Historic Salem, Inc. and the Salem Athenaeum present Pottery Lecture “Keeper of Tradition” potter Rick Hamelin gives talk on how clay works were used on North Shore

Join Historic Salem, Inc. and the Salem Athenaeum at a fun lecture given by Massachusetts redware potter and historian Rick Hamelin. The lecture is on January 25, 2011 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM at the Salem Athenaeum on 337 Essex Street in historic Salem, Massachusetts.

Lidded Redware Pitcher by Rick Hamelin

The clay industries of Salem, Massachusetts were established as early as 1629. Primarily in the villages of Beverly, Danvers and South Danvers (Peabody) these local clay works provided pottery, bricks and tilesfor household, agricultural and industrial use.  These wares were widely traded out of the bustling port, especially to islands in the Caribbean.  The height of the manufacture was between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War when local industrial production ended.

Co-presented by the Salem Athenaeum and Historic Salem, Inc., the story of the early potters, their lives, and wares will be presented by Rick Hamelin, a Massachusetts Humanities Scholar in Residence at the Peabody Historical Society and recognized Massachusetts Cultural Council “Keeper of Tradition” redware potter.  Rick has taught and worked in museums and art centers, and is currently demonstrating pottery

and lecturing throughout Massachusetts.

Tickets are $10.00 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. or Salem Athenaeum and $15.00 for nonmembers. Students can get in free with their student ID.  For information and to register, please contact Jean Marie Procious at the Salem Athenaeum at 978-744-2540 or at info@salemathenaeum.net.

For more information call 978-745-0799 or email info@historicsalem.org.

A Celebratory Weekend

The House of the Seven Gables is celebrating its Centennial during 2010. There are two significant events this weekend, both of which connect the Gables with another architectural gem - the Phillips House.

The Phillips House is part of Historic New England, and that organization is also celebrating its centennial this year.

Sunday, March 21 Salem 2010: Now & Then Community Celebration Day
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Free

In celebration of their centennials and bicentennials, Salem residents and employees of Salem businesses will enjoy free admission to the House of the Seven Gables, Historic New England's Phillips House, The Salem Athenaeum, and the Brookhouse Home for Women. There will be cake and family activities at each site. The Salem trolley will offer free shuttle service between the sites.

March 21 - April 15 Exhibit: The Preservation Movement Then & Now 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Free

This exhibit, developed by Historic New England, will be in the Visitor Center at the House of the Seven Gables. It will illustrate the beginning of the preservation movement throughout New England, connecting local preservation efforts with national efforts. Panels are accompanied by artifacts and photographs from the House of the Seven Gables' collection, which illustrate the Gables founder Caroline Osgood Emmerton's involvement in saving the National Historic Landmark.

The Phillips House, a property of Historic New England, has some amazing stories to tell. A stunning Federal mansion, it is the only home on Chestnut Street that is open to the public. It's rooms are filled with collections from around the world, gathered by five generations of the Phillips family. Amidst beautiful furniture, you will find objects from Fiji and Africa in the Phillips House, early American board games, Persian carpets, and import porcelain.

Enjoy the celebration this weekend and throughout the year, of a few of Salem's remarkable sites.

The House of the Seven Gables Celebrates 100 Years

The House of the Seven Gables to host The Preservation Movement Then and Now Exhibit and Lecture

Exactly one hundred years ago this year, The House of the Seven Gables was saved, restored and opened to be enjoyed by multiple generations of visitors. While we are thankful to have this 17th century treasure and the literary masterpiece it inspired, this favorable outcome is not always the fate of historic buildings. To celebrate the centennial anniversaries of both organizations, The House of the Seven Gables and Historic New England present The Preservation Movement Then and Now Exhibit at The House of the Seven Gables.

The exhibit is free of charge in the visitor center at The House of the Seven Gables, 115 Derby Street, from March 21st – April 15th, 2010.

This panel exhibit examines the 1863 battle to save the Hancock House in Boston. Although the building was ultimately lost, its demolition served as a call to action to save countless other threatened architectural marvels nationwide. The exhibit also highlights one of the first preservationists, William Sumner Appleton, whose concern over how quickly historic buildings were disappearing throughout New England resulted in his founding the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England). In the last century, the preservation movement has evolved to include not only saving buildings, but conserving land and shorelines, downtown revitalization and the preservation of entire neighborhoods. Included in the exhibit are artifacts and photos from The House of the Seven Gables’ collection illustrating Gables’ founder Caroline Emmerton’s efforts to save this nationally recognized historic landmark.

A lecture will accompany the exhibit at The Gables on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 2:00pm. This lecture, the first in the Seven Lectures at Seven Gables series scheduled during this centennial year, is titled The Life and Legacy of William Sumner Appleton. Historic Preservation Team Leader Wendy Price from Historic New England will use materials from Historic New England’s collection to explore in greater detail the impact of Appleton’s early preservation work. Ms. Price will also address Caroline Emmerton’s role with the then Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities both as a board member and to move two threatened buildings to the grounds of The Gables: The 1682 Hooper-Hathaway House and the 1655 Retire Beckett House.

Tickets for the March 28th lecture The Life and Legacy of William Sumner Appleton are $10 for non-members, $5 for members of The House of the Seven Gables, Historic New England and The Salem Athenaeum. For tickets to the lecture, please call The House of the Seven Gables at 978-744-0991 ext. 104.

About the photographs

Both were provided by The House of the Seven Gables. The top image was made from Turner Street in the late nineteenth century. The bottom image shows the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion and gardens circa 1940