on fellow ous L g ulletinH e Volume No. A Newsletter of the Friends of the Longfellow House and the National Park Service December pecial nniversary ssue House SelectedB As Part of Underground Railroad Network to Freedom S Henry WadsworthA LongfellowI he Longfellow National Historic Site apply for grants dedicated to Underground Turns 200 Thas been awarded status as a research Railroad preservation and research. ebruary , , marks the th facility with the Na- This new national Fanniversary of the birth of America’s tional Park Service’s Network also seeks first renowned poet, Henry Wadsworth Underground Railroad to foster communi- Longfellow. Throughout the coming year, Network to Freedom cation between re- Longfellow NHS, Harvard University, (NTF) program. This searchers and inter- Mount Auburn Cemetery, and the Maine program serves to coor- ested parties, and to Historical Society will collaborate on dinate preservation and help develop state- exhibits and events to observe the occa- education efforts na- wide organizations sion. (See related articles on page .) tionwide and link a for preserving and On February the Longfellow House multitude of historic sites, museums, and researching Underground Railroad sites. and Mount Auburn Cemetery will hold interpretive programs connected to various Robert Fudge, the Chief of Interpreta- their annual birthday celebration, for the facets of the Underground Railroad. tion and Education for the Northeast first time with the theme of Henry Long- This honor will allow the LNHS to dis- Region of the NPS, announced the selec- fellow’s connections to abolitionism. Both play the Network sign with its logo, receive tion of the Longfellow NHS for the Un- historic places will announce their new technical assistance, and participate in pro- derground Railroad Network to Freedom status as part of the NTF. gram workshops. Sites, programs, and program on September at the House. The U.S. Postal Service has announced facilities listed in the NTF are eligible to (continued on page ) that it will issue a Henry W. Longfellow commemorative first-class stamp in . Longfellow House Bulletin Turns 10 Longfellow’s 200th Birthday Celebration ith this issue, the Longfellow House Longfellow NHS has worked Harvard’s Sanders WBulletin completes ten years of pub- with Houghton Library at Har- Theater where the lication. Conceived in by Diana Kor- vard University on a major exhi- Boston Landmarks zenik, first president of the Friends of the bition called “Public Poet, Pri- Orchestra will ac- Longfellow House, as essential to the vate Man: Henry Wadsworth company a reading Friends’ mission, it has informed both the Longfellow at ,” which opens of “Paul Revere's public and researchers about the House on January .To keep them safe Ride.” On Sunday, collections and activities. Under the edi- from fire, the Longfellow family June the Way- torial guidance of scholars Ruth Butler trust deposited many of Long- side Inn in Sud- and Marilyn Richardson, the Bulletin came fellow’s papers from the House bury will host a to focus on breaking news at the House at Harvard in . Objects still jazz brunch with supplemented by supporting research arti- at the House will be on view as garden tour and cles in thematically related issues. Jim Shea well. Longfellow scholar Chris- poetry readings, and Glenna Lang continue the endeavor. toph Irmscher has written an including Longfel- The Bulletin is produced twice a year illuminating catalog. low’s “Tales of a cooperatively between the Friends of the Displaying more than forty Photo of Henry with Trap, Wayside Inn.” Longfellow House and the National Park of Henry’s and his family’s drawings from For information on all these events and Service. All back issues of the Bulletin for the House, the Maine Historical Society more, go to www.longfellow200.org, a use as records and research tools can be will host a special exhibition on the Longfel- website posted by the Longfellow Bicenten- found on the websites of both the Friends lows as artists. It opens on February . nial Committee. It lists an array of con- and the National Park Service. The bicentennial gala event will take certs, lectures, readings, and educational place on Sunday afternoon, March at programs for students and teachers. ᳚ House To Be Part of Network To Freedom (continued from page ) Sheri Jackson, NPS Northeast Regional information about these contributions and ሖሗመ Coordinator, had previously visited the also demonstrate his interest in court cases House to learn more about its connections involving freedom seekers and his close ties Friends of the Longfellow House to abolitionism and had encouraged the to many other abolitionists, such as Charles Board of Directors staff to apply. Sumner and James Russell Lowell. President Heather S. Moulton, “We are very honored,”said NPS Super- The NTF sees the Underground Rail- Barclay Henderson, Vice President Robert C. Mitchell, Treasurer intendent Myra Harrison, “to have this road as far more than a network of hiding Polly Bryson, Clerk important aspect of the site’s story recog- places for fugitive slaves. The Underground Hope Cushing nized. People will see Longfellow in a new Railroad, in the broader sense, refers to the Diana Der-Hovanessian light, and it will bring new audiences here.” struggle of enslaved African Americans to Frances J. Folsom The research facility at the Longfellow gain their freedom by escaping bondage and Maura Graham NHS includes an extensive archive with the to all those who assisted this cause through Edward Guleserian papers (and corresponding finding aids) of donations of money or goods, such as food Sarah B. Jolliffe Henry W. Longfellow, his wife Fanny, his or clothing, or provided shelter. While some Linda Almgren Kime brother Samuel, and his daughter Alice efforts were spontaneous acts of kindness, Layne Longfellow Longfellow—all of whom held strong others were deliberate and organized. Laura Nash anti-slavery sentiments. In addition and of Candidates applying for NTF status may Lynne Spencer particular interest are the papers of Rich- come from within or outside of the NPS. Advisory Board ard Henry Dana Jr., a Boston lawyer and A regional coordinating committee reviews Ruth Butler abutting neighbor of the Longfellows, who and votes on applications twice a year, and LeRoy Cragwell defended fugitive slaves and their rescuers. the public is invited to attend. In fall Diana Korzenik Many historic and rare books on this sub- the regional coordinator accepted twenty- Richard Nylander ject are in the Longfellow family library and five listings into the Network, including two Stephen D. Pratt are available to researchers. from Cambridge: the Longfellow NHS and Marilyn Richardson Through his painstaking work cross- Mount Auburn Cemetery. Marc Shell referencing account books with letters at Other sites in the Boston area also in the Charles Sullivan Lowell A. Warren Jr. Harvard’s Houghton Library and journal Network to Freedom are the Joshua Bowen transcripts in the House archives, Museum Smith House in Cambridge and the Jack- Administrator Manager of the LNHS Jim Shea has begun son Homestead in Newton. J.L. Bell to get a clearer picture of Henry’s involve- Shea mused enthusiastically: “Being in- ment with the Underground Railroad. cluded in the Underground Railroad Net- Newsletter Committee “There is a treasure trove of information work to Freedom will open up a new fron- Editor, Writer & Designer Glenna Lang, here,” said Shea, “just waiting for other tier for us. Henry Longfellow was among Marilyn Richardson, Consultant James M. Shea researchers to put together. We hope to the first international figures associated with encourage more researchers to use our [abolitionism]. It will be great for people to ᇶᇷᇸ archives to explore this connection further.” learn more about this aspect of the man.” Archives at both Houghton and the Because of Longfellow’s involvement National Park Service House contain many records of Henry with the Underground Railroad and the Myra Harrison, Superintendent Longfellow as an active abolitionist and par- number of his abolitionist friends whom James M. Shea, Museum Manager ticipant in a network to aid freedom seekers. he met with in the House, the Longfellow Lauren Downing, Administrative Officer Account books provide evidence of Longfel- NHS will apply in January to the NTF to Education and Visitor Services Nancy Jones, low’s financial contributions to former slaves be included as a site in addition to its new Paul Blandford, Museum Educator Anita Israel, Archives Specialist and the abolitionist cause. His journal status as a facility. (See related articles David Daly, Collections Manager entries and letters provide further specific throughout this issue of the Bulletin.) Lauren Malcolm, Museum Technician Flo Smith, Management Assistant Liza Stearns, Education Specialist Ed Bacigalupo, Chief of Maintenance Scott Fletcher, Facility Manager Printed by Newprint Offset, Waltham, Mass. ማሜምሞ All images are from the Longfellow National Historic Site collections, unless noted otherwise. Entries in Henry Longfellow’s account book on page entitled “Money given, ,” showing donations to Mr. Lang’s colored church, Mr. Vassall (see page ), Ida May (a generic reference to a slave), and a Fugitive Slave ᳚ Image by permission of the Houghton Library, Harvard University Interview with a Friend…Meet Christoph Irmscher, Scholar Author of Longfellow Redux, published by LH: Have you learned anything new there is a three-dollar donation to a “Negro the University of Illinois Press in August about him since you wrote Longfellow Redux? church.” Also, we see from his account , Christoph Irmscher is a Professor of CI: I wasn’t aware of the extent of Long- books that, even though Josiah Henson vis- English at Indiana University in Blooming- fellow’s transnational contacts—such as ited him once, his commitment to him con- ton. He is currently putting the finishing Hans Christian Andersen in Denmark— tinued over the years.