I was lucky enough, for a multitude of reasons to have met one of my most cherished friends in college. Our college days consisted of parties, food, and more parties. I wouldn’t change a thing, nor would I want to go back to those times. I didn’t necessarily believe her when she told me she…
Category: History
The Gropius House: Bauhaus Design in Lincoln, Ma
I have to admit that when I first started this project and was reviewing all the properties owned by Historic New England, I was somewhat surprised to see The Gropius House only because it was so starkly different from the others, and relatively new as it was built in 1938. It was boxy with lots…
Christmas at the Newport Mansions: The Elms
The Newport Mansions, cared for by The Preservation Society of Newport County, are by far my favorite thing about Rhode Island. These Gilded Age homes were built by some of the nation’s wealthiest between 1870 and the early 1900s, and acted as the “Summer Cottage” for these families. The humor is not lost on guests…
Roseland Cottage: Christmas in 1887
I started this journey in early November, not realizing that many of the Historic New England homes closed for the winter. Thankfully, Historic New England has a robust events calendar on their website, and I noticed that the Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Connecticut would be open December 8th & 9th. The event was called “A Victorian…
The Old Manse: Proud Witness to American Revolutions
For quite some time now, I’ve been wanting to visit Concord, MA and wander the historic battle field and surrounding areas. I remember taking a field trip in fifth or sixth grade to the site of the North Bridge, mostly just excited for a day away from the confines of the school building, and certainly…
Otis House: A Look into Life in Boston in 1796
The Otis House is located on Cambridge Street in Boston, MA and was next up on my list to visit, as it closes for the season at the end of November. Plus, it was easy to get to and gave me an opportunity to walk around Boston for an afternoon, which is always a plus…
My First Visit: The Eustis Estate
Once I settled on the idea of this challenge, I got to work trying to plan out a rough schedule of when I would be able to get to all the homes & sites. It seems as though I chose a fairly terrible time to start this, as most of the homes had just closed…
And The Journey Begins
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been fascinated by the back story of items, people and places. I was constantly imagining what life was like for those who lived in the big old Victorian homes in my small, Central Massachusetts town. Or, while begrudgingly being towed around by my parents to antique…
The Historic New England Project 