Mansion front, Federal architecture, Rhode Island style 1795-1805 4 1/2 stories high, 5 bays wide.

Poplar Hill Mansion, Salisbury’s oldest documented Federal  home was built as a manor farm house, by Levin Handy between 1795-1805.  This historic house museum survived two great fires that raged through Salisbury in 1860 and 1886, destroying most of Salisbury’s oldest structures.  The Mansion, recently restored to its original historic colors is open to the public for free tours the 1^st and 3^rd Sundays of each month, private tours by reservation for a small fee,  many fundraising events and exhibits, and available to rent for weddings , meetings and other parties.

The photo of the green room with faux marbled green fireplace and Windsor rocker is the small dining room done in the colors of the 2nd period of paint found. Possibly done between 1807-1830

In 2007, a professional paint analysis was done revealing the first 3 periods of paint colors used on the first floor.  The interior paint restoration using the first two periods of paint was completed early this year.  Favorite colors of the Federal period, golden ochre, Chinese red, and turquoise  highlight the outstanding hand carved, cornices, chair rails and other woodwork.  Faux marbling once again compliments the great arch in the center hallway, bringing this house back to its former glory.

This year the Board of Directors completed a formal serpentine garden on the back lawn ,with boxwoods, fountain, flower gardens and brick walkway with engraved  bricks available for purchase.  Long a favorite spot for weddings and summer parties, the back lawn is now as beautiful as the interior.

Photo of reddish orange wall and golden ochre glazed fireplace is the dining room , 1st period colors,probably done between 1805-07

Upcoming fundraising events at Poplar Hill Mansion are the Sept. 21^st tea and fashion show, Antique toy show, Nov, 12^th and 13^th,Fall luncheon and fashion show Nov. 16^th, Yuletide open house, Dec.4^th, and children’s Tea with Santa, Dec. 10^th.  For more information check our website at www.poplarhillmansion.org, or email curator@poplarhillmansion.org.

Come experience the Federal period at Poplar Hill Mansion!

Turquoise and golden ochre ceiling cornices, 1st period, probably done between1805-1807

Historic Serpentine garden back lawn, 3rd floor view, completed May 2011

As many of you who follow my musings know, I am from a small town in West Virginia. Shepherdstown has been my family’s home for years, ever since I was ten. We moved there when our little house in “Clippe” (a small village also in Jefferson County) burned and my parents decided to move to the town where my father was employed as a history professor at the local college, Shepherd.

But back to “Clippe” (odd name for a place and, in truth, that is not this village’s true map name), now known as Middleway, which definitely has an 18th century air about it. When I was little we were not allowed to celebrate Halloween as most of the children we knew— oh no— we were brought up by a father that thought “Trick or Treat” was a form of blackmail. Instead, on Halloween night he would form his band of raiders from the slim pickings of his five children. He would take us on raids throughout the terrified village as the word spread that the dreaded Hafer children were out! From flour thrown on Mr. Wyncoops (yes that is his real name) car, blowing out jack o’lantern candles and running through the ancient “old church” graveyard with its upturned crypts and leaning gravestones, we thought that no one was more terrifying—not to mention more terrified than we were.

In the handmade costumes that my dear mother had fashioned from old clothes (I always wondered how she came up with pink tulle at the drop of a hat) and things about the house, we have Halloween memories that most of our generation do not have—truly homemade memories filled with excitement and fun and more than a hint of DANGER. Mostly our “raids” ended with our Dad or older brother carrying a little pink princess or cowboy home on his shoulders and the rest of us trooping behind.

The name of our little village that I knew at the time was known by locals as “Wizard Clippe” or just “Clippe” if you lived there. The site of a very famous 18th century ghost story, “The Legend of Wizards Clippe” was one that we were brought up with. The sites in the story we passed on our way to school every day (yes we walked to school and it had TWO rooms not one) and there is still an air about the place that is “other worldly” not somewhere that you have to stretch your imagination to see the events of the story before you.

I’ll close with the famous story as told to me as a child and documented in the papers of the time.

The Legend of Wizard Clippe

In the Southern part of historic Jefferson County, West Virginia, nestled among the foothills of the Blue Ridge, lies the ancient village of Wizard Clippe. The land upon which the village is located was included in the grants made to Mr. William Smith in 1729 by Sir William Gooche who was proprietor of that part of Virginia at that time. In 1732 the pioneer home of Mr. Smith was built. Surrounded by majestic hills, this, the first home of Wizard Clippe, was placed in a gloomy hollow, near a bottomless lake.

Among those who obtained land grants from Mr. Smith was a man named Livingstone. Mr. Livingstone selected land lying along the Opequon Creek, but also adjoining the village.
One night when the sky was inky black, the rain descended in torrents, and the winds rushed through the desolate pines with a wild bellow, a weary stranger presented himself at Mr. Livingstone’s door. With genial hospitality the traveler was welcomed.

In a few hours after retiring, the Stranger sent for Mr. Livingstone, and told him he was ill unto death. He requested that a Catholic priest might be sent for at once. Now, Mr. Livingstone was a bigoted man who hated the Catholic Church, and he swore no priest should enter his house. The Stranger (to whom no name has been given), begged again and again that a priest should be brought, but his host was obdurate. At the weird hour of midnight, while the elements fought their terrible battle, the soul of the Stranger, unblest and unshriven, took its flight. The next day his body was buried in unconsecrated ground. For many years his grave was pointed out to the curious.

Then a curse seemed to rest upon Mr. Livingstone and his possessions. A murrain seized his cattle, strange and mysterious sounds were heard about the house, and things were as though ruled by a demon. More dreadful than ought else was a clear, distinct, insistent clipping, clipping, clipping which went on day and night. The bed-linen, the clothing of the family and of visitors, the saddles, bridles, and harness were all clipped, and always in crescent or half-moon shape. Nothing was sacred from the terrible shears. The witches and wizards were now holding high revels. Mr. Livingstone, pursued by the horror of all this, dreamed a vivid dream in which he saw a man who promised to help him. On Sunday his wife, a devoted Catholic, persuaded him to go with her to a Catholic service at Shepherdstown. The instant Mr. Livingstone saw the priest, he cried out with streaming eyes, “That is the man who can rid me of the witches.” The priest was told the story and the next day he visited the home of Mr. Livingstone at Smithfield (Middleway), sprinkled holy water on the threshold of the house, prayed fervently, and consecrated the ground wherein the Stranger lay buried. He declared deliverance had come. Sure enough the clippings ceased, “the witches were laid,” and Mr. Livingstone was free.

Moved by gratitude he gave to the Catholic Church forty acres of land lying along the Opequon. The Church still owns this land and receives rent from it. It is known as the Priest’s Place. For four or five generations it was in the care of the Minghini family. Recently, however, the Church assumed control. A chapel has been erected on the site, and outdoor meetings are held frequently. It is an ideal spot for camping, and the Church has extended the use as such to all.

The “spell” cast upon the old village of Clippe still lingers upon it, and the bottomless lake through which the witches are said to have rushed when the priest exorcised them is still here; and the Opequon flows on, now calmly, now wildly, by the lonely grave of the Stranger.

Is it any wonder having spent my first years in this village that Halloween is my all time favorite holiday? I have copied verbatim from the text written by R. Helen Bates and printed in 1936 by the Middleway Historical Conservancy.

Many times a curator or designer is asked to “bridge” the different periods that the history of a house spans. They often have to choose which part of the house is most reflective of the period for which it is known and often this is the period of the greatest physical expansion of the home due to the means of its owners at the time.  You have the option of blending the various periods together and taking the different architectural aspects of the rooms by letting them lead you to the “interpretation” of that space—for instance,  a 1780 home that in 1870 had a front porch added complete with  gingerbread, but left the 18^th century kitchen hearth intact.  Two very different spaces yet giving the designer and or curator the option of white wicker furniture on the front porch and an 18^th century farm table and cupboard in the kitchen. These are solutions that private home owners come up with all the time and they work beautifully.  I love homes and museums that give a very clear depiction of the various periods the house has lived through. Historic homes really do reflect the truth of life, good and bad, flush or famine they reflect within their walls the truth and history of the families that have lived there. Just like a fascinating 90 year old who has witnessed and experienced so much and if we are lucky, gives us the privilege of learning from them.

I recently was given the opportunity to consult on the ongoing restoration of the Commandant’s house at 8th and I in Washington, D.C. On one level (professional) this was exciting though I have done other significant historical restoration projects, yet on another level (personal) this was perhaps the greatest thrill of my career.
I met my husband while I was an employee of the USO in Okinawa, Japan. He was a young 2nd Lt. and, as they say, “the rest is history.” He eventually left the Marine Corps for the FBI but the saying, “once a Marine always a Marine” is very true. This was no more evident than when he heard of my upcoming involvement with this project and was more delighted than I was. Now he is, perhaps more than most husbands, very supportive and proud of my endeavors but to be involved with the legendary “8th and I” was waaaay cooler than anything I have done so far—sorry James Madison.

I must say that as I entered the home through its temporary cocoon of plastic and scaffolding, I felt a thrill that I often feel in a beautiful church or at an overlook in my beloved Shenandoah Valley. Here was the Commandant’s wife, Bonnie Amos and a predecessor of hers, Mrs. Conway, showing me the rooms that were in various stages of repair describing what their function is and what furniture goes in each room as well as how the sunlight hits the room at the different times of day. As we moved along I learned that this home was just being restored in its structure, meaning that rotted beams were being taken care of and new mechanical systems were being installed. The interiors such as the carpets, furniture and draperies are carefully stored to be put back in place when the house emerges intact and the rooms have been freshly painted. My participation will be advisory in nature and I am grateful for a chance to “give back” in some small way to the Marine Corps.

As I drove home I thought how typical of a military wife, to be very respectful of the money entrusted to her on behalf of the Corps—thinking in a practical way of what can be kept and not discarded for “new,” Mrs. Amos struck me as someone who very much cares about the Commandant’s house as the home for the entire Corps, and I loved her careful deliberation about the smallest detail of the project.
It was wonderful to spend some time “home” with Mrs. Conway, Mrs. Amos, and her wonderful aide Major Mellon. All who are Marines or are married to one can rest assured that this wonderful house, which means so much to the Marine Corps, is in loving and trusted hands.

I would like to urge you if you have a chance to visit this wonderful home. Although not open to the public you can see the beautiful house from the street or take the time to visit on one of the Friday’s in May through August for the renowned “Evening Parade”. A very moving and inspiring event that will make you and your children, who I urge you to bring, take a moment and thank the Marines for their service to our country.

I will give you an update as the project moves along with images from the house as the house is completed.

There are many great things about this job but one of the best is finding wonderful artisans who are revitalizing the art of the past with talent and innovation. I am so proud to announce a new “Feature Artisan” to the site.

Thistledew Merchantile is a lovely site that sells the historic scissor art by Kim Frey. One of the 2009 artisans featured in the Directory of Early American Craftsman that is published by Early American Life magazine (another one of our favorites) Kim is a very talented addition to our growing list of American Craftsman.

Since 1990, the Freys’ artwork has been shown at local Art Leagues, in traveling exhibits with the Guild of American Papercutters, in special exhibits with Delaware State Museums, and in museum and gift shops across the country. Thistledew Merchantile can produce the “very thing” for your gift list and is a wonderful historical addition to any historic house museum’s gift shop.

The site features the following historic scissor art genres:

Scherenschnitte: a Pennsylvania German folk craft, literally meaning “scissors snipping.” Scherenschnitte was used to create Valentines, Christmas tree ornaments, cake stencils, artwork for the home, and shelf decorations.

Fraktur: an artistic form of important documents such as birth, baptismal, and wedding records. Fraktur were also given as rewards of merit for good students, house blessings, and bookplates.

Silhouettes: sometimes called “shades” or “shadows,” silhouettes were the common man’s portrait before modern photography was invented

The Freys live in Delaware with their daughter Katelyn, two goats, a whole bunch of chickens, and Oreo the cat. (Daughter Jordan, son-in-law Luke, and grandboys Jackson and Derik are staking a claim way out west!) Their artwork…and often the Freys themselves…can be seen in person at Hudson’s General Store, in Clarksville, Delaware.

I urge you to take a moment and visit this site it is truly a new american treasure.
thistledewmercantile.com

Like many designers, I am consistently in the mood to change something in my home.  Right now this urge is taken care of by focusing on the new format and information that will soon be on this site.  I have found a wonderful young graphic/interior designer, Silvana Kathryn Malove, who has been able to help me accomplish the changes I am itching for.  I am very excited about her ideas and particularly about her energy.  She will be in charge of the design and structure of the site, while I continue to provide the content and sources.  There is so much I have wanted to share with our visitors, and the new design will provide a place to do so.  Here is a little preview of what’s to come incrementally over time.

We will soon add a “Featured Artisan” along with our “Featured Historic House Museum” and sometimes the two will go hand in hand.   In our “Educational Resources”  section, we will be adding information on continuing education classes that are available all over the country in Historic Preservation and Historic Interiors.

The biggest and most exciting change is going to be the overall content on the site. Beginning soon we will be giving you more information, including written descriptions as well as visual examples of the specific design elements featured on the individual period pages.  All of this means our readers will have access to information that is historically accurate and can be put to use practically in their home or museum.  Among the content added to the different period pages will be cultural material to help bring the period alive.

These are just a few new ideas that we hope you will appreciate and enjoy.  Please remember to contact me directly through the “Background & Contact Info” page when you have specific questions or have information to share.  Thanks for being so loyal and giving us our best year yet in visitor numbers.

~ Louise

At Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont, see the richly furnished country house and working studio of American impressionist painter Gari Melchers (1860- 1932) as they appeared in the 1920s. Explore the colorful formal gardens and wooded hiking trails of the artist’s 27-acre retreat. Enjoy special exhibitions of the art of Melchers and his contemporaries.

Gari Melchers was one of the most decorated artists of his day. Today he is relatively unknown. His unvarying ambition to reproduce the essential character of a place and its people was the key to his international success, and yet it caused him to be considered old-fashioned by the close of his career. Nevertheless, his role in the history of American painting is secured because of the legacy of his work preserved at the museum and, because, like countless other Americans who made a living through their craft, his story testifies to the full breadth of our country’s artistic vibrancy at the opening of the twentieth century.

In 1942, the artist’s widow, Corinne Melchers, deeded the property and its collections to the Commonwealth of Virginia as a memorial to her husband. Gari Melchers Home and Studio is administered by the University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia. A Virginia and National Historic Landmark, the museum is accredited by The American Association of Museums.

Gari Melchers Home and Studio is one of just 30 of America’s most significant artists’ spaces included in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios consortium.

These extraordinary sites are the intimate living and work spaces of painters, sculptors, ceramicists, photographers, and furniture designers.  They include superb collections and intact studios, landscapes, and homes dating as far back as the 17th century.

Victorian Gothic Revival Period Furniture

This period stretching roughly thirty years from 1830-1870 was heavily influenced by the romantic ideals from the medieval period which was featured in much of the novels and poetry of the time. Thus the icons of the medieval period are very prevalent in not only the architecture but also the furniture.

The furniture is more than substantial and more often than naught made of oak with details of rosettes, tracery, trefoils and quatrefoils. The reintroduction of medieval styles include the reprisal of Elizabethan chairs, chests and other ‘cottage furniture”. These pieces definitely had the air of “Hansel and Gretel’ about them.

A recent reimergence of vampire lore into popular culture has once again linked this style with dark gothic imagery. Because of the medieval church icons used within the style, it is a natural pairing for a fad that is centered on many symbols of Christianity, whether a cross or a chair with iconic Gothic turnings. This is the style you are most often seeing in the set decoration of many of the TV shows and movies that celebrate the vampire myth.

You can still find a great Gothic period style chair perfect for your hall or a table with the telltale Gothic turreted apron. Many small antique shops have a piece or two and they are, for the most part, reasonably priced. This is mainly because they were all made by machine and had little or no craftsman’s personal touch. Remember, during crafting, the less a human hand touched it, the less commercial value.

As is true with all design, it is cyclical, taking from what was popular in the past as a path to the design of the present.

Check out our Victorian Gothic page!

When I run across someone who is truly gifted in their field I always want to share their talent with my readers and friends. I have a new advertiser whose work I saw recently and I was so impressed. Stephan of Stephan’s refinishing here in Fredericksburg, Va is a very talented artist. You don’t often associate the word “artist” with the field of furniture refinishing but he truly has the touch of an artist. He managed to take a very mundane 1930’s table of mine and make it positively glow. You can find these tables at any flea market or basic “antique” and maybe pay around $100.00 for it. After Stephan applied his magic touch to my much scarred and battered hall table, it was fit for the finest of rooms. I am honestly impressed and I urge you to entrust him with your most precious pieces as I am certain that whether you are a curator of a museum, antique dealer or homeowner you will be thrilled with the result.

www.stephansworks.com 540.710.2221 or 540.645.5612

This month’s Featured Museum is the Gamble House in Pasadena, CA.  This beautifully preserved home from the Arts and Crafts period is on my list to visit and I am thrilled to be able to introduce it to you if you had not known of it before this.  Commissioned to design and build the house,  Arts and Crafts legends Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Green   started the project in 1908 and placed the last piece of furniture in 1910.The Gamble family lived in the house until it became a museum in 1966 and the home  has been a haven for teachers, scholars, architects and Arts and Crafts aficionados ever since.  In the world of Historic House Museums it is rare to have a home turned over to a curator with all of its original exterior and interior elements intact.  This house is unique in that all of the furniture that was commissioned to be made specifically for the house is there also  a rare treat for the period enthusiast.  Home of the Sidney D. gamble Lecture Series the next offering in the series continues with Pasadena artist Kenton Nelson who will offer insight into the connections between art, architecture and California culture.

The Gamble House is still giving back to the community a hundred years after its completion and hopefully will continue for many decades to come. Please visit the website www.gamblehouse.org to learn more about this wonderful house and the many exhibits and special events that are offered.