Category Archive

A Tale of Two Windsors And not members of the British royal family! Instead we will examine two windsor chairs, both by New England craftsmen. Windsor chairs come in various forms—the sack back, the hoop back, the fan-back and the bow-back being particularly popular examples. Some were designed as side chairs, others as armchairs the most ambitious of which included …

Shared Ground: Colonial Agriculture at the Pownalborough Court House Two cultures and three shared crops. What can a garden teach us about Indigenous and Euromerican peoples in colonial New England? This is what author, historian and living history interpreter Mike Dekker set out to discover when he began the Colonial Garden Project at the Pownalborough Courthouse.  Both cultures raised crops …

The Flower Garden on the Grounds of the Pownalborough Court House Originally planned as a period garden incorporating herbs and a grape arbor, the garden is maintained by the Garden Club of Wiscasset and has evolved into one of colorful annuals and herbs.  The gardens now host weddings, lawn parties, and local events. Robin Grant, Member of the Pownalborough Court House …

Could Four Dragons live together at the Pownalborough Court House? Yes, if identified as such! One of the architectural masterstrokes of the PCH is a unit of construction in the exterior corners of the four large rooms on the third floor of the building. They are located at the top of the frame construction of the courthouse just below the …

Another historical myth shattered: “Samuel Goodwin’s Musket Box from Fort Shirley” This long wooden box stood in the hallway of Pownalborough Courthouse since it became a museum. And the docents, relying on their notes, said it was Samuel Goodwin’s musket box and had come into the house with him from Fort Shirley, “and has always been here.” The top has …

A Child’s Chair Household furnishings in the rural New England homes of the 18th and early 19th centuries were rather sparse due to either space or the means to purchase multiple pieces.  Often, some pieces of furniture show signs of use that seem perplexing to us today until we understand their use in context of the time period. In the …

Abram Tarr Gamage In the Chapman-Hall House collections are buttons and other insignia honoring the Civil War service of Abram Gamage.  A small thing, such as a button, can lead to a bigger piece of history. Abram was born on November 1, 1838 in Bristol, Maine.  His buttons embossed with GAR acknowledged Abram as a member of the Grand Army …

Gridiron: It may not be on TV, but we have it! There may not be gridiron football, but we have the original from which the game-with-a-ball got its name. The cooking implement is used to grill meat over coals on the hearth. It can be turned to ensure even cooking. Ours is a top of the line version, and they …