Up
Front:
You are invited to our June 24th
Jaunt! Frederick Foley has put together a nice tour of Portsmouth historic
houses--all described in #8, below. An enjoyable way to get together and
strengthen our network. Meet your peers.
Contents:
Conversation
1) Newport seeks sample job
descriptions
2) Canterbury Shakers & the case of the
worn welcome
3) Eureka! Jackson's iron mines,
complete with guide
4) Poore Family poor no longer? They
share the journey to LCHIP & FHWA grants
5) Newmarket shares Globe article
about wandering bridge
Events
6) July 6: Prof Daniell to
Franklin
7) Jackson renews White Mtn art
exhibition
8) AHSNH announces June Jaunt thru
Portsmouth! (Do come!)
Information
9) Keyboard trick to ease your
squint
10) NonProfit Ctr shares grant information
(!)
a) They request your support of a survey
b) Four grants
11) Employment Opportunity
Conversation:
1)
from Newport:
Ed. Note: Does anyone have job descriptions you can--and
would be willing to--share? Newport is re-invigorating their Society and
they have asked about job descriptions for curator & executive
officers.
If so, your choices for sharing are:
electronically to Newport, c/o Mary Lou McGuire
<
maryloumcguire@hotmail.com>
by mail
to me (Linda Day; AHSNH; PMB 101; 26 South Main St; Concord, NH
03301-4848)
by mail to Newport (Newport Historical Society; POB 838;
Newport, NH 03773-0838)
In fact, it may be a good idea to have some samples posted on the website
so they are easy to find. I'll gather them into an article if you let me
know it is alright to include yours.
2) from Canterbury Shaker
Village:
We have items in our
collection that do not relate to our mission and are taking up
valuable storage space. We desperately need that space for our
Shaker-related artifacts. I dont want to remove anything from the
collection without proof that we own it. Im looking for any law in NH
that allows museums to deaccessing abandoned property or donated property that
has been in its collection for a specified period of time. Can you
help me determine if NH has such a law? I know that Maine has one. If
an item has been left at a museum for 20 years+, the museum owns it.
Thanks, --Jennifer Carroll-Plante
(Ed.
Note: I enjoyed this exchange: Ms Carroll-Plante's inquiry went out
to NH Citizens for the Arts, the State Curator [did you know we had such a
position? nor did I], the Division of Historical Resources, the State Library,
and the Association H/S NH. And the answer came back from Ms
Carroll-Plante herself! Which I think earns her a title of formidible
researcher.)
I found a
Museum Property Act passed by the State of NH in 1989. It relates specifically to
museums acquiring title to property which was loaned to it but has remained
unclaimed. 1989
SESSION 0527B. There
is a provision for defining abandoned property. It relates mainly to
loans but may help.
Linda Day: I would recommend that you pursue exchange
with another institution for Shaker-related materials. If you don't have
clear title, why risk an irate descendent attacking you for deaccessioning at
some future time? If you know who gave the items you can try to contact
descendents and get permission in writing to deaccession the gift; but you have
to have a paper trail. If you cannot develop a paper trail, then gift
by exchange is what I would recommend.... When Abbot Cummings was director of
SPNEA, he gave the trustees monthly reports on what he was contemplating
accessioning/deaccessioning, together with photos of the objects. He asked
that the board come back with objections at the next board meeting, and they
never bothered him. But at least the board had considered the proposed
accessioning/deaccessioning, and it was part of the minutes of the board
meeting!... I am sure NEMA or the AAM would offer similar counsel.
Don't get yourself out on a limb by cleaning out collections without the
descendents', or at least the board's, knowledge! --Russell Bastedo, State Curator
3) from Jackson:
There are old iron mines on
Iron
Mountain in Jackson. Although mining explorations began about
1835, serious operations did not commence until after the railroad reached
Bartlett in 1875. These mines were on the Bartlett side of the mountain.
Over the past two years Society member,
Dan
Dinsmore, has been exploring ways to hike up to the mines. Dan has now
produced a comprehensive guide that includes maps, GPS coorinates, description
of terrain, and the terrific views from the top. If you would like to have
a copy, please contact us at
info@historynhhistory.org
--
Warren
Schomaker,Jackson Historical Society
(Ed. Note: Do I hear "GPS
coordinates"? Does Dan have an e-mail address? Several of us--who
collectively know nothing about it--are enthusiastically curious about setting
up caches at willing H/Ss for geo-cachers. Doesn't that sound like a good
program idea? Is there a point person out there? Oh, boy, oh,
boy!)
4) from the
Poore Family Homestead:
Good News! I am
please to inform you that the FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) has
announced that the Poore Family Foundation's project was funded under the
National Scenic Byways Program. This is the long-awaited match for the
Poore Homestead's LCHIP grant award.
Although reported in News and
Sentinel on June 27, 2001, that "LCHIP will award $74,422 to fund the
ongoing rehabilitation of the Poore Family Homestead in Stewartstown," we have not received any funding from
LCHIP to date. But now that we have secured this FHWA grant,
it is expected that the NH LCHIP authority will release a portion of our grant
award. The bad news is the LCHIP Board of Directors wants to withdraw the
$74,422 it's been holding for the Poore Family Foundation. Let's hope they
change their minds.
Securing the $75,000
needed to match the LCHIP grant was a difficult task. Considering that
philanthropic giving in the northern-most regions of NH is at a State-wide low,
coupled with the misconception by many that the Poore Foundation already has the
LCHIP funds in hand, has virtually halted financial
support.
In a letter dated May
18, 2006, from Carol Barleon, Coordinator, NH Scenic and Cultural Byways
of the State of NH Office of Energy and Planning, it was confirmed that our
total request of $134.999 was funded for phase one of this project.
All dollar amounts for both proposals were based on 2001 figures so additional
funding will be needed to complete this project.
The Poore Foundation's
National Byways project is one that has a 400% return or match to
the State's investment. For every dollar ($1) the
community and State invests in the Poore Byways project, the FHWA will match it
with four ($4).
This project, "The
Stewartstown Scenic & Cultural Byway, Rte.145, Interpretive Center and
Historic Resource Protection Project, Phase One", is a two-phase project,
that will benefit the Byway and its traveler by providing a safe highway
turn-off with access to kiosks, the Poore Museum, hiking and parking. In
addition, we'll be constructing a Visitor/Interpretive Center, one that will
capture the character, history and culture of this area through architecture and
the preparation of interpretive information. This
handicap-accessible facility will be located mid-point on NH Byway Rte. 145
where it meanders through the 100-acre Poore Family property, providing
educational and recreational opportunities. The Center will be
located just out of sight of the Poore Homestead Museum so not to disturb the
ambiance or the feeling one gets of walking back in time.
This project will also
protect three historic structures adjacent to the Byway that have been chosen
for revitalization by the NH Historical Society, the NH Preservation Alliance,
the NH LCHIP Authority, the NH Division of Historic Resources and now the NH
Office of Energy and Planning. Restored to reflect their original use and
era, these three barns will be devoted to exhibit space for maps, historic
photos and other interpretive materials.
There are several more
hurtles to go over before we can start: First the FHWA will send a formal
announcement to NH DOT regarding the funding. Next: we have the necessary
historic clearances but we need to complete the DOT Environmental
Clearance. Then the FHWA will release the money to DOT. Next the NH
OEP will go to G&C to receive the authority to spend the money.
Finally the NH OEP will enter into a contract with the Poore Family
Foundation. Then the work can begin. (Ed. Note: Oy
vey! Keep on, heroes!)
--Richard J. Johnsen,
Executive Director, The Poore Family Foundation
for North Country Conservancy
Box 328 A; 438 Fish Pond Road; Colebrook, NH
03576
5) from
Newmarket:
The Globe reports on Newmarket's plans to restore the
bridge that moved along. "Lord, plant my feet on higher
ground!"
Events:
6) from
Franklin:
THURSDAY, JULY 6 at 7 PM, upstairs
meeting room of the Franklin Public Library: the
ever-popular, always informative, and delightfully entertaining Prof.
Jere Daniell of Dartmouth will speak on The Early History of
Franklin. Franklin was carved out of four now-neighboring
communities--Salisbury, Andover, Sanbornton and Northfield. The town owes
its founding to the industrially ambitious, not farmers. The speaker,
whose namesake Jeremiah Daniell was one of those industrialists, will spell out
the details and long-term consequences of this special story.
Sponsored in part by the NH Humanities Council and
presented by the Franklin Historical Society. Park behind the Franklin
Opera House/City Hall and enter the rear door of the library. You may use
either the stairs or the elevator (ADA-compliant). Light refreshments will
be served after Prof. Daniell's talk, with the Society's regular business
meeting following directly. All attendees are cordially invited to stay
for the meeting and join the Society in helping Franklin appreciate and
celebrate its past.
7) from
Jackson:
An Exhibition of White
Mountain Art at the Historical Society of the Town of Jackson, NH
The
Society is pleased to announce the opening on Saturday June 3, 2006, of a
special exhibit of White
Mountain paintings entitled New Hampshire's
Magnificent Mountains. This exhibition contains eight examples of 19th and
early 20th century landscape paintings of White Mountain scenes by six
artists. The paintings featured are
on loan from John J. and Joan
R. Henderson of Center Harbor, NH, well-known collectors of
White Mountain art.
This exhibition has an interesting history that
began about three years ago. The former US Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan,
Stephen Young, is a NH native. After receiving his new post in August
2003, he contacted the Art in Embassies program of the U.S. State
Department. This program has placed artworks in over 170 embassies around
the world. The curator became aware of a Website devoted to 19th century
artists who painted in the White Mountains (http://www.whitemountainart.com).
Inquiries led to the author of the site, John Henderson, who agreed to loan
eight paintings to be displayed at the embassy. In the fall of 2003 these
beautiful images of NH began their 6,000 mile journey to Bishkek, the capital of
Kyrgyzstan. Earlier this year they made a return journey direct to
Jackson, arriving as, perhaps, the first shipment of "Diplomatic Cargo" ever
received in Jackson.
...The initial display includes nineteen 19th
century paintings by eleven artists. We believe this is the only
location in NH where this number of these paintings is on permanent public
display. A few selected paintings will be available for
purchase.
--Jackson Historical Society; 603
383-4060; <info@jacksonnhhistory.org>
8) from the
Association of Historical Societies of NH:
Association of
Historical Societies of New Hampshire
PMB 101,
26 South
Main Street
Concord, NH 03301-4848
603-926-2543
We invite you, members of your societies, and your guests
to a June Jaunt through historic
Portsmouth on Saturday, June
24.
The price of $12 per person will include tours of four historic
houses. Please sign up by
contacting Frederick Foley at 603-522-8567 (between 1:00 and 8:00
p.m.) or via email fredfoley@netzero.net.
Attendees should meet in
Portsmouth by 9:30 a.m. at the
Portsmouth City
Halls upper parking lot, located at
1 Junkins Avenue where
parking should be available. Carpools will be arranged to go to the
different sites, although you are encouraged to carpool from your community with
the many members and guests from your individual organizations.
The group will leave promptly at 9:30
a.m. from the parking lot to begin the day with a tour of the
historic John Paul Jones House. Our
friends at the Portsmouth Historical Society will share interesting stories
from this 1758 house and point out the fine examples of Georgian
architecture of this building that has been operating as their museum since
1920.
We will then move on to the Warner House. Built in 1716, it is one of the oldest
urban brick mansions in the United
States.
Period rooms with antique furnishings reveal a rich, full history of a
Portsmouth family from 1716 to the
1930s. This house is famous for
its colorful circa 1720 murals of Iroquois Indian sachems.
Lunch will be on your own at one of the fine restaurants that the City of
Portsmouth has to offer (visit http://www.portsmouthchamber.org
if you wish to see in advance what your choices are). If you choose to brown bag it and
bring your own lunch, Portsmouth has
many fine parks and seating areas to enjoy the outdoors.
The afternoon will find us touring the Wentworth-Gardner House. This stately waterfront mansion, built
in 1760, is renowned for its Georgian architecture and ornate carvings. Its large 18th century
kitchen has a rare fan-driven chimney meat roaster and was once owned by famous
antiquarian and photographer Wallace Nutting.
The last house on our personalized tour is the Tobias Lear House, built
in 1740. Birthplace of George
Washingtons secretary and confidante, Tobias Lear V, this house is remarkably
unchanged from its early 18th century
appearance. In 1789,
Washington stopped here for tea
with Lears mother during his triumphal tour of New
England.
For further information about these historic sites, please visit the
Portsmouth Historical Societys website at http://www.portsmouthchamber.org.
Information:
9) Print too small?
Ed. Note: We received this information via one of
those "fruitcake loops" (Remember Johnny Carson saying he thought there
was only one fruitcake? Everyone just keeps passing it around. There
are lots of e-mails that strike me the same.)
"This is a keyboard trick that may be useful when trying
to read small e-mail print (especially in the early hours). If you
hold down the Ctrl key on your key board and turn the small wheel in the middle
of your mouse, the print size will change. It will either get larger
or smaller, depending on which way you turn the wheel. "
It seems to me that sometimes it works & sometimes
it doesn't, but there you have it. Now we can all run out and buy tee
shirts that say, "I'm savvy!" (just to make our kids look askance)
(Ed. Note: The NH Center for
Nonprofits puts out an e-mail newsletter which is a
good source of information. I recommend you subscribe, to receive the
bulletins in a more timely fashion than you may via this avenue.
(Some of these grants require that your programs have been operating
for a period of time; make a note of the grants you are interested in so you
will remember where the monies were after you have gotten started.)
a) Salaries and benefits are likely your
organizations largest expense. (We are conducting a survey which) is an easy way
to get invaluable wage information, specific to our geographic region. Many
organizations in Maine and NH have already completed the 2006 Nonprofit Wage
& Benefit Survey. Don't be left out. To obtain excellent data, participation
by all nonprofit organizations is essential. Participating is free
and easy, and your completed entry saves your organization $150. Find
out how - Go to http://www.nhnonprofits.org to
begin! Please help us by passing this along to
your nonprofit colleagues in Maine & NH.
b)
For full details about these funding
opportunities and more listings, go to
http://www.nhnonprofits.org . Look
for the link to the Funding Alerts page on the left in the Quick Links Menu.
Funding for Programs
Benefiting Lesbian and Gay Youth
Deadline: June 30, 2006
The
Colin Higgins Foundation supports organizations that build the power and
leadership of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered youth (age
13-24).
Communities Empowering Youth Demonstration
Grants
Deadline: July 10, 2006
The Office of Community Services
is inviting community , faith-based and other organizations to compete for $30
million in new Communities Empowering Youth Demonstration Grants. Part of the
First Lady's Helping America's Youth initiative, the Communities Empowering
Youth program will work to build the capacity of community and faith-based
groups that are striving to provide alternatives to youth gangs and foster
positive youth development.
Awards for Nonprofit
Innovation
Deadline: August 15, 2006
Entries Invited for Peter F.
Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation which is given each November to
three U.S. nonprofit organizations in recognition of an innovative, existing
program that has made a difference in the lives of the people it serves.
Grants for Programs Serving Adults with
Disabilities
Deadline: September 15, 2006
Ethel Louise Armstrong
Foundation offers grants in the areas of arts, advocacy, and education for
adults with disabilities (over 22 years old). Applicants must be U.S. nonprofit
501(c)(3) organizations that serve people with disabilities and have been in
existence for two years or longer.
11) from
the Division of Historical Resources:
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Historian, Special Projects
Director
The NH Division of Historical Resources seeks an
experienced, talented, and committed preservation professional to assume the
responsibilities of Special Projects Director.
This is a temporary, full-time, position that is
federally funded and will not exceed a period of two years. Primary
responsibility is as Project Director for the Old New Hampshire Statehouse
Planning Project. Administration and management of other grant-funded
projects may be assigned.
The salary for this position, as of July 7, 2006, will start at
$38,239.50 annually, and the State of New Hampshire offers a generous benefit
package, including fully paid health and dental insurance.
For a job description,
contact Pat Blevens, 603-271-3559 or email at
pat.blevens@dcr.nh.gov. To discuss the position, call James
McConaha, Director, 603-271-6435, or email at
james.mcconaha@dcr.nh.gov.
Deadline for Applications: Open until Position is
Filled. Filling of this position is contingent upon grant approval by the
Governor and Council. For more information, go to the NHDHR home page --
http://www.state.nh.gov/nhdhr, and
click on the "Job Opportunities" link (
http://www.nh.gov/nhdhr/job_opportunities.html).