Category Archives: house

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 →

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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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Where food and history mix in San Antonio

Posted on October 31, 2015 by

I recently visited San Antonio, Texas again. The famous historic sites in town are, of course, the Alamo and perhaps the Spanish missions. But I explored a beautiful area of town once called “Sauerkraut Bend” with a main street named … Continue reading →

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Max van Balgooy: My favorite history site

Posted on October 15, 2015 by

Max A. van Balgooy is president of Engaging Places, LLC, a design and strategy firm that connects people with historic places. Much of his work focuses on the value of objects, buildings, and landscapes in interpretation at such museums as … Continue reading →

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An unexpected house museum in Breckenridge

Posted on July 24, 2015 by

I’ll admit it, I didn’t expect to find a fascinating story of African American history in Breckenridge, Colorado, one of the state’s ski towns. A museum colleague suggested I visit the Barney Ford house. I’d never heard of Ford. Since … Continue reading →

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