This tombstone was photographed at the Lothrop Hill Cemetery, Barnstable, Massachusetts
The back and sides of this tombstone were encased in lead, which was an old fashioned way of preserving the slate stone from the weather |
This tombstone was photographed at the Lothrop Hill Cemetery, Barnstable, Massachusetts
The back and sides of this tombstone were encased in lead, which was an old fashioned way of preserving the slate stone from the weather |
This tombstone was photographed at the Old Town Cemetery in Sandwich, Massachusetts.
Back in 1988 we started our Fathers Day Tree tradition with a newly planted little oak tree in Londonderry on Vincent's first Fathers Day. We have continued this tradition even after we moved to Manchester, with a newly planted group of birch trees. Last year our daughter continued this tradition at their new home in Massachusetts. Here is a sampling of some of the Fathers Day Tree photographs from over the years...
1988 Londonderry |
1991 Londonderry |
1993 Londonderry |
1998 Londonderry |
2001 Londonderry |
2004 Londonderry |
2006 Londonderry |
2011 Londonderry |
2013 Londonderry |
2015 Manchester (The Grand Father Tree was a clump of birches) |
2017 Manchester |
2019 Manchester |
2020 Manchester |
And here is the second generation Fathers Day Tree (a dogwood) on the day it was planted in 2020 Massachusetts!
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To Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Fathers Day Tree 2021", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 20, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-fathers-day-tree-2021.html: accessed [access date]).
The farm at Dog Mountain is open to the public, and even when the chapel and gallery are closed. Recently the Dog Chapel restored the Dog Angel and reinstalled it on top of the steeple. You can read all about the installation project at the blog: https://www.dogmt.com/dogmountain_news.html
My friend Melissa McNulty visited Dog Mountain and Dog
Chapel last week, and took these amazing photos. I thought it was beautiful and
I wanted to write a blog post for Weathervane Wednesday! However, the Dog Angel is not a true
weathervane, but more of a sculpture and final on top of the steeple. So, Dog
Chapel gets a blog post anyways. I hope to visit here sometime soon.
For the truly curious:
Dog Mountain website:
https://www.dogmt.com/home.php
Dog Chapel web page: https://www.dogmt.com/Dog-Chapel.html
Some great news! We’ve all been mostly cooped up inside using the internet, writing away for documents, and waiting for some archives, libraries and repositories to open. Here is the latest information. Caveat: Please contact these locations for the latest information about their hours and availability during the pandemic. Things sometimes change overnight and local conditions and regulations may not be reflected in this blog post!
New Hampshire State Library, Concord, NH |
The American Ancestors Research Center (The New England Historic Genealogical Society at 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts) will reopen on June 22nd by appointment. Schedule your visit at this link: https://www.americanancestors.org/visit For the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center (inside NEHGS) visits and appointments, see this link: https://jewishheritagecenter.org/
For the American Canadian Genealogical Society, 1
Sundial Avenue, Suite 317N, Manchester, New Hampshire, is now open for business
on Wednesdays only from 9am to 6pm. No
appointment is necessary, but masks and social distancing are required. https://acgs.org/
And there is more!
American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street,
Worcester, Massachusetts https://www.americanantiquarian.org/ Is working on a plan to reopen the reading
room soon.
Boston Public Library There are 24 branches of the
Boston Public Library. The Central
Library at 700 Boylston Street in Copley Square, and neighborhood branches are
now open for limited services, and more services are returning soon. https://www.bpl.org/ and https://www.bpl.org/news/reopening/
Connecticut Historical Society, one Elizabeth Street,
Hartford, Connecticut 860-236-5621 https://chs.org/
The Edgar F. Waterman Research Center will reopen on September 8th. The exhibit galleries are open.
Connecticut Society of Genealogists Library 175 Maple Street, East Hartford, Connecticut (860) 569-0002 https://csginc.org/ Open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays
11am to 3pm. Masks are optional. News!
The CSG Library is now a certified Family History Library Affiliate,
too.
Connecticut State Library 231
Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut (860) 757-6500 https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/home Open to the public Monday through Friday
9:30am – 4pm by appointment only. Call
for an appointment.
Maine Historical Society 489
Congress Street, Portland, Maine (207) 774-1822 https://www.mainehistory.org/ Open Wednesdays through Saturdays. The Brown Research Library is open by
appointment only. Masks are optional for
fully vaccinated guests. Members free, non members
$10 a day. See this webpage for more information: https://www.mainehistory.org/library_visit.shtml
Massachusetts State Archives 20 Morrissey
Blvd, Boston, Massachusetts (617) 727-2816 or fax (617) 288-8429 https://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/ Open
to the public for research Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. Call ahead to see if what you are researching
might be available online. Masks are
required. Free parking. The nearest MBTA station is one mile away (JFK/UMass
red line) and the shuttle bus is not running at this time.
Massachusetts Historical Society 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts (617) 536-1608
https://www.masshist.org/ The MHS library is currently closed until
further notice. The reference team is available to assist you
remotely. Please see this page for more information: https://www.masshist.org/library/visit The MHS has been holding several online events
every month, and their card catalog is online.
Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records (records from
1926 to the present – births, deaths, divorces, and marrriages) at 150 Mount Vernon
Street, Boston, Massachusetts (617) 740-2600 https://www.mass.gov/orgs/registry-of-vital-records-and-statistics There are limited in-person services at the
Registry of Vital Records. The Public
Research Room is closed. Please use the forms for mail-in requests and web
requests. The Public Service Counter
will have limited in-person services Monday to Friday from 9am to 4:45pm. See the website for more information. UPDATE 14 July 2021: https://www.mass.gov/alerts/update-to-in-person-services-at-the-registry-of-vital-records-and-statistics#1922996
Mayflower Society Library 4
Winslow Street (behind the Mayflower Society House), Plymouth, Massachusetts
(508) 746-3188, ext. 11 or email the librarian library@themayflowersociety.org or support@themayflowersociety.org and please include “Library Appointment Request” in
the subject line. See this website for more information https://www.themayflowersociety.org/visit/gsmd-library The GSMD library reopens in July 2021 by
appointment only for members.
National Archives at Boston (NARA), 380 Trapelo Road,
Waltham, Massachusetts https://www.archives.gov/boston The research room
is closed currently. You may experience a very long delay to your
requests and Freedom of Information Act requests or appeals. https://www.archives.gov/boston/research There are many online research tools available.
New Hampshire Historical Society Library 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire (603) 228-6688 https://www.nhhistory.org and also https://www.nhhistory.org/Research/Using-the-Library Open by appointment only Thursday, Friday and
Saturday 9:30 to 12:30pm, or for 1:30 to 4:30pm. Masks required. Email research@nhhistory.org
or call 603-228-6688 to make a reservation.
The society also offers research services for a fee.
New Hampshire County Registry of Deeds https://www.nhdeeds.org/ The registries of deeds are open to the
public. Face masks are encouraged, or required and available upon
request. Each county registry has different safety requirements, and
limits on the number or individuals allowed access to the records, please check
the website.
New Hampshire State Library, 20 Park Street, Concord,
NH, https://www.nh.gov/nhsl/ The library opened to the public on 7 May
2021. Masks are strongly encouraged and
available at the entrance. Open Monday
to Friday 8am to 4:30pm. You can
schedule an appointment for a time with a reference librarian by calling
603-271-2144.
New Hampshire Vital Records and Archives 9 Ratification Way (Formerly 71 South Fruit Street),
Concord, New Hampshire, 603-271-3242.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the
Archives and Vital Records are closed to walk in traffic. The public
is encouraged to use the website. You may call 603-271-2236 with
urgent business or email info@sos.nh.gov
For more information see the website https://sos.nh.gov/archives-vital-records-records-management/archives/genealogy/
Phillips Library of the Peabody Essex Museum, 306 Newburyport Turnpike, Rowley, Massachusetts. Open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from
9am – noon or 1 – 4pm. Appointments must
be made 24 hours in advance. Masks are required. Only three researchers are allowed in the
reading room each day, and appointments are required by contacting research@pem.org See this blog post for more information: https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/07/genealogy-research-at-phillips-library.html
Rhode Island Historical Society 10 Benevolent Street, Providence, Rhode Island (401)
331-8575 https://www.rihs.org/ The
Robinson Research Center currently closed to the public. Contact the staff at reference@rihs.org for research assistance.
Rhode Island State Archives 33
Broad Street, Providence, Rhode Island (401) 222-2353 https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/state-archives
and email statearchives@sos.ri.gov Appointments must be made for a two hour slot
weekdays at 10am or 2pm. Requests for
appointments must be made three days ahead of the requested date.
Rhode Island State Library 82
Smith Street, Room 208, Providence, Rhode Island (401) 222-2473 https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/Civics-And-Education/state-library The state house reopened to the public on 1
June 2021 with limited hours 9am to 3pm.
The public may visit, and the reference staff will answer requests by
phone and email from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
There is a catalog available at the website.
Rhode Island Vital Records, 3 Capitol Hill,
Providence, Rhode Island 401-222-5960 or the website https://health.ri.gov/records/ Walk in service for vital records is closed
until further notice. See the website
for ordering records online.
UNH Dimond Library, 18 Library Way, Durham, New
Hampshire. See this web page for
information on building access and online assistance https://library.unh.edu/blog/2021/06/covid-19-phased-return
Vermont Historical Society Leahy Library, 60 Washington
Street, Suite 1, Barre, Vermont (802) 479-8509. Open by appointment only. See this
page for COVID-19 safety procedures:
https://vermonthistory.org/leahy-library-covid-19-procedures
Vermont Vital Records and Archives 1078 Route 2, Montpelier, Vermont (802) 863-3208 or email vitalrecords@vermont.gov or sos.archives@vermont.gov The vital records office is currently closed
to walk-in services, but curbside services may be arranged in advance. The
reference room is available by appointment for researching records in the state
archives https://sos.vermont.gov/vsara/research/
---------------------------
Cite/Link to: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "What’s Open For Genealogy
Research in New England?", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 17, 2021, (
BIRTHPLACE OF
MARY WOODBURN
WIFE OF
GEN. GEO. REID
1735 - 1823
----------
GEN. STARK SAID OF HER
"IF THERE IS A WOMAN IN
NEW HAMPSHIRE FIT FOR
GOVERNOR, IT IS
MOLLY REID."
ERECTED BY MOLLY REID
CHAPTER D.A.R.
1899
This monument to Molly Reid is located on High Range Road in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on private property (but visible by the roadside) between Parmenter Road and MacIntosh Road. She was the wife of General George Reid, who lived in Londonderry (now the part that is Derry) and who fought the American Revolution in Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill, Trenton, Saratoga, Monmouth, and with George Washington in Yorktown.
George Reid was a farmer, who married Mary Woodburn in 1765. They had five children, Mary Boyd Reid Dinsmoor (d. 1834), James Reid (1767 - 1827), John Reid (1771 - 1834), George Reid (1774 - 1848), and Elizabeth Reid McGregor (1776 - 1847). The Reid family is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery, and follow the link below to see a blog post with photographs of the Reid family plot.
Mary Woodburn was the daughter of John Woodburn, an Irish immigrant, and Mary Boyd of Londonderry. Their farm and homestead was located near the memorial on High Range Road. Their home was a garrison, which was never needed because Londonderry was never attacked by the French or the native people of the area. Mary (Molly) was born 7 April 1734/5 and died on her birthday in 1823, aged 88 years. John Woodburn is also buried at Forest Hill in Derry.
For the truly curious:
The Molly Reid Chapter DAR website: http://mollyreid.nhsodar.org/
A 2012 blog post with the gravestone of General George Reid and Mary Reid, buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Derry, New Hampshire: https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/04/tombstone-tuesday-revolutionary-war.html
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To Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Molly Reid Memorial, Londonderry, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 15, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/06/molly-reid-memorial-londonderry-new.html: accessed [access date]).
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To Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Flag Day 2021", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 14, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/06/flag-day-2021.html: accessed [access date]).
Two years ago I posted about the first phase of the Derry History Mural, which was started in honor of the 200th anniversary of Nutfield, New Hampshire. You can read that first post HERE. Recently, we revisited the mural to photograph the new section, which was painted last year during the pandemic on the wall of the Cask and Vine perpendicular to Broadway.
For the truly curious:
My 2020 blog post on the first phase of the Derry History Mural:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/10/derry-new-hampshire-history-mural.html
Derry News, "History Continues in next phase of Derry Mural Project", August 26, 2020 https://www.derrynews.com/news/history-continues-in-next-phase-of-derry-mural-project/article_b502a121-b196-52de-9fb0-9f46d3da3d24.html
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To Cite/Link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Derry History Mural, extended!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 8, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/06/derry-history-mural-extended.html: accessed [access date]).
This weathervane was photographed above the cupola on the red barn behind the Stearns House on the Pinkerton Academy campus in Derry, New Hampshire. It is not visible from the road, but you can view it from the parking lot of the Stearns building or from the athletic fields on the hill beside it. The Stearns House is located at 19 North Main Street (Bypass Route 28), next to the new historical marker.
This is a fine three dimensional weathervane featuring a running horse, a driver and a sulky. Harness racing was a big deal in this area until a few years ago when the Rockingham Race Track closed in nearby Salem, New Hampshire. I used to see sulkies on the local roads in Londonderry, training the horses. A sulky is a small cart with two wheels and a only one seat for a driver. Both horses and dogs were trained for harness racing using sulkies. Harness racing goes back to ancient times - just think of the Roman chariots and the ancient Egyptians!
The Stearns House on the Pinkerton campus is used as an administrative building. It was formerly the headmaster's office, and is now a visitor center.
There is a link below to another weathervane featuring a sulky and driver, photographed in 2012 in Windham, New Hampshire, just south of Derry.
For the truly curious:
An old blog post about Pinkerton Academy:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/04/200th-anniversary-of-pinkerton-academy.html
Another "Weathervane Wednesday" featuring a horse and sulky from 2012:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/04/weathervane-wednesday-horse-and-sulky.html
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To Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Horse and Sulky at Pinkerton Academy - Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 2, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-horse-and-sulky-at-pinkerton-academy.html: accessed [access date]).