Gables February News Letter

Visit   About   Education   Events   Support   Store   Contact Us   Blog SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR THE GABLES! BE A PART OF OUR EXCITING SECRET ROOMS PROJECT. So far, we have raised $120,000 of the needed $200,000 to make this project a reality. Keep an eye on your inboxes for details about our crowdfunding campaign, which will go live this week. To learn more, visit our website at:  www.7gables.org/secret-rooms-project/  Photo of the Month  #H7G Use the hashtag #H7G and we might select your image as our Photo of the Month. Photo courtesy of The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association.  @h7gables The Year of Emmerton Throughout 2016, The House of The Seven Gables will be celebrating the 150th birthday of founder Caroline Emmerton. In 1910, she opened the doors of the famed mansion and collected admission fees which she used to fund her Settlement programs. These programs were for all ages and were meant to enrich the lives of Salem’s primarily Eastern European immigrant community.  Programs included everything from job skills and lessons in English to home economics and the arts. To honor her legacy, we are partnering with Salem Parks, Recreation, and Community Services to offer enrichment programs on our historic museum campus this year.  On February 7, families are welcome to celebrate the Valentine’s season with a make-your-own Valentine craft program. All materials and professional instruction will be included as well as chocolatey refreshments to celebrate Salem’s So Sweet celebration. The cost will be $5.00/person or $20.00 for a family. On May 21, come for an En Plein Air painting class and take in the sights of Salem Harbor, The House of the Seven Gables, and our spring gardens in bloom. Join Linda Abbene and paint your choice of a lovely Salem scene. The cost is $45.00. Instruction, canvas, and all materials are included. Seniors of Salem, stay tuned for a special afternoon at The Gables just for you! This spring, you will be invited for a brown bag lunch in our seaside garden and a special tour of our 2016 exhibit featuring the life and work of Caroline Emmerton. Details will be announced in the Salem Recreation Spring/Summer Guide. Registration is suggested for all enrichment activities and available at www.salemrec.com. "The Trustful Guardian: The Lost Letters of Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne" by David Moffat A constant question from visitors in the Hawthorne Birth House, prompted by a line on a sign upstairs, is “Why did Hawthorne burn his wife’s letters?” The incident to which they refer occurred in July of 1853. As Hawthorne prepared to travel to England to become consul to Liverpool, he destroyed his old correspondence. What would drive a writer to destroy records of his lived experience? Hawthorne’s destruction of the letters may have been a pragmatic move for his literary reputation, or it may have been the act of a private man worried about his private life becoming public. Either way, underlying his simple act are complex ideas about the nature of writing and history.  CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN FULL ON OUR WEBSITE Constructing History at The Gables Saturday, February 13 – Sunday, February 21 11:00-2:00 Come in out of the cold during February vacation and explore how they built houses in Colonial Massachusetts at The House of the Seven Gables.  What worked best?  What failed? How did they learn from their mistakes? Put on your thinking cap and your hard hat as you… Learn about the tools of the trade and which materials they used most.  Experiment with different construction techniques at each of our hands-on stations using popular building toys.  Fold and decorate your own paper house to take home. Join us daily at 11:30 & 1:30 for “Why Do We Have Gables?” to explore which parts of historic buildings are the strongest.  Kids will be making shapes with their hands and bodies in this fun, interactive program. This special programming is part of your museum ticket, which includes guided tours of The House of the Seven Gables and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Birthplace and self-exploration of our Kid’s Cove maritime history area. Please visit 7gables.org for more information. Membership News In 2016, we’re inviting our members to come behind-the-scenes with the staff at The House of the Seven Gables. On May 16, join our Director of Maintenance and Preservation, Kevin White to learn about historic preservation efforts. Tour the nooks and crannies of our museum campus while learning about how we take care of four centuries of history. There will be two sessions, 11:00-12:00 and 5:00-6:00. On November 5, join our Collections Care Specialist, Kristen Cunha for a peek into our archives and collections storage facility. Kristen will share stories of some of our best objects and papers rarely seen by the public. There will be two sessions, 10:00-11:00 and 11:00-12:00. Early in 2016, join Special Projects Manager, Julie Arrison-Bishop for a hard hat style tour of The Gables’ newest project—the secret room. Construction is slated to start in January 2016 and a tour will be scheduled as soon as possible. After the tour, participants will be welcome to share their ideas for the future of the room. These tour dates and times are free and only for members of The House of the Seven Gables. Please call 978-744-0991 x104 or email groups@7gables.org to save your space. Space is limited and registration is required. To become a member, please visit: http://www.7gables.org/support/memberships/ Volunteer Opportunities Be part of one of New England’s premier historic sites and gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience in history, literature, museum studies and functions.  When you volunteer at The House of the Seven Gables, we work to match your skills, interests and availability with our needs. There are many volunteer opportunities at our organization, including docent, museum store, costuming… just to mention a few. All you need is to do is fill out a volunteer application and let us know where you would like to volunteer. When you become a volunteer you receive a free individual membership as well as 20% off in our Museum Store. To view a list of available volunteer opportunities at The House of the Seven Gables, please visit www.7gables.org/about/careers-volunteers/ For more information or to apply for a career/volunteer opportunity, please contact Melissa Reynolds, Human Resources Manager, at 978-744-0991 ext. 111, or mreynolds@7gables.org Gifts at The Gables Just in time for Valentine's Day, visit the Museum Store at The House of the Seven Gables and have a look at our "love"ly selection of unique gifts, books and souvenirs.   This pair of "Lovey Dovey" salt and pepper shakers is a perfect gift for that special someone. Available for purchase at The House of the Seven Gables Museum Store. Can't make it to our Museum Store? Call Everett Philbrook, Store Manager at 978-744-0991 x 195 and we can have this item shipped to you. Upcoming Events  February 6 and 7 1:00pm-3:00pm  Celebrate Salem So Sweet at The Gables "Sweet" family activities and discounts at the Museum Store.  Please visit our website for details. For questions please contact rconary@7gables.org February 13-21 11:00am-2:00pm Constructing History at The Gables Come in out of the cold and explore how they built houses in Colonial Massachusetts at The House of the Seven Gables.  What worked best?  What failed? How did they learn from their mistakes? Please visit our website for details. For questions please contact rconary@7gables.org February 28 9:00am-10:00am & 10:00am-11:00am MEMBERS-ONLY TOUR - Behind the Scenes: The Secret Room Do you want to learn more about our big secret? Be amongst the first visitors to our Secret Room project at The Gables. Tours for members of The House of the Seven Gables only.  To RSVP or for questions, please contact rconary@7gables.org   Coming up in March: March 16, 2016 6:00pm-8:00pm  Seven Lectures at Seven Gables "Missing Gables and the Secret Staircase: Joseph Everett Chandler and the Invention of The House of the Seven Gables." with Dr. Timothy Orwig. For questions please contact rconary@7gables.org March 19, 2016 2:00pm-5:30pm  A Taste of Derby Street with Salem Food Tours Join us on a special tour of Derby Street and beyond with Salem Food Tours. The day will start off with a 17th-century food demonstration at The House of the Seven Gables and the remainder of the afternoon will be spent enjoying food and beverages throughout the city. Proceeds from the tour will benefit preservation and education programs at The House of the Seven Gables. To reserve your spot for this lecture please visit  www.salemfoodtours.com March 20, 2016 10:00am-5:00pm  Salem Women's History Day at The House of the Seven Gables The House of the Seven Gables will be commemorating Salem Women’s History Day in partnership with other Salem organizations. Join our staff for a tour focusing on the roles that women have played on the property over four centuries. Lectures at 1:00pm and 2:30pm For questions please contact rconary@7gables.org March 23, 2016 6:00pm-9:00pm Wicked Art Bar Night to Benefit The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association Join us at the Wicked Art Bar in Beverly to create your own painting of the House of the Seven Gables. Instruction and supplies are provided including an apron, brushes, paints, and a 16×20 canvas. $20 from every seat sold will go directly to the House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association   To register: www.wickedartbar.com  March 24, 2016 6:00pm-8:00pm Community Conversations at The Gables Join us for our first Community Conversation of the year with Marjean A. Perhot, who will propose the question, "What is the Process in the U.S. for Admitting Refugees?" For questions please contact anuncio@7gables.org For more information or to RSVP to our events, please contact Ryan at 978-744-0991 x104 or rconary@7gables.org 2016 Seven Lectures at Seven Gables Series: March 16, 2016 6:00pm  Dr. Timothy Orwig, Boston College and Northeastern University "Missing Gables and the Secret Staircase: Joseph Everett Chandler and the Invention of The House of the Seven Gables" April 27, 2016 6:00pm  Emily Murphy, National Park Service "St. Joseph and the Seven Gables: The Polish Community on Derby Street" May 25, 2016 6:00pm  Eric Jay Dolin, Award-winning Author "Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse" June 22, 2016 6:00pm  Mark Beauregard, Author of The Whale: A Love Story "Hawthorne's Secret" August 11, 2016 6:00pm  Ken Turino, Historic New England "The History of the Preservation Movement" September 21, 2016 6:00pm  Anjali Duva, author of Faint Promise of Rain "Bells of Change: Tracing the Story of India's Classical Kathak Dance - An Author Talk and Performance" November 16, 2016 6:00pm  Judy Anderson, Social and Cultural Historian "Splendor in Marblehead a Century After the Turners" For more information or to RSVP to our events, please contact Ryan at 978-744-0991 x104or rconary@7gables.org What's Happening in Settlement? Settlement Work in the 21st Century:  Citizenship Education If she could see us now, what would Caroline Emmerton say? Citizenship education is a vital part of The Gables’ settlement work in the 21st century.  In keeping with Emmerton’s concern for “the strangers in a strange land,” The Gables remains committed to supporting immigrants in the 21st century through vigorous citizenship education. Honoring this mission, our museum currently provides funding for an ESL and Citizenship program for adults at Bentley Academy Charter School, a program that currently serves 49 adults and 13 children.  The Gables provides childcare support for the adults who attend the evening classes. Our mission also supports other community initiatives that make life better for new immigrants in other ways.  One of these initiatives will reach a milestone on Tuesday, February 23rd, when officers from the Latino Leadership Coalition, the North Shore Community Development Coalition, Chief Mary Butler of the Salem Police Department, Mayor Kim Driscoll and other municipal officials will gather at City Hall to sign an important document. The document, a Memorandum of Understanding, will serve as a framework to advance voting rights and political empowerment for Salem’s Latino community.  The memorandum was drafted after the Latino Leadership Coalition received reports of voting rights suppression during the elections of 2012 and 2014. The fact that various community organizations, including The Gables, will gather at City Hall to witness the signing of this document represents a healthy step forward in promoting voting rights awareness among all Salem residents. The Latino Leadership Coalition met on Saturday, January 30th at the Winter Island Community Room in Salem to discuss strategy on two fronts -- education and citizenship education.  Here, a member details next steps for the Political Empowerment Committee. The LLC has a core group of 17 members.  What's Happening in Preservation  We are pleased to announce the awarding of the contract for The Gables second-floor restoration project. Of the many qualified contractors who submitted bids, we have chosen American Steeple and Tower Co. to perform this important work. They are a Salem company that is well versed in historic preservation and restoration. Our structural engineer, (John Wahtne of Structures North) as well as our preservation architect, (David Hart) are familiar with this companies expertise from previous endeavors. Construction is slated to begin within the next few weeks. In the meantime, conservator Christine Thompson is working on paint and finishes analysis for these spaces. Well known wallpaper expert Richard Nylander has looked at the wallpaper samples that were found so far in this project and has shed light on the time frame of their existence here. These pieces of the puzzle, when put together, will help to develop appropriate interpretation of the spaces once the structural work is complete.  The first step of the project will be to remove the 1976 plaster ceiling in the dining room to expose the framing as well as a rare surviving example of first period plaster treatment. This is a very exciting opportunity to see this material that is original to the 1668 structure. Following the ceiling removal, measurements can be taken for the fitting and installation of the needed structural components.  As this job progresses it will undoubtedly pose a few challenges for us, but we know well that our guide staff do always present our stories in the most noble fashion. Stay tuned for phase 2. Membership Membership at The House of the Seven Gables grants you free admission to our guided tours and grounds, discounts on every purchase at our Museum Store, special rates on lectures and exhibits, exclusive invitations to members-only tours and events, and more. If you are not yet a member of The House of the Seven Gables, CLICK HERE to learn more, or contact Alyssa at 978-744-0991 x 109, or alyssa@7gables.org. Hours of Operation November 2nd-June 26th 10am-5pm Hours subject to change. For current hours please visit 7gables.org From January through March 2016, The House of the Seven Gables will be closed on Wednesdays with the exception of February 17 for school vacation week. During the week of February 13-21, we will be offering family activities from 11:00-2:00daily. The mission of The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is to preserve our National Historic Landmark and leverage its power as an icon of American culture to engage diverse audiences and provide educational opportunities for our local immigrant community.

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