Volume 9, Issue 2 Mill House Notes Autumn 2013

Middleborough Historical Association P.O. Box 304, Middleboro, MA 02346 www.middleboroughhistoricalassociation.org Nancy J. Thomas, Newsletter Editor

M.H.A. Annual Meeting author of numerous books about the Nutmeg State. His new book, Becoming Tom The Annual Membership Meeting will be held Thumb: Charles Stratton, P.T. Barnum on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 1:30 and the Dawn of American Celebrity is PM at Lorenzo’s on West Grove Street. the first academic biography of this iconic Lunch is “Lorenzo’s Famous Hot & Cold American entertainer and will be available Buffet.” This includes Italian Antipasto with for purchase at the program. Mr. Lehman’s House Dressing, Rosemary Herb Roasted talk will include the three-year world tour of Chicken, Homemade Meatballs, Italian Tom and Lavinia which started just a few Sausage Cacciatore, Baked Shells weeks after the Golden Spike was driven Parmigiana, Homemade Frapola, Assorted uniting rail service west to east. From San Breads and Butter and Beverage. Tax and Francisco, the famous couple and troupe gratuity are included in the price. performed in Japan, China, Australia, India, Egypt, Italy and England and met many Cost for the buffet lunch is $20.00. Please emperors and dignitaries including Queen make your reservation by October 26th by Victoria. Many artifacts from this tour are on mailing a check to M.H.A., P.O. Box 304, display at the Middleborough Historical Middleboro, MA 02346. If you wish to attend Museum. This program is partially funded by just the program, please plan to arrive by a grant from the Middleborough Cultural 2:30 PM. The program is open to the public, Council. however non-members who wish to attend are asked for a $5.00 donation. For any questions, please call President Cynthia Elections are Here!! McNair at 508-947-3394. November is election time for the Following lunch there will be a business Association. You are encouraged to think meeting which will include annual elections. about filling one of the open positions. The program will feature Eric D. Lehman. Though the vice-president position is a Mr. Lehman is an historian, travel writer and two-year term, there is currently a vacancy the Director of Creative Writing at the due to a resignation, thus a candidate is University of Bridgeport, CT. His essays, needed to serve for one year. Secretary stories, and reviews have been published in and treasurer are elected annually, and dozens of journals, newspapers and two directors are needed for three-year magazines, from Antique Trader to The positions. International Henry Miller Journal. He is the The secretary keeps records of all board and Wisconsin, plus the country of Germany. In membership meetings as well as accurate all, we had 150 visitors plus 142 third records of membership so good computer graders from the Mary K Goode School along skills are necessary. The duties of the with their teachers and chaperones and 21 treasurer are to keep all financial records, children from the park department program. pay bills, report to the board monthly and to the association meetings, as well as a yearly Museum volunteers receiving visitors and summary for the annual report. To hold a giving tours on Wednesdays were Gladys position on the board, one must be a Beals, Jeannette Bricknell, Dorothy Thayer, member in good standing with paid dues and Daniel Thompson and Bette Washburn. must be willing to attend the monthly board Guides on Saturdays were Edward and Diane meetings. Directors are actively involved in Dentch and Cynthia McNair. Mary Cook making decisions to manage both the entered data into the inventory program Association's business and the historical while Dick Cook did special projects at the museum complex. This might mean chairing museum. Bob Reimels continued work on a subcommittee when necessary. You would restoring the Sproat Tavern's outhouse play a very important role for the future assisted by Doug Vantran. Doug also secured success of the Middleborough Historical blocks for the entrance to the Peirce Store Association. making it easier to enter. Museum board members volunteered to represent the If you are thinking about one of these Association and inform the public about the positions or would like more information, you museum at Krazy Days and the Soule may contact Caroline LaCroix of the Farm Fall Festival. Daniel Thompson and Nominating Committee at purchademeadows Dorothy Thayer repeated their Lavinia and @ yahoo.com or call President Cynthia Tom Thumb 150th anniversary program at McNair at 508-947-3394. Oak Point.

The Association is currently also in need of a There are major roofing repairs to be done Museum Curator. This person would be in this fall on three museum buildings: the charge of the museum collections and Blacksmith Shop, Wood Law Office and the displays. The position is appointed by the Whistle House. This should stop our leaks Board. If this is an opportunity in which you and help protect the historic collections may be interested, please contact President within these buildings. Cynthia McNair.

Museum News THIS JUST IN……

The Middleborough Historical Museum’s At Special Town Meeting held on Monday, th season began on June 15th and concluded on October 7 at Middleborough High School, September 14th. The major attraction this town meeting members voted summer was Lavinia Warren's restored black overwhelmingly in favor of this motion: dress. This project was partially funded by Mayflower Bank and was featured in articles I move that the Town vote to appropriate in the Middleboro Gazette, Brockton $29,811 from the Historic Resources Enterprise, and the Boston Globe. The Reserve of the Community Preservation Fund museum was also listed in the Big Y Event to fund climate control measures at the booklet bringing folks from the western part Middleborough Historical Museum for of the state. It is always interesting to note preservation of two museum buildings, what other states are represented on our historic town records and artifacts contained guest log which this summer included in the two buildings; said funds to be Florida, Michigan, New York, Texas and expended under the direction of the Community Preservation Committee. One person rose to speak against the This fundraiser for the museum netted motion, but when the standing vote was $1,083. counted, the motion passed with 225 in favor and 18 against. None of this would have been possible without the hard work by MHA volunteers who donated baked goods, ice cream, raffle Croquet, Cookout and Conversation items and hours of their time running the event. Special thanks goes out to these On a warm sunny Saturday in August, MHA volunteers: Joshua and Jessica Anzulone, members enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon Jeannette Bricknell, Mary Cook, Richard and playing croquet, eating grilled foods and Judith Gibbs, Wally Glendye, Trish Holloway, chatting. Kate Lazarovich, Cynthia and Rick McNair, Keiko Orrall, John and Roberta Stidham, Bob and Cherri Reimels set up two croquet Gerald and Dorothy Thayer, Daniel and Jane areas where both serious and fun-loving Thompson, Doug Vantran and Margaret games took place. Spectators cheered on Washburn. Thanks goes out to all who their favorite players. Winners, who each participated to make this event a success! received a "Golden Mallet Award," were John Kinnealy and Dorothy Thayer. Garden Party/Open House

Hamburgers and hot dogs grilled to order for On Sunday, September 15, 2013 the 200th members by Gerry Thayer were served along anniversary of the Ebenezer Pickens with the "fixins", as well as desserts and House was celebrated by MHA with a garden lemonade. Perhaps this will become an party/open house. Mary Anne Mather, annual event! dressed in a beautiful black gown of early

nineteenth-century style, welcomed guests

FUNDRAISERS into her home at 93 South Main Street for a tour and history. Mary Lou (Glidden) 7th Annual Ice Cream Social Desmond, a descendant of the Pickens family, shared family objects and st July 21 marked our 7th "Sundaes on genealogy. Background music was provided Sunday.” The summer had many hot, by The Mayflower Camerata. uncomfortable days but this sunny and dry day was ideal for enjoying what else: ice The afternoon included a display and talk by cream! This year's entertainment, which was Daniel Thompson about the straw hat partially funded by a grant from the Lakeville industry and the Bay State Straw Works that Cultural Council, featured the Old Fiddlers’ was once located on Courtland Street. Both Club of Rhode Island, Inc. with some of their of Ebenezer Pickens's twin sons, James members playing for most of the event. Madison and Andrew Jackson, were involved Young children were entertained by Adam in the straw hat business. There was a stroll Bond with his magic tricks and by Mike and of the Pickens neighborhood led by Dorothy Marilyn McKeon with their balloon figures Thayer. She identified and gave a brief and games. Local businesses who helped history of the other two Pickens homes with cost or raffle donations were Hannaford, located across the street. The stroll Market Basket, Dave's Diner, Apazidis, concluded with a tour of the Andrew J. Harry's, Mamma Mia's, the Trading Post, Pickens House at 100 South Main by Michelle's Greenhouse, Red Sox Foundation homeowners Wayne and Suzanne with an autographed picture of Will Burkholder. (The other Pickens house is now Middlebrooks and the Middleboro Gazette. the Middleboro Counseling Center at 94 South Main.)

To end the event, guests were seated under From the President’s Desk… a large white tent at tables covered by linen tablecloths. Each table held a vase It has been my dream of obtaining of flowers and was set with elegant cutlery, Community Preservation Act (CPA) local tax plates and wine or cordial glasses. They dollars for climate control for the two mill were served tea sandwiches, tea breads, houses for two and half years since Allin other sweets and lemonade or iced tea by Frawley and Mark Belanger were our guest MHA volunteers Dick and Mary Cook, Kate speakers at a membership meeting Lazarovich, Cynthia McNair and Doug informing us about CPA which the voters of Vantran wearing black and white attire. Middleboro had recently approved. Because During refreshments, musical selections of our limited funds, this was our big chance were provided by The Mayflower Camerata to make improvements to the two mill led by Fred Thornton, Camerata houses using CPA local tax dollars to help Director with Larry J. Carlson, Holly Leach, save our artifacts and extend the time the Ellie Osborne and Sylvia Thornton, who also buildings can be open. After studying all the played the folk harp. printed materials handed out that day, it was clear we met the requirement of historic The fundraiser for the museum netted preservation as well as the purpose of $776.74, including a generous donation by rehabilitation and restoration. We were Dorothy and Gerry Thayer. The Middleboro advised to learn the language needed to Gazette did a brief article with lots of color state our needs toward a successful photos that took an entire page in the application! Having done this, we asked for September 19th issue of the newspaper. This heating/air conditioning, ceiling insulation may be the start of an annual event, and replacement windows. We even had perhaps at a different house each year!! contractors in place for the project. The delay in our initial request was over the concern about the integrity of the two mill October Membership Meeting houses, thus the request for an engineering study. The result of that study (after The fall membership meeting was held on favorable town meeting approval this past Tuesday, October 8, 2013 in the spring) was learned in late August. The local Middleborough Public Library meeting room. Historical Commission had previously approved the project, but stated that we The speaker was Marie T. Schlag, owner of needed to find wooden windows because of The Studio for Textile Conservation in the museum being located in an historic Scituate, MA. Her very detailed and district and the significance of being Peirce informative power point presentation was mill houses. The architect’s window entitled: “Conservation of Lavinia recommendations were made known on Warren-Bump Thumb’s Black Silk and September 15th. Our Board did not like Net Dress.” Her fifty-minute talk took the wood because of the maintenance needs audience through the entire process of her that it would require, but was willing to work of restoring Lavinia’s dress, from comply. researching the approximate date (1890- Unfortunately, appropriate windows were 1900) to placing the restored dress on a not found and that part of the project was customized mannequin. Ms. Schlag also dropped. We are happy that the scaled offered information on “Agents of down project will still add climate control for Deterioration,” of which light, the first time in the museum’s history! temperature/humidity and pests, particularly insects, are the major ones. She also gave Cynthia McNair, President ideas for proper storage and support of the museum’s collection going forward.