grist mill. Millers were offered special inducements, free land, and tax exemptions, among other things. Edward P. Hamilton looks at the mills of early New England and the ...

Date: 1951

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169905

Ref. Code: SC001.1951.042.146.001

Benjamin Dearborn : Teacher, Inventor, Philanthropist

Benjamin Dearborn, by all accounts, was a renaissance man. He started schools devoted exclusively to the education of girls, invented a balance, and wrote extensively in newspaper articles and pamphlets. Emma Forbes Waite takes a look at this brilliant man.

Date: 1951

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169906

Ref. Code: SC001.1951.042.146.002

Some New England Pewter

After Percy E. Raymond volunteered to catalogue the pewter at the Harrison Gray Otis House in the autumn of 1949, a gift of 42 pieces was bestowed on SPNEA. This collection increased the number of the organization's previously under-represented early American examples. In this article, Raymond takes...

Date: 1951

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169907

Ref. Code: SC001.1951.042.146.003

Eleazer Arnold

Originally prepared for the opening of the Eleazer Arnold House in 1952, this article gives a brief account of Arnold's life and the occupants of his Rhode Island mansion since his death.

Date: 1953

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169908

Ref. Code: SC001.1953.044.153.001

Les Forges de St. Maurice

Seven miles north of the city of Trois Rivieres, Quebec, are the ruins of Canada's first iron industry. Les Forges de St. Maurice was set up by French colonists, and aided by a generous grant from Louis XV, and took advantage of ore deposits that gave out around 1883. Margaret K. Zieman surveys the ...

Date: 1954

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169909

Ref. Code: SC001.1954.045.157.001

First-Hand Evidence

In the middle of an early nineteenth-century diary, the diarist has recorded the weights of 11 Revolutionary War officers. With this rare bit of firsthand evidence, Charles H.P. Copeland examines some of the questions that arise from this startling piece of commentary.

Date: 1955

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169910

Ref. Code: SC001.1955.046.161.001

Notes on Furnishing the Seventeenth-Century House

It is very possible, because of the lack of photographic evidence, that the earliest colonial homes looked very different than we imagine. Abbott Lowell Cummings ponders some of the difficulties of furnishing historic homes and speculates on the differences we might find if we step back in time to s...

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169911

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.163.001

Where Was The Indian Bridge Over Ipswich River?

The Indians, before Europeans had settled, had a trail that ran from Salem to Canada. The trail's exact route is unknown, but historians agree there was a crossing at the Ipswich River. Lura Woodside Watkins investigates the exact location of the crossing, for centuries called the "Indian Bridge.

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169912

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.163.002

John Pierce Brace, Schoolmaster

Born in 1795, John Pierce Brace was a "young fellow with literary aspirations, scientific interests, and a flirtatious disposition." Using his autobiographical sketch, "A History of my Poetry," Harriet Webster Marr takes a look at the life of John Pierce Brace.

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169913

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.163.003

Fishermen's Sailing Models

During the winter months in small fishing villages of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, many a fishhouse and kitchen saw its occupants engaged in miniature shipbuilding. In the spring, these ships would be sailed by their builders, to the delight of the town. Dohn A. Cluff takes a look at ...

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169914

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.163.004

Old-Time New England Primer of Preservation : W is for Wallpaper

A fine old wallpaper, should be treated like a valued heirloom, writes Dorothy S. Waterhouse, and should be given all the care possible for its preservation. This article details some ways to care for early and fine wallpaper.

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169915

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.163.005

An Eighteenth-Century Builder's Contract

This building contract was drawn in 1788 for a home in Haverhill, Massachusetts, for Dr. Nathaniel Saltonstall.

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169916

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.163.006

English Sympathy with Boston during the American Revolution

What gets lost in discussions about the Revolutionary War is the support the colonies received from citizens in England. In newspapers, cartoons and articles trumpeted the American cause and condemned King George's American policy. R.T.H. Halsey looks at some of the public opinion that remained in t...

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169917

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.164.001

Old New England Canals

Many towns in old New England did not have the water power necessary to power the mills so vital to village life. The solution: canals. Park Pressey takes a look at some of the canals that cut their way through the New England region.

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169918

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.164.002

To Keep an Old House in Good Standing

An old New England house is full of history, charm, and responsibility. According to Roy W. Baker, the "reward in restoring and preserving one of these old landmarks far outweighs any initial difficulties." This article outlines the ways to get around the problems that are associated with these grea...

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169919

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.164.003

Area Preservation and the Beacon Hill Bill

Reprinted here are significant provisions of the Beacon Hill Bill. Passed in 1955, this, and a bill passed during the same session, established historic districts in Nantucket and Boston's Beacon Hill.

Date: 1956

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169920

Ref. Code: SC001.1956.046.164.004

A Family Letter from W. Rodman Peabody

Shortly before his death in 1941, William Rodman Peabody dictated stories for his children about his family and his own young life in Jamaica Plain.

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169921

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.047.167.001

Bag, Bucket, Bedkey and Screw Driver

Instituted in Boston on March 5, 1799, to fight fires and protect "the safety of the Citizens," the Alert Eagle Fire Society lived by strict guidelines set forth in their Laws & Regulations. Lawrence B. Romaine looks at the rules by which these men lived.

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169922

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.047.167.002

Early Diplomas Awarded in New England Academies

Harriet Webster Marr surveys diplomas given to students at such early New England schools as New Ipswich Academy, Phillips Exeter Academy, and the Friends' Yearly Meeting Boarding School.

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169923

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.047.167.003

New England Meetinghouses in the Seventeenth Century

Meetinghouses were built to serve both secular and sacred needs. Situated in the center of the New England towns, the meetinghouses were an important part of the community and the individual lives of the residents. This article surveys these important structures, the earliest examples of which have,...

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169924

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.047.168.001

The Derby House

Built around 1761, the Derby House is the oldest brick dwelling to survive in Salem. Since then, the house has gone through many changes and restorations. Edwin Small takes a look at the history of this fine old house.

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169925

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.047.168.002

An Eighteenth-Century Century Collection of Contra Dances

Written by Clement Weeks in 1783, "Figures of Contra Dances," is a collection of 30 pages simply sewn together, outlining multiple sets of line dances. This article reprints the manuscript, save the orginal index at the very end, in its entirety.

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169926

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.047.168.003

The Booth Family of Newton and Southbury, Connecticut

There has never been any published data about the three cabinetmakers with the name of Booth. This article registers them in their proper places within the Booth family, one of the most prominent families in Connecticut.

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169927

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.048.169.001

The Infant Mariner

This article was originally written in 1910 by Anna T. (Stott) King (1843-1931). King was a captain's daughter and this account details a whaling voyage out of Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169928

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.048.170.001

The Art Collection of Horatio Greenough

American sculptor Horatio Greenough's art collection represented an artist's, rather than a collector's, taste. It was small, and apparently was not valuable, but it is interesting for what it reveals about his artistic preferences and Greenough's career. Nathalia Wright surveys this important colle...

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169929

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.048.170.002

The Parson Smith Homestead, South Windham, Maine

The Parson Smith Homestead was built in 1764 in South Windham, Maine. Still standing today, it is a well-preserved example of fine colonial architecture looking out across cultivated fields onto local farmsteads and the Smith-Anderson Cemetery. Nellie D. Spiller takes a look at the history of the ho...

Date: 1957

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169930

Ref. Code: SC001.1957.048.170.003

William Blackstone, The "First Settler" of Boston and Rhode Island

Before there was Roger Williams, before there was Willaim Coddington, there was William Blackstone. Regarded as an eccentric religious recluse, Blackstone arrived in Rhode Island in 1635, after living most of the 10 previous years in Boston. John Williams Haley takes a closer look at the character o...

Date: 1958

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169931

Ref. Code: SC001.1958.049.173.001

Captain Gamaliel Bradford, Soldier and Privateersmen

On June 18, 1943, a powerful destroyer slid into the water at San Diego, bearing the name Bradford. The name was for Captain Gamaliel Bradford, a sea captain who had served his country on the high seas more than a century before. Gershom Bradford takes a look at the exciting life of the captain.

Date: 1958

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169932

Ref. Code: SC001.1958.049.174.001

Parkman, Maine, A Frontier Settlement

The township of Parkman, Maine, is located within 20 miles of the geographic center of the state, equidistant from Bangor and Waterville. Samuel Parkman purchased the township in 1804 and by 1814 was prepared for serious efforts to settle the town. Victor A. McKusick examines the frontier settlement...

Date: 1958

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169933

Ref. Code: SC001.1958.049.174.002

The Round Hill School for Boys, 1825-1833

In a volume of verse published in 1864, Robert Lowell wrote a short dedication to the first head of Round Hill School, Jospeh Green Cogswell. The Round School rested in Northampton, Massachusetts, and while financial failure closed it a decade after it opened, it had a lasting impact on pupils such ...

Date: 1958

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169934

Ref. Code: SC001.1958.049.174.003

English Bells

The skill that goes into making a the lush, sweet tones of a bell seldom goes recognized. The manufacturing of English bells is an awe-inspiring sight, writes Margaret H. Shurcliff, as intricate proportions of metal, wonderfully designed molds, and careful hanging all conspire to create the beautifu...

Date: 1959

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169935

Ref. Code: SC001.1959.049.175.001

The Ironworks in Middleton, Massachusetts

Middleton is a small town is Massachusetts that was set off from four other neighboring towns as a parish in 1727. This small town was the site of an early and long-lived industry, as it was the home to an ironworks, with the business beginning in 1708. Lura Woodside Watkins takes a look at the town...

Date: 1959

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169936

Ref. Code: SC001.1959.049.175.002

The David Hubbard House, Hancock, New Hampshire

Like all New England farmhouses, the David Hubbard house was never completely finished. Built around 1779, it was a small, twelve-foot-square house with a brick chimney, but over the years has become much larger. Robert Harrington Nylander takes a look at the house, its occupants, and the ghosts tha...

Date: 1959

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169937

Ref. Code: SC001.1959.049.175.003

The Concord Lyceum

The lyceum movement is considered to be a true product of the New England mind, and in New England there is no lyceum which surpassed in success and prominence the Concord Lyceum. Alvah H. Low traces its history since its simple beginnings when it was conceived on Dec. 3, 1828, at a meeting at the "...

Date: 1959

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169938

Ref. Code: SC001.1959.050.178.001

John Greenough, An American Artist

John Greenough was one of the first artists to realize the beauty of the American landscape and capture it in his art. A Boston resident and first generation artist, Greenough is rightfully celebrated for his beautiful landscapes. Nathalia Wright surveys the life and career of this truly American ar...

Date: 1959

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169939

Ref. Code: SC001.1959.050.178.002

Gideon French of Boston, Tallow-Chandler, 1784 to 1819

Not much is known about Boston merchant Gideon French: only two printed records exist that confirm he ever lived. Six manuscript ledgers shed a little light on this colonial businessman, and Lawrence B. Romaine looks at them and they questions that arise from them.

Date: 1959

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169940

Ref. Code: SC001.1959.050.178.003

Pewter at the Harrison Gray Otis House

The pewter collection at the Harrison Gray Otis House is well-rounded, illustrating the homely furnishings of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Percy E. Raymond takes a look at SPNEA's collection of pewter.

Date: 1950

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169941

Ref. Code: SC001.1950.041.142.005

Contents : Volume 50, Number 179

Winter 1960

Date: 1960

Collection: Old-Time New England

GUSN: 169942

Ref. Code: SC001.1960.050.179.005

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