Historic New England facts for kids
Historic New England is a special group that works to protect old buildings and places. It used to be called the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA). This non-profit organization is based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest and largest group of its kind in the United States that focuses on New England.
Historic New England owns and takes care of many historic sites and museums. These places are found in almost all New England states. Each year, over 198,000 people visit these sites or join programs. About 48,000 of these visitors are students who learn about New England's past.
This organization is like a museum of cultural history. It collects and saves buildings, landscapes, and objects from the 1600s to today. By doing this, they keep history alive. They help people better understand and enjoy life in New England. They also teach why it's important to save these historical treasures.
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History of Historic New England
William Sumner Appleton Jr. started the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities in 1910. He wanted to "preserve for posterity buildings, places and objects of historical and other interest." He was worried that "our New England antiquities are fast disappearing." So, Sumner Appleton and a few friends created SPNEA in 1910.
By 1920, the museum's goal was to "preserve and illustrate the life of New Englanders." This means they wanted to show what life was like for everyone. This includes families, immigrants, school children, and even enslaved Africans. It also covers the work of builders and furniture makers. The first meeting was held at the home of Mary Lee Ware. She was a well-known helper of good causes.
In 1910, the group started collecting items. They saved everything from everyday things like soap to beautiful furniture. Today, Historic New England cares for historic properties and landscapes. They also work to protect old buildings through special agreements. They collect and show old objects, and they have a large library. They also publish books and a magazine called Historic New England. They offer educational programs for both kids and adults. Their main goal is to "serve the public by preserving and presenting New England heritage." They focus on homes, collections, and stories from New England.
After William Sumner Appleton, other leaders guided the organization. These included Bertram K. Little and Abbott Lowell Cummings. Later, the top job became "President." Jane C. Nylander was the first to hold this title. Since 2020, Vin Cipolla has been the President and CEO.
The organization once had a special center for saving buildings. It was called the SPNEA Conservation Center. This center developed new ways to protect old buildings. A researcher named Morgan W. Phillips even created the term "architectural conservation." This means saving and caring for old buildings.
Historic Properties and Collections
Historic New England currently owns and manages 37 house museums. They also care for 1,284 acres of land. These properties show nearly 400 years of building styles in five New England states.
The organization also has a huge collection of over 100,000 historical objects. This is the largest collection of New England art and items in the country. They also keep over one million items that show New England's building and cultural history. These include photos, drawings, books, and old papers.
In 2010, they launched the Collections Access Project. This project lets people look at information about many of their collections online. They have a special center in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where they store and care for their collections. This center is not open to the public. However, it helps experts and students study the collections.
Historic New England also owns the Plum Island Airport. This small airport is in Newburyport, Massachusetts. It has been used for flying since 1910. The airport is on the land of the historic Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm. This farm was given to the organization in 1971 and became a museum in 1986.
Exhibitions and Programs
Historic New England offers traveling exhibitions. These shows share their collections and research with people in other museums. Past exhibitions have included America's Kitchens and Drawing Toward Home. The latter showed architectural drawings and traveled to the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.. A special exhibition called The Preservation Movement Then and Now celebrated the organization's 100th birthday. It appeared in all six New England states.
You can also find online exhibitions. Some examples are Jewelry at Historic New England and From Dairy to Doorstep: Milk Delivery in New England, 1860-1960.
Protecting Properties with Easements
Since the early 1980s, Historic New England has had a special program. They hold easements on over 120 privately owned New England properties. An easement is a legal agreement. It helps make sure that the historic parts of these buildings are protected. The organization works with property owners to keep these old features safe.
This program helps protect the outside, inside, and even the landscapes of these properties. It is seen as a great way to protect buildings that are still being used as homes. About one-third of these properties were once owned by Historic New England. They were then sold back to private owners with these protection rules. Other property owners have given these agreements to the organization. This program helps ensure these historic places are protected forever.
Membership and Support
Historic New England offers different ways for people to get involved. The Historic Homeowner program helps people who own old houses. For a yearly fee, members can get advice from experts. This advice can be about paint colors, window repair, or even historic wallpaper.
Other programs focus on Gardens and Landscapes. There's also a Young Friends program for young adults. The Appleton Circle is a higher-level membership. It provides important support for the organization's work.
How Historic New England is Run
Historic New England is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This means it's a charity and doesn't make money for private owners. It is guided by a board of 15 trustees.
Museum Properties You Can Visit
Many of these properties are open to the public. Most are open during the warmer months, usually from June to mid-October. Some are open only a few days each year. The grounds of some properties, like the Lyman Estate, can be rented for private events.
- Connecticut: Roseland Cottage.
- Maine: Bowman House, Castle Tucker, Hamilton House, Sarah Orne Jewett House, Marrett House, Nickels-Sortwell House, and Sayward-Wheeler House.
- Massachusetts: Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House, Boardman House, Browne House, Codman House, Coffin House, Cogswell's Grant, Cooper-Frost-Austin House, Winslow Crocker House, Dole-Little House, Eustis Estate, Gedney House, Gropius House, Lyman Estate, Merwin House, Harrison Gray Otis House, Pierce House, Josiah Quincy House, Rocky Hill Meeting House, Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Stephen Phillips House and Swett-Ilsley House.
- New Hampshire: Barrett House, Gilman Garrison House, Richard Jackson House, Governor John Langdon House, and Rundlet-May House.
- Rhode Island: Arnold House, Casey Farm, Clemence-Irons House, Watson Farm.
See also
- The Trustees of Reservations
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- List of historic houses in Massachusetts
