setts, and was researching it remotely from her home on the West Coast, with help from Historic Homeowner staff. Records revealed that Historic New England owned an original leaded casement window from the house, which had been removed in the 1920s during an early restoration. In another case, staff authenticated the early wallpaper in the home of a Historic Homeowner member in Hebron, New Hampshire, which matched a bandbox covered in the same hand-printed French c. 1820 pineapple motif paper in Historic New England’s collections. Homeowner member Cheryl Bonin, who lives in a c. 1775 tavern in Sutton, Massachusetts, had heard rumors that folk art collector Nina Fletcher Little had purchased items from her house. Through the help of Historic New England staff, she found that a pair of portraits of the original owners of her house, Samuel and Prudence Waters, are now part of the collection at the Littles’ former summer house, Historic New England’s Cogswell’s Grant, in Essex, Massachusetts. Mrs. Bonin recently visited Cogswell’s Grant and ordered photographs of the portraits,
Courtesy of Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society Archive
station that was relocated and converted into a residence in 1882. The Historic Homeowner staff located a supplier who could custom-manufacture wooden storm windows. Historic Homeowner benefits may include a major consultation for paint color selection, evaluation of proposed alterations or additions, or help deciphering architectural evidence in a home. Consultations result in a detailed written report with recommendations from Historic Homeowner staff. Members may also be sent packets of technical information, articles, and photos providing background data, specialized treatment recommendations, and additional references for further study. Historic Homeowner members are encouraged to call or email their questions, large or small. Solutions to a particular problem or question often involve several phone calls or emails while staff and the homeowner work together on a problem. On several occasions, membership in the program has resulted in unanticipated discoveries. Take for example, Karla Pearlstein, who purchased a First Period house in Harvard, Massachu-
which now hang in her home. Historic Homeowner members can connect with Historic New England staff and with each other at exclusive programs in which members visit a museum property while conservation work is underway or tour the collections storage area. There are also specialized opportunities for lectures, workshops, and old house clinics. Members also have exclusive access to a password-protected website containing extensive technical information. The Historic Homeowner membership services more than 150 members and is growing steadily. The kinds of houses involved range from First Period dwellings through mid-twentieth-century Modernist homes. These homeowners act as stewards of shared assets in their communities—buildings that contribute to the historic character of the towns and countryside that make New England wonderful. —Sally Zimmerman Preservation Specialist
Historic Homeowner members get a closer look at the inside of the massive 1687 chimney at the Boardman House, Saugus, Massachusetts. FAR LEFT The 1848 Ballardvale Station, Andover, Massachusetts, c.1920. NEAR LEFT The companion station building, moved in 1882, under restoration today. FACING PAGE
Winter/Spring 2008 Historic New England
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