Winter Weekends at the Phillips House

Follow the Phillips family on a wintery jaunt around New England. Enjoy hot cocoa and cookies while viewing film clips of the family sledding, skiing, ice skating, and snowshoeing. Following the film, join the museum staff for a special house tour that shows how the family lived in 34 Chestnut Street through the winter months. The program ends with a sneak peek of Phillips family items, such as postcards and photographs, not usually on display.

The first Winter Weekends program is on Saturday, January 14. The movie starts promptly at 3:00 p.m. Registration is required. You may purchase your tickets online, but please call 978-744-0440 to confirm your choice of dates. Tickets are free to Historic New England members and $10.00 for nonmembers.  Winter Weekends at the Phillips House continue through February 25.  

Visit the Phillips House online for more information on the house, its programs, and Historic New England.

"The McIntire District After McIntire" Lecture at the Phillips house

This sounds really interesting, and I'm happy to pass the calendar listing along verbatim. 

THE MCINTIRE DISTRICT AFTER MCINTIRE: SALEM’S WEST END AND THE DEATH OF AN EMPIRE, 1815-1830
According local historian Robert Booth, “Foreign trade was the most lucrative business in young America, and no one did it better than Salem, where, in the West End, the wealth of the world was translated into boulevards of mansions.” Historic New England invites you to the Phillips House to discover the 1821 maritime mansion, built by Captain Nathaniel West, and to hear the author discuss and read from his newest work, "Death of an Empire: The Rise and Murderous Fall of America's Richest City."

This special event will take place on Tuesday, November 15. From 6:00-7:00, visitors can explore the first floor of the Phillips House Museum with a short guided tour. From 7:00-8:00, Mr. Booth will speak with a special focus on connections to the McIntire District and the Chestnut Street neighborhood. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the lecture. This program is co-sponsored with Salem History Society.

A reservation is not required for this free event, but seating will be limited. Please call 978-744-0440 for more information.

Ground Breaking Archaeology: Learning about 34 Chestnut Street from the Ground Up

Archaeology studies the way that people lived through both environmental data and the unveiling of material culture. In an effort to learn more about the way the Phillips family lived and worked at 34 Chestnut Street, Historic New England is performing a multi-year study of the landscape of the property. Using a variety of sources, a team of landscape architects crafted a cultural landscape report that revealed that the yard of a century ago is quite different than the yard of today.

During the summer of 2010, Peter Sablock, a professor in the geological sciences department at Salem State University, brought in a team of students and a technology called ground penetrating radar to unveil an even more complete landscape history at the Phillips House. The findings of his team as well as a demonstration of ground penetrating radar technology and electromagnetic induction will take place at 34 Chestnut Street on Wednesday, October 19, from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

The cost of the program is $5.00 for Historic New England Garden and Landscape members, $10.00 for Historic New England members and Salem State University students and faculty, and $15.00 for nonmembers. This special lecture is part of Massachusetts Archaeology Month and members of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society members may also join us for the $10.00 rate. 

Registration is recommended. To purchase tickets please call 978-744-0440 or visit HistoricNewEngland.org. 

Essex Heritage Photo Safari

I participated in an Essex National Heritage Commission Photo Safari with Hunt's Photo & Video at the Phillips House on July 30th.  It was a beautiful day to take pictures at the Ropes Mansion on Essex Street, along Chestnut Street, and at the Phillips House.  

Tropical storm Irene's wind and rain have inspired me to share flowers, blue sky, and some of Salem's stunning architecture.

The Ropes Mansion garden on Essex Street.
Part of the collections of the Peabody Essex Museum, the garden is free and open to the public.

Front of the Ropes Mansion

Ropes Mansion and First Church

Carriage House at the Phillips House

Chestnut Street

Salem Trolley on Chestnut Street

This was the final Photo Safari of 2011, but make sure to follow Essex Heritage (Facebook, Twitter, EssexHeritage.org) for the 2012 schedule.  Hunt's has brought Canon, Nikon, Tamron, and Olympus to past photo safaris.  They are a great way to learn photography tips from professionals, try out new equipment, and interact with the region's natural, cultural and historic resources.

Here's to the return of blue skies tomorrow...

The Phillips House Car Meet Turns 10

Join Historic New England’s Phillips House and the North Shore Old Car Club for the Tenth Annual Car Meet on historic Chestnut Street.  Members of the North Shore Old Car Club will display their vintage and antique vehicles; there will be special tours of the Phillips House and Carriage House, including a close-up look at the two Pierce-Arrows, Model A Ford, and five carriages on display in the collection. Special family activities and games will be set up in the backyard. Jazz music will be provided by the Trent Austin Duo. Light refreshments will be provided as well.

New this year, RFT Insurance of Lynnfield will be sponsoring two award categories for the meet. All visitors will be able to vote for a People’s Choice and there will be a Sponsor’s Choice Award. The awards ceremony will take place at 2:15 p.m. Raffle tickets will also be available for an array of auto related prizes with 100% of the proceeds benefitting the preservation efforts at Historic New England.

The meet takes place on Sunday, August 14 from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Admission is free. The car meet is open to all participants, though members of the North Shore Old Car Club will receive priority parking near the Phillips House.

For more information, please call 978-744-0440 or visit www.HistoricNewEngland.org.

Go on Safari in Salem

I love Essex Heritage Photo Safaris.  When else will you have the opportunity to experiment with awesome cameras and lenses, learn from professional photographers, and interact with some of the region's most exquisite natural, cultural and historic landscapes?

The last photo safari I attended in Salem was when Canon was at Salem Maritime, the National Park in Salem. We spent the morning focusing our lenses on the tall ship Friendship, historic houses along Derby Street, and Derby Wharf.  It was five years ago, and I'm still talking about it.

Canon is returning to Salem on July 30th for another Essex Heritage Photo Safari at the Phillips House on Chestnut Street.  Presented in conjunction with Hunt's Photo & Video (as all of the Photo Safaris are), this unique visit to the McIntire District will feature photographer Barbara Ellison, the Federal style architecture of Chestnut Street, and the latest camera equipment from Canon.  

Essex Heritage Photo Safari featuring Canon 

Presented by the Essex National Heritage Commission and Hunt’s Photo and Video

Historic New England’s Phillip’s House, 34 Chestnut Street, Salem, MA 01970

Saturday, July 30, 2011, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Reservations are required. Essex Heritage members $30/Nonmembers $45. 

For more information and to register visit www.EssexHeritage.org/photosafari or call 978-740-0444.

Ice Cream Social at the Phillips House

School Vacation Week program at the Phillips House

The Phillips House is celebrating a century of the Phillips family at 34 Chestnut Street in 2011. Celebrate this milestone with your family during April vacation week by viewing Phillips family home movies featuring celebrations and parties. Tour the house and go on a family-friendly scavenger hunt where children can earn a special birthday present. Cupcake decorating will follow the tour. This event is co-sponsored by Salem Parks and Recreation.

This April school vacation week program takes place on Wednesday, April 20, from 10:30 a.m. – noon. The Phillips House is located at 34 Chestnut Street in Salem, Mass. The special cost for Historic New England members and Salem residents is $5.00 for an individual and $15.00 for a family (2 adults, 2 children). The general public price is $10 for individuals and $25.00 for families (2 adults, 2 children).

Advance registration is required for this program. Please call 978-744-0440 to purchase tickets. Salem residents and those interested in family pricing must place ticket orders over the phone. Please visit www.historicnewengland.org for more details.   

Celebrate Women's History Day in Salem

Mayor Kimberly Driscoll has proclaimed Sunday, March 27, 2011 Salem Women’s History Day. In celebration of this proclamation, you are invited to join Historic New England’s Phillips House, the House of the Seven Gables, and the Witch House for a special community open house on Sunday, March 27, 2011 from noon – 4:00 p.m. Each property will be open for free to Salem residents with proof of residency and will feature tours and stories relating to the ladies of each house museum.

The Phillips House is located at 34 Chestnut Street and will have guided 45 minute tours that show what daily life was like for Anna Phillips and the Irish domestic staff who kept the household going. These tours will leave on the half-hour. If you would like more details, please contact the Phillips House at 978-744-0440.

At the House of the Seven Gables discover how Hawthorne’s Cousin Susanna Ingersoll and museum founder Caroline Emmerton changed the course of history on this waterfront site, located at 115 Derby Street. A special exhibit detailing Emmerton’s life and work will also be on display. Tours are available continuously. Please call 978-744-0991 for details.

The Witch House will be featuring a display on 17th century female novelist Aphra Behn. She is widely considered the first English woman to earn a living by her own pen. Self-guided tours are available through the afternoon. The Witch House is located at 310 ½ Essex Street. Please call 978-744-8815 for details. 

Each site will also have additional information about the Salem Women’s Heritage Trail, featuring local sites where women have made an impact over the past four centuries of Salem’s history. To download information before starting your tour, please visit www.salemwomenshistory.com.