Category Archives: house

Underneath a sheen of privilege

Posted on June 7, 2019 by

Homewood Museum, a large “country” home in Baltimore, was not on my radar. I’ve been to Baltimore many times and like visiting historic homes. One reason may be because it sits on the campus of John Hopkins University in the … Continue reading →

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Tracking a Killer

Posted on April 17, 2019 by

A day shy of the 154th anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, I stood looking at the bucolic southern Maryland countryside, trees tinged with the bright green of early Spring. Staring at the simple white frame house surrounded … Continue reading →

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The Authors Next Door

Posted on April 10, 2019 by

I grew up playing the card game Authors. In my childhood I hadn’t read most of the books featured in the game, but the more I played, the more familiar I became with each author’s works. Mark Twain, of course, … Continue reading →

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Artist’s Inspiration – the Thomas Cole House

Posted on December 13, 2018 by

I was driving north headed for Maine. Seeking to avoid the congestion around New York City, I drove up Interstate 87. I wanted a break point in my trip and noticed the Thomas Cole National Historic Site. It’s a few … Continue reading →

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James Madison’s Montpelier

Posted on November 21, 2018 by

More and more historic sites are beginning to tell the whole story. What I mean is after many decades of avoiding difficult topics, such as slavery, they are pushing past self-imposed boundaries, seeking the complex truth, and striving to find … Continue reading →

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Unexpected history in a South Carolina town

Posted on July 13, 2018 by

In November 1861, only seven months into the Civil War, Union gunboats captured the sea islands around Port Royal Sound in South Carolina, including the city of Beaufort. The area remained in Union control through the war and the city … Continue reading →

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A historic inn on the Eastern Shore

Posted on July 2, 2018 by

I was standing on the roof in bright sun gazing at water on three sides. The view of the Chesapeake Bay was stunning and I could begin to imagine British warships approaching the property. Just over two hundred years ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th century, agricultural, cemetery/grave, house, tourism | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Charles Lindbergh of Little Falls, Minnesota

Posted on June 4, 2016 by

Charles Lindbergh has loomed large in my life for fifteen years now. I somehow keep working at museums that tell his story and either display his plane the Spirit of St. Louis or a replica of it. So when in the vicinity of … Continue reading →

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Gunpowder along the Brandywine

Posted on April 10, 2016 by

I recently taught a workshop at Hagley, site of the original gunpowder business of the great French immigrant family, the du Ponts. I brought with me childhood memories from school trips to the site many years ago and wondered what my adult … Continue reading →

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Gunston Hall, home of George Mason

Posted on February 12, 2016 by

Gunston Hall, eighteenth century home of patriot George Mason, sits on a bluff commanding a spectacular view of the Potomac River – not far downriver from George Washington’s Mount Vernon and just over 12 miles by road. As close neighbors and Virginia politicians, Mason … Continue reading →

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