The creation of the Stone House Tavern Museum will take place in at least two phases. Phase I is in the process and dedicated to securing the exterior from the elements. This mainly took place over this summer. The stone exterior was restored, chimneys rebuilt, and the slate roof shingles and flashings replaced as needed. Inside structural beam support work was done in the attic and areas of the first floor were shored up. Scraping and painting of the windows is presently underway. Additional exterior trim work and painting are scheduled for this spring.
2020 Spinnings
Pandemic End of Year Review
Stone House Update
Also, during the summer, the downstairs apartment, which is in the wooden section of the building, was renovated. A new layout enabled the 1851 beehive oven, one of the museum’s unique features, to become incorporated into the museum section of the building. Previously it had been part of the apartment's kitchen.
Phase I was funded by three grants and donations. An LCHIP matching grant of $95,000, a Putnam Foundation Grant of $15,000, and a $1000 grant from More than a Thrift Store. However, it was from CHS members and a caring community that enabled the LCHIP grant to be matched. Thank you!
Fundraising and grant writing for Phase II will begin in the spring. This phase will bring the building up to ADA compliance and museum fire code regulations, which includes a second emergency egress from both the upstairs apartment and the Stone House second floor. The base construction budget for this is estimated at $425,5000 - $480,000. CHS anticipates applying for another LCHIP grant in June 2021. A recent generous donation from the Harlan F. Stone II family will be used as the beginning of matching funds. But this project will require additional grants and many more donations. Hopefully enough of Phase II can be completed to enable the museum to open to the general public in a timely manner.
CHS can always use a willing pair of hands to help at the Stone House this coming summer. If you can imagine yourself giving us a few hours, call Pam Walton at 603 363-8319. We are all wearing masks and distancing, working alone or with one other or with spouses.
Programs
Despite the pandemic, CHS was able to present four programs this year. Only one, Chesterfield Stone Walls was presented in person early in March. The other three: Jennie Powers (The Woman Who Dares); Votes for Woman (A History of the Suffrage Movement); and Yankee Spy! Stoddard’s Jonathan Hale in the Civil War were presented via zoom. It was a learning experience, but all programs were well received.
To advertise these programs and to maintain a connection with our membership, CHS contracted with Constant Contact, an e-mail distribution company. Moving forward, most of our information will be emailed to you using this method. It should be noted that some computer programs will view it as SPAM. Please check your spam or junk folder and make our notices acceptable. Thank you.
Historical Society Work
Regular work is being conducted in groups of 2 or 3 so that safe distancing can be observed. The Cemetery Book for West Chesterfield is being updated. Photos are still being categorized. In fact, The Keene Shopper will publish some of them in February, so be on the look out! The Chesterfield Scrapbooks, which contain anything found published about our town, are still being kept. The website has been periodically updated. You can find a wealth of information on it about our town and the people in it. Take a few minutes and enjoy it.
A 2021 Calendar was created but because of problems with publishing and distribution, it has been shelved. There is no doubt that it will appear next fall as the 2022 calendar, with a few minor alterations.
A Huge Thank You
We would like to thank all of our volunteers who made this year so successful. The expertise and guidance of Bob Furlone and Val & Jon Starbuck in construction and renovations was unparalleled. The apartment won't have been completed on time without the help of Kate Kloppenberg's painting, Jeff Scott re-glazing the windows, Gary Winn electrical work, and Jim Hamlet plumbing expertise. Our board members and some of their spouses also added a lot of elbow grease into Stone House and the apartment renovations. Historical Society work couldn't have been done without the dedication of our regular volunteers. CHS is proud to be a part of such a vibrant community.
