2021 News Articles
DEATH & MOURNING EXPLORED AT LINCOLN’S HEARTHSIDE HOUSE MUSEUM
Oct. 16, 23, 24, 30 Gone But Not Forgotten Exhibit
October 2021---The topics of death and mourning in the 19th century are featured during Hearthside House Museum’s annual exhibit, Gone But Not Forgotten, when this majestic stone mansion gets draped in black and the “household” experiences what a family went through when a loved one passed away and the numerous superstitions they believed in, all to make the journey for the deceased a successful one. It was also during the Victorian times that a strong belief in communicating with the other side became popular. This year, Hearthside’s exhibit will go full circle with a look at death, mourning and the afterlife through two exhibits: “Gone But Not Forgotten” during October, and as host of a traveling exhibit, “History of the Paranormal” by TV celebrity Brian Cano in November.
During the 200 years that Hearthside was a home, there were five owners who died at their home with those during the 19th century having been embalmed and waked right in the house. The exhibit showcases the farewell to former Hearthside homeowner, Simon E. Thornton, who died in his bedroom on May 2, 1873.
Victorian American mourning and funerary traditions and practices are explored in this extensive exhibit and re-creation of Mr. Thornton’s wake, which includes displays throughout the house and attic. As somber funeral music plays in the background, volunteer docents dressed in mourning attire guide visitors from room to room as they explain the rituals a family would undertake upon a loved one’s passing. The mirrors are covered in black, and the sweet smell of flowers pervade the waking room. The undertaker has come to set up in the master bedroom to prepare the body for its final resting place. A photographer has been hired to capture one last image of the deceased. Special stationery and memorials have been created to notify friends and relatives and to memorialize the deceased. Small funeral biscuits are wrapped and sealed with black wax, ready to give in appreciation to those who come to pay their respects.
During the Victorian era, superstitions were prevalent with just about every aspect of life, as well as death. Visitors will learn about the various superstitions surrounding death, the elaborate mourning practices, and funerals as they journey through the house. Also on display during this unusual exhibit are antique coffins, a collection of various Victorian mourning dresses, bonnets, veils, and other accessories, mourning jewelry made of jet and woven human hair, funeral receipts from local families, and 19th century embalming tools. The undertaker’s journal in which Mr. Thornton’s death was recorded and the actual embalming table that his body was prepared on is on display in the spot in the bedroom where he died in 1873. Post-mortem photographs and even some which appear to show a few spirits are displayed. Some of the other topics covered are the belief in vampires, fear of being buried alive, and the beginnings of spiritualism during the mid-19th century.
This isn’t a Halloween event, but rather a serious, well-researched exhibit about how families dealt with loss during the late 19th century, with an extensive display of artifacts, and all of it presented by docents in their black mourning attire, so while it really is impactful and educational, it can also be fun to learn the origins of many of today’s funerary practices.
This fully-guided exhibit takes place on four dates: October 16, 23, 24, and 30, with options for both daytime and evening viewing available. Space is limited for each tour which lasts up to 90 min. Registration for tours at staggered times and advance ticket purchase is required through the website, www.hearthsidehouse.org. Saturday tours begin every half hour starting at 4:00 with the last at 6:30. Sunday tours begin every half hour between 1:00-3:30 p.m. Admission is $18 per person. This exhibit is not advisable for younger children.
HEARTHSIDE HOSTS NATIONAL TRAVELING EXHIBIT OF
“THE HISTORY OF THE PARANORMAL”
NOVEMBER 12-14, 2021
November 2021---Hearthside is delighted to host a traveling exhibit on "The History of the Paranormal." Brian J. Cano, TV celebrity (Paranormal Caught on Camera, Haunted Collector) has curated the exhibit and is taking it on the road with the goal of eventually visiting every state. Hearthside's event is this exhibit's exclusive Rhode Island appearance.
The exhibit features both informational panels tracing the history of spiritualism and the belief in connecting with the afterlife and interactive displays and equipment that are used today by ghost hunters. It opens on Friday, Nov. 12 from noon to 4 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 11 am to 5 pm, and on Sunday, Nov. 14 from 10 am to 2 pm, giving lots of options to fit this unique opportunity into your schedule. Brian will be available throughout the exhibit to meet with visitors and answer your questions. Three floors of Hearthside will be open with displays taking up some of the rooms, with guides in period attire to help showcase other parts of the house.
As a special event in addition to the exhibit, Brian is offering a separate night-time investigation! On Friday night, there will be two sessions lasting two hours each that will be an introduction to ghost hunting. On Saturday night, there will be one four-hour hunt for those who really want to roll up their sleeves and experience every inch of Hearthside. Brian will lead these special night-time investigations. Joining him for the Saturday night event at the extended investigation will be local special guests (and friends of Hearthside!) Carl Johnson (Ghost Hunters) and Elise Giammarco Carlson (Panorama Paranormal).
Tickets are available for both the exhibit and the investigations through Brian's website. There is a choice of Exhibit Only or an Exhibit Deluxe, which includes admission to the exhibit as well as to one of the 3 investigations being held. Exhibit tickets are good for admission throughout the weekend. Space is limited for the investigations and there is a minimum age of 13. Tickets for the exhibit, which are good throughout the weekend, or a combination of exhibit and investigations are only available through Brian's website. Know that with your ticket purchase, a portion of the proceeds from the event will help support Hearthside's mission!
Take a look at the promotional video for a preview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBNxJ7P8C8o and for more information and ticket purchase, click here: www.neverstopsearching.com/tour.
GRANT AWARDED TO FRIENDS OF HEARTHSIDE BY THE RI COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES
September 2021--The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities has awarded a grant in the amount of $8,000 to Friends of Hearthside, Inc. as part of the Rhode Island Culture, Humanities, and Arts Recovery Grant (RI CHARG) program, a collaborative grant program of the Humanities Council and Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA). The grant is awarded for the organization’s cultural contributions to Rhode Island in order to help sustain Hearthside’s mission and work.
“We are thrilled to receive this unexpected boost to our funding,” states Kathy Hartley, president of the Friends. “It comes at an ideal time when a marketing campaign for the newly-established Great Road Heritage Campus is emerging onto the tourist destination scene.” The funding will be targeted to our new website as well as a branding for the four historic sites making up the Great Road Heritage Campus, along with the creation of new logos and brochures.”
While the Humanities Council is the source of the grant funds, the award reflects a collaborative adjudication process by RISCA and the Humanities Council. After completing the adjudication process, the source of the grant award was determined jointly based on our organization's eligibility and the resources available to each grantmaker from the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts respectively.
FRIENDS OF HEARTHSIDE HONORED
WITH 2021 RHODY AWARD
September 2021--For the past 20 years, the Friends of Hearthside have worked tirelessly at preserving Hearthside, and eventually taking on stewardship of the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop, later the Moffett Mill, and most recently the Pullen’s Corner Schoolhouse. Our four historic properties have now formed the Great Road Heritage Campus.
Our programs, events, and exhibits have received widespread recognition. And now, the Friends of Hearthside has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 Rhody Award for the Antoinette Downing Volunteer Service Award. The Award is being given by Preserve Rhode Island and the RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission.
This is one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve, especially given that it is a named award for such an esteemed preservationist! Architectural historian Antoinette Downing was a legend with a long list of achievements in the historic preservation world. Even those who have never heard of her would have to agree that she made a major impact on our state and country. Without her decades-long pursuit of preserving 18th and 19th century homes along Benefit Street that were slated for demolition, Providence would not enjoy the historic charm that the East Side has today. She also authored several books as well as guides for cities and towns across the state that contained inventories of the historic properties within each for preservation groups, historical societies and town bodies. She advocated before Congress for protection of our nation’s heritage, resulting in the National Preservation Act of 1966, which set federal policy for preserving our nation’s heritage, established the State Historic Preservation offices in each state, and established the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmarks programs. She was a tireless volunteer and a true visionary.
The Rhody Award ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 17th at which the award winners will be honored, including a video presentation about each site. A special Rhody Road Tour is planned for Oct. 16th to visit the properties of all the preservation award winners throughout the state.
View the 2021 Rhody Award Video Presentation to Friends of Hearthside: https://youtu.be/Lhf5l_0Jusg
TAKE A TOUR OF THE AWARD-WINNING GREAT ROAD HERITAGE CAMPUS!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2021
September 2021---On Sunday, September 12th, our volunteers will provide fully-guided tours at each of our four historic properties at the Great Road Heritage Campus. This is one of those rare occasions that we don't have a special exhibit or program taking place, but rather we will just focus on the history and stories of each site.
Guided tours begin at 12:30 with the last one at 3:30. Tours must be reserved and tickets purchased ahead of time through the link below. Staggered admissions with specific time slots to sign up for will help limit the size of groups for each tour at each site. Timed admissions take place every 30 min. and are limited to no more than 8 guests per time slot at each site. There is no particular order for the visits so you may choose which one to start with, or if you would rather just visit one site, you can do that too.
Admission fee to Hearthside includes visits to all four sites. If you wish to just visit the Moffett Mill, the fee is $5 per person but you must take our shuttle bus to get there so check in at Hearthside is required (after reserving your slot and getting your ticket ahead of time); you can also just visit the schoolhouse for a $5 fee (also reserved time slot and ticket ahead of time).
LINCOLN COMMEMORATES 150TH ANNIVERSARY
AT GREAT ROAD DAY
SATURDAY, SEPT. 25
September 2021---When the Town of Lincoln separated from Smithfield in 1871, Great Road was already 200 years old, having been built in 1683. What is remarkable is that some of the original buildings still remain where they were during those earliest years when Great Road was the one of the country's first highways. It ran between Providence and Mendon, Mass. Today, there are a number of 17th, 18th and 19th century buildings as well along this historic roadway that have been preserved and are open to the public.
On Saturday, September 25th, the annual Great Road Day welcomes visitors for free admission to 10 of these sites. Those sites include: Arnold House (c.1693), Saylesville Friends Meetinghouse (c.1703), Mount Moriah Lodge (c.1804), Northgate-Blackstone Valley Historical Society (c.1807), Arnold Bakery (c.1874), the Valentine Whitman House (c.1694) as well as Hearthside (c.1810), Moffett Mill (c.1812), Hannaway Blacksmith Shop (c.1880), and the Pullen's Corner Schoolhouse (c.1850). The buildings represent an impressive sampling of what was located here in the community during the time when the town was formed. The event runs from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
One can just imagine what life was like a few years after the end of the Civil War when Lincoln was founded as a town. Its name was selected to honor the memory of President Abraham Lincoln. A visit to each of the sites helps to make this image come to life as exhibits, displays and docents present a glimpse of life at that time.
As part of the Town's commemoration of its 150th anniversary, two shuttle buses are being provided to make visits to all the sites easier, with continuous runs between each site and parking areas. Parking is available at lots at Gateway Park, Chase Farm Park, Hearthside, and at Mt. Moriah Lodge. Roadside parking at Whitman House and Northgate. To further encourage visits to each site, a Passport will be given to each, which will get stamped at the individual sites, and if all 10 blocks are stamped to show that the visit was made, then a gift will be given.
Special features include an exhibit at the Blackstone Valley Historical Society's Northgate, which had served as a tollhouse for the Louisquisset Turnpike and later as the Lime Rock Grange #22, a gathering place for local farm families. The exhibit is "The Papers of Arnold Jenckes," who was a farmer and a cooper, who made lime casks for the Harris Lime Company and whose farm was near the present-day Lincoln Mall. The papers which include bills, receipts, his commission as captain of the militia and the lists of the members of his company, among other bits and pieces give insight into the 19th century farmer's life here. The one-room Arnold Bakery originally located in Lonsdale but moved to its current spot at Northgate, operated for nearly 100 years. It contains a collection of antique baking equipment and memorabilia. Note that Northgate will be open starting at 1:00 p.m. and will close at 4 p.m.
At the Valentine Whitman Jr. House, stop in to learn how Preserve Rhode Island, who recently acquired this stone-ender house from the town, plans to restore the building and give it new life. The house was the site of the first town meeting of the town of Smithfield.
The Mt. Moriah Lodge is one of the earliest Masonic lodges in the state and where the most notable early town residents were members. The Lodge opens once a year to the public which is on Great Road Day. The first structure on this site was a one-room schoolhouse, but in 1804 local masons established a new lodge here. Today, meetings are still held by the lodge regularly.
At the opposite end of Great Road's Historic District is a rare journey back to the 17th and early 18th century that is featured at Historic New England's Arnold House, a unique stone-ender house with a massive chimney end wall, as well as the Saylesville Friends Meetinghouse, one of the oldest continuously-used Quaker meetinghouses in New England. Both properties feature the stories of the town's earliest settlers, the Arnolds, and other notable family names of Lincoln's early residents.
At the center of it all is the Great Road Heritage Campus at Chase Farm Park, where several of the historic buildings are located. At the entrance to the Park is the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop, where visitors can watch the blacksmith shape hot metal into useful implements. Next door at the recently relocated one-room schoolhouse, Pullen's Corner but also known as the "Hot Potato Schoolhouse", visitors can learn what lessons area farm children of all ages were learning here together,what recess was like, and even what the original outhouse might have looked like.
Board the shuttle bus to take a tour of the Moffett Mill, accessible only by the shuttle, to this rare relic that appears to be frozen in time, with original tools and belt system that operated the machinery in this wooden machine shop still in place. This mill did custom work for area businesses and farms, from making parts, to wagons and buggies, to laces for shoes and corsets around the period of the Civil War.
What were the fashions of the day? Find out with a trip to Hearthside and see examples of dresses, underclothes, and a man's uniform from the Civil War. Docents in period attire welcome you to explore through three floors of this stone mansion. Besides the indoor exhibits, a small Civil War encampment will be set up on the grounds,and fall treats will be for sale of home-made apple crisp, popcorn, and apple cider. A selection of books about the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln are available for purchase in Hearthside's Gift Shop too.
"All of these sites are collaborating in order to make history accessible to everyone. Our Great Road Day celebration offers a wonderful opportunity to explore these familiar places that we pass by everyday, but rarely know the rich history behind them. This free event provides something of interest for all ages, making it the perfect family day," states Kathy Hartley of the Hearthside House Museum. "Besides the fun of getting passports stamped at each location, there will be activities for children, antique lovers, history buggs, and general information on this area's rich and varied history, and especially of interest to those who call Lincoln their home."
Visitors are invited to tour at their own pace and let the shuttles do the driving. Because it is an open house format, the visits are a preview of what each site has to offer, rather than guided tours at each one. Shuttles will run the entire day. Maps will be given out at each site along with the passports. Signs will also be posted marking Great Road Day at each of the 10 sites. The hours are from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., except for the 1:00 opening at Northgate. Limited parking is available at most of the sites, except for the Moffett Mill, which is only accessible by shuttle. The bus will pick up every few minutes at each site continuously.
Visitors are invited to tour at their own pace, since this is a preview of what each site has to offer, rather than guided tours at each one. Shuttle buses will run the entire day. Maps and signs will be posted at each site along the route for those who may just want to stop by a site or two. The hours are between 11 – 4, except 1:00 p.m. opening at Northgate. Because of limited parking at many of the sites, the shuttle bus makes it the easiest way to get to see them all. The Moffett Mill has no parking and cannot be accessed by walking along the roadway, so it is only accessible by the shuttle bus.
Great Road Day is a collaboration among the several participating historic sites, the majority of which are volunteer-run organizations. The event is sponsored in part by the Town of Lincoln, which owns Chase Farm Park and the historic properties there as well as Hearthside.
Starry, Starry Nite at Chase Farm Park
Thursday, August 19, 2021
August 2021----The Friends of Hearthside will host the final stargazing event for this season on Thursday, August 19th at Chase Farm Park.
The program begins with a presentation at the Visitors Center about the basics of astronomy by noted astronomer and Lincoln resident, Francine Jackson, before heading out into the field to peer through the telescopes manned by members of the Skyscrapers organization, who will provide a personal guided tour of the night sky. In case of cloud cover or inclement weather, the event takes place the next night on Friday, August 20th.
Advance registration and tickets are required. Cost is $7 per person, children under age 5 free.
The program begins at 7:30 p.m. and is held entirely outdoors at Chase Farm Park, 671 Great Road, Lincoln. Proceeds from the event support the continued programming that the Friends of Hearthside provides at the historic sites of the Great Road Heritage Campus at Chase Farm Park.
Schoolhouse Event at Chase Farm to Take Place August 15, 2021
Passport to the Past: Children’s Fun in 1871
August 2021---This summer's stormy weather caused the July 18th cancellation of the "Passport to the Past: Children's Fun in 1871" at the Pullen's Corner Schoolhouse at Chase Farm Park. The re-scheduled date is Sunday, August 15th and tickets are now available. The event gives families the chance to explore what types of activities kids did 150 years ago for fun during the summer. In honor of Lincoln's 150th birthday, the volunteers at the Pullen’s Corner Schoolhouse at Chase Farm Park have invited children ages 5 and older and adults of all ages to come and find out.
Between 1- 4 p.m., activity stations will be set up around the grounds of the one-room schoolhouse at the park where the schoolmarms and schoolmasters will bring visitors back in time to when Lincoln was a brand new town. With a "passport" in hand, visitors will get to choose the experiences they would like to try such as constructing and flying a kite, taking a picture using a very early form of photography, making a fishing pole, and playing some recess games. Also, explore nature and use a magnifying glass and field journal to record what is found out in the fields, or create artwork of the beautiful scenery of the meadows. Learn to weave, braid and embroider— all the quiet skills that children and adults enjoyed over a century ago. Also, play Victorian era parlor games as families played around the hearth in the evenings.
Upon arrival, each participant will receive a stampable "passport" booklet and a map of all the docent-led education stations set up around Chase Farm Park. Participants are encouraged to engage in any or all of the activities that ignite their curiosity. Some of the activities may be weather-permitting, but most will be offered in light rain or shine. Regardless of what activities are chosen, it is likely that there will be items to take home, and certainly lots of great memories of old-fashioned fun.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Advance registration required at www.hearthsidehouse.org in order to stagger groups. Cost is $10 for a participant, or $15 for a family. Admissions are on the half-hour starting at 1:00 with the last one at 2:30.
The town-owned Pullen's Corner Schoolhouse dates to 1850 before the town of Lincoln was formed by separating from Smithfield in 1871. The one-room schoolhouse is located at Chase Farm Park, having been moved there from its Angell Road location in order to preserve it along with the other historic sites at the Great Road Heritage Campus at Chase Farm Park.
Hearthside Museum Presents
American Girl Doll Garden Party
on July 31, 2021
July 2021---A favorite event for young girls and their dolls returns to Hearthside Museum this summer with the American Girl Doll Garden Party being held on Saturday, July 31st.
An afternoon of outdoor fun with history is in store for girls along with their doll as they learn about Samantha Parkington, the American Girl Doll who grew up in her grandmother's mansion in 1904. A delightful presentation and display of the original historic doll that helped launch the American Girl Doll series brings Samantha to life, as the pastimes she enjoyed during the summer are detailed and shown with her miniature accessories.
Girls will get to participate in a flower craft to take home as well as try some of the turn-of-the-century lawn games that Samantha would have played. A keepsake photo of each girl, summertime refreshments, door prizes, and some beautiful raffle prizes are also part of the event. As they conclude the afternoon, guests will take a tour through the museum with the guides in period attire to see what the rooms may have looked like in the home that Samantha grew up in. The museum's gift shop is also stocked with an array of doll clothes and accessories for purchase.
The Garden Party is for girls ages 5 and older and accompanied by an adult. This is an informal event, held rain or shine, under a tent. Limited number of seats are available, with two sessions being offered: 12-1:45 p.m. and 2:15-4:00 p.m. Advance tickets only which are available through www.hearthsidehouse.org. Tickets are $24/child; $14/adult.
OLD-FASHIONED ICE CREAM SOCIAL AT HEARTHSIDE
SUNDAY, JULY 25, 2021
July 2021---The historic setting of Great Road's Hearthside House Museum is an ideal spot for some old-fashioned summertime fun. And nothing goes together better than summertime and ice cream. On Sunday afternoon, July 25th, the Friends of Hearthside is offering a nostalgic filled afternoon with an Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social & Garden Party being held between 12-3 pm.
The event features ice cream sundaes, customized with a choice of toppings, to enjoy while listening to ragtime music in the background. A barbershop quartet will stroll the grounds and serenade with old time tunes. For those who don't want to sit back and be entertained, there will be lawn games such as croquet, ring toss, bean bag, and horseshoes. On exhibit will be a turn-of-the-century phonograph along with original recordings. And as a throw back to carnival days will be fortune telling by a tarot card reader.
The museum's first floor will also be open for those who may have never been inside before or for anyone wishing to see the latest discovery of a hidden door found during restoration work. The Gift Shop will also be open.
The event will take place under a tent, rain or shine. Advance tickets only at www.hearthsidehouse.org. Cost is $16 per person; $8 for youth age 9 and under.
All proceeds support the nonprofit volunteer organization's efforts to preserve, protect, and interpret the history of the 1810 Hearthside House and the Great Road Heritage Campus at Chase Farm Park.
"CASABLANCA" OFFERED AT OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT AT HEARTHSIDE HOUSE MUSEUM
SATURDAY, JULY 10, 2021
July 2021---Hearthside Museum announces its next film in the Outdoor Movie Series. The 1942 Oscar award-winning timeless classic, Casablanca, will be shown in Hearthside's yard where guests can watch from their lawn chairs.
The movie stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in this love story about an expatriate American cafe owner who struggles to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco. This original black-and-white movie still delights audiences some 80 years after its release. Many will recall that this is the movie that the quote "Here's looking at you, kid," came from and is now part of pop culture.
Tickets are $10 each. Popcorn and beverages will be available for purchase. Advance registration only and ticket purchase through the organization's website hearthsidehouse.org or call 726-0597. Space is limited so early registration is advised.
The event begins at 8:00 p.m. and is held at Hearthside. The next movie in the outdoor classic movie series is scheduled for Saturday, August 28th with the children's classic, Stuart Little, being held as a drive-in at Chase Farm Park.
JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION OF TWO DECADES OF PRESERVING GREAT ROAD'S HISTORY
SAT. JUNE 26
June 2021---A 20th anniversary celebration by the Friends of Hearthside will be held on Saturday morning, June 26th from 10-12 noon at Chase Farm Park, and the public is invited to join in.
Founded in 2001 by lifelong Lincoln resident Kathy Chase Hartley, the Friends of Hearthside's original mission was to serve as stewards of the town's landmark stately stone mansion on Great Road that dates to 1810. Since forming, the all-volunteer nonprofit organization has transformed the former home into an award-winning museum and has expanded its mission to include three additional town-owned historic sites: the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop (c.1880), the Moffett Mill (c.1812), and most recently the re-located Pullen's Corner Schoolhouse (c.1850). Collectively, these four historic sites comprise what is now known as "the Great Road Heritage Campus at Chase Farm Park."
The Friends provide ongoing maintenance at each, restoration projects to address structural issues while preserving the historic integrity of the buildings, presenting unique programs that attract visitors of all ages from around New England, and educating visitors by interpreting 19th century history through tours given by guides in period attire and exhibits of unique collections. As a result, the Town has been able to maximize its original investment in these properties along with saving hundreds of thousands of dollars that the Friends have provided in improvements. Great Road has become a popular destination for visitors at these treasured historic properties that are being cared for and have ongoing activity, rather than being boarded up. The historic character of Great Road has become a source of community pride for residents of Lincoln.
Attendees at this Annual Meeting of the Friends of Hearthside will learn about the evolution of the organization and its two decades of success. Featured will be a presentation by guest speaker Charles Cox III, history lecturer, author, and long-time Lincoln resident. It was his vision for a community celebration many years ago that resulted in the creation of the Festival of Lights, which featured a Christmas open house at Hearthside and as the first town ornament. This was the seed from which Friends of Hearthside blossomed. In addition, there will be volunteer presentations, displays of the organization's history, and a piece of birthday cake for all to share in the celebration of this milestone.
Anyone planning to attend is asked to reserve a seat by email at info@hearthsidehouse.org or call 726-0597. The meeting will be held outdoors at the Chase Farm Park Visitors Center, 671 Great Road.
2021 SEASON KICKS OFF FOR
THE GREAT ROAD HERITAGE CAMPUS
APRIL 24, 2021
April 2021---The Hearthside House Museum announces the opening of its 2021 season this month. To kick it off will be special shopping days at the museum's Gift Shop especially for Mother's Day gifts on Sat., April 24th between 12-3.
The Museum will officially open on Sun. afternoon April 25th for fully-guided tours of the stately stone mansion on Great Road. The one-hour tours will be given by docents in period attire who bring the home's history to life with stories of the several of the families who lived there. The museum is filled with interesting antiques and artifacts that cover the range of years the house was occupied up until 1997. One of the popular features is the dollhouse display of Hearthside's rooms in miniature.
For the safety of guests, tours will be limited to 4-6 per group to allow for distancing, one-way traffic throughout the house, and face masks are required. Ticket purchase and timed reservation must be made in advance through this website. Tours begin every 20 min. starting at 12:30 with the last one at 3:50 p.m.
The 1850 one-room schoolhouse at Chase Farm Park will also open its doors for the season this Sunday between 1-4 pm. Stop by and see what it was like to go to school here during the 19th century when it served children from K-8 from area farms.
"While our 20th anniversary year looks a bit different and much lower key than we had envisioned, our programs will still offer families and lovers of history the opportunity to enjoy our sites in a safe way," states Kathy Hartley, the museum's director and founder. "We are most grateful to Navigant Credit Union for being our 2021 Season Sponsor, making it possible to host a variety of programming this year."
A new exhibit on "Antique Linens & Lace" is scheduled for Sat. May 8th as a special outing for Mother's Day weekend. Hearthside House Museum is celebrating mothers with the timeless treasures of exquisite textiles from its' collections. The finest needlework examples provide an enriching look at the artistic heritage that mothers of yesteryear have left as a legacy to today's generations. These beloved heirlooms were handmade during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Being shown are linens and textiles with elaborately detailed embroidery and tatting, meticulously crocheted doilies, bedspreads, and tablecloths, delicate lace collars and trims to adorn dresses and accessories, and coverlets handwoven by the Talbot weavers at Hearthside a hundred years ago.
"This sentimental tour is sure to evoke memories of visits with grandma or just offer a real treat to admire the most beautiful and breathtaking textiles that women created for their households," states Kathy Hartley, president of the museum. "It's a perfect treat to celebrate Mother's Day weekend with a special outing to the museum and then return home and enjoy a relaxing cup of tea and reminisce with mom."
Advance tickets only through this website by May 3rd. Cost is $20 per person and includes a self-guided tour of the exhibit with guides in period attire, and a special gift bag for each to enjoy tea and treats at home. Timed admissions limit group size to no more than 6 at a time, with admission slots every 15 minutes between 12:30-4:00 pm.
Hearthside's Gift Shop will also be open with a special selection of gift items for mom.
The schoolhouse will also offer a "Make and Take" activity to honor the long lost tradition of May Baskets, when colorful baskets of flowers were left at the doorstep of a loved one, friend or neighbor. This activity is a perfect opportunity to create a lovely memento. Advance registration only for 30 min. slots between 1-3 p.m. Cost is $5 per participant and tickets are available through this website.