Robbins House photos
Posted on | January 1, 2011 | No Comments
Conscience of a Community: Slavery and Anti-Slavery in Concord
Posted on | December 30, 2010 | No Comments
The Drinking Gourd Project is participating the Concord Historical Collaborative course on slavery and anti-slavery in Concord by presenting a panel at the Concord Art Association on March 6, 2011, from 2-4 pm. Call 978-318-1432 or visit www.ace.colonial.net for details.Conscience of a Community: Slavery and Anti-Slavery in Concord
Concord deservedly holds an iconic status as the birthplace of freedom in America. It was also a town where slave holding was more common than many now realize.How did this clash of beliefs, or practices, occur? What forces were at work that prompted most of the townspeople, on one occasion, to chase an enslaved man who was attempting to run to freedom? What did it mean to be subjected to slavery? What did it mean to own a slave in Concord? How did a community’s conscience evolve? How did attitudes and practices change over time, in Concord and New England? How has this history been uncovered, and made accurate and whole? What is the meaning of these stories for Concord and the nation today?These are the questions we will examine in this special series. It is open to 30 people by advance enrollment; Concord residents have priority until January 1. The course fee is $45. Course #3291.Session 1: Sunday, February 27, 2:00-4:30, Concord Public LibraryAntislavery in Concord: Incorporating powerful archival documentation, this two-and-a-half hour presentation at the Concord Free Public Library will focus on community context, local organizations, and key players in the story of antislavery in Concord from the 1830s up to the Civil War. It sets the stage for the 7-session program.Session 2: March 6, 2:00-4:00 PM, Concord Art Association From Slavery to Freedom: Historians and Authors Discuss Slavery and Antislavery in Concord 
anelists include Robert Gross, Draper Professor of Early American History, University of Connecticut; Elise Lemire, author of Black Walden: Slavery and Its Aftermath in Concord, Massachusetts; Lois Brown, Elizabeth Small Professor of English, Mount Holyoke College; Valerie Cunningham, co-author of Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African-American Heritage; Leslie Obleschuk, Chief of Interpretation & Education, Minute Man National Park.Session 3: Sunday, March 13, 2:00-4:00 PM, Old Manse, The Trustees of ReservationsSlavery and the early African Communities in Concord: Slavery in Concord is explored from its earliest beginnings through the early 1800s. Set at the Old Manse with a tour of the attic slave quarters, this session details of the role of slaves in Rev. William Emerson’s late 1700s household – one of whom married Caesar Robbins. The Drinking Gourd Project details the Robbins family journey from enslaved people to vital, independent citizens of Concord.Session 4: Sunday, March 20, 2:00-4:00 PM, Maj. John Buttrick House, Minute Man National Historic Park Program Text: Hidden History at the Wayside: The class will explore letters and diaries of residents of the Wayside. Who was an abolitionist and who was not? How did the Wayside become recognized as part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom? What actually happened here?Session 5: Sunday, March 27, 2:00-4:00 PM, Thoreau FarmExploring Conscience: Thoreau and Anti-Slavery: Three historians will examine Concord’s “native son” and his unique and sometimes misunderstood stance on slavery. Jeff Cramer, Curator of Collections at the Thoreau Institute; Mike Frederick, Executive Director of the Thoreau Society; and Jayne Gordon, Director of Education and Public Programs for the Massachusetts Historical Society and Thoreau Farm Advisor will discuss influences on Thoreau’s beliefs, his anti-slavery convictions, and how his story has been transmitted forward to today.Session 6: Sunday, April 3, 2:00-4:00 PM, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard HouseLiving Their Ideals: The Alcotts and the Antislavery Movement in Concord: The Alcotts exemplified the antislavery reform movement by actively supporting John Brown and his followers, participating in the Underground Railroad, and nearly sacrificing one of their own daughters to the cause of the Civil War. View artifacts and images related to the family’s involvement in the antislavery movement, and tour the home where Louisa May Alcott wrote Hospital Sketches, a break-through account of her experience as a nurse in Washington, D.CSession 7: Sunday, April 17, 2:00-4:00 PM, Concord MuseumWhen Duty Whispers: Concord and the Civil War Tour the Concord Museum’s newest exhibition in honor of the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. Curator David Wood will lead a gallery talk exploring Concord’s involvement in the Civil War through objects from the Museum’s collection. The exhibition includes uniforms, weaponry, flags, photographs, and personal accounts — and the flag of the 55th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, on loan from a private collection. Harvard Professor, author, and winner of the Frederick Douglass Book Prize John Stauffer will present “Transcendentalism and the Election of Abraham Lincoln.”The Concord Historical Collaborative coordinates efforts and activities in Concord to present its rich history through diverse educational opportunities and fosters an appreciation and stewardship for Concord’s historical resources. Members: The Concord Museum, Ralph Waldo Emerson House, The Old Manse/The Trustees of Reservations, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, The Thoreau Society, the Concord Free Public Library, The Walden Woods Project, Minute Man National Historical Park, the Concord Chamber of Commerce, Concord-Carlisle Schools, Walden Pond State Reservation, the Concord Art Association, the Concord Historical Commission and Thoreau Farm.
Enrollment Limited. Call 978-318-1432 or visit www.ace.colonial.net (course #3291) to enroll. $45
Visit Peter Hutchinson’s Unmarked Grave
Posted on | December 16, 2010 | No Comments
In 1881, Peter Hutchinson, last member of Robbins family to live in the house, was the first African-American resident of Concord to vote. He lies in an unmarked grave in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.One of The Drinking Gourd Project’s goals is to provide engraved headstones for the unmarked graves of African Americans and Abolitionists such as Peter Hutchinson.
Peter Hutchinson is buried near the first entrance (Court Lane) to Sleepy Hollow, approximately opposite this house on Bedford Street.
The unmarked grave of Peter Hutchinson at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Future Site of the Caesar Robbins House
Posted on | December 16, 2010 | No Comments
Look for our new sign at the future site of the Caesar Robbins House.
Check out the proposed site plan for the Robbins House Historical Center:
DGP Agenda – December 16, 2010
Posted on | December 16, 2010 | No Comments
- The House – 30-40 min.
- Historic Structures Report/Plan [L. Sorli]
- Site Plan/NRC summary [R. Harrington]
- Orientation
- Electricity & Sewerage
- Hours [and Related Topics] of Operation
- The Environment – 30-40 min
- Endangered Species & Wetlands Protection Act [D. Fisher]
- Landscape Plan [D. Fisher]
- Invasive Species/Eradictaion Plan/Arborist [J. Bakewell] …short and long term planning
- All related environmental impacts
- Timeline/Recap – 20 minutes
- Sign/Establishing the Project – RFP Dependent
- Separating the house
- Gen’s Laws for Oversized Structures
- Moving the house is independent of the NPS but will also be discussed
- Clearing & Foundation (contractors)
- Restoration/Preservation
- Interpreting & Installations
- Upcoming Sample Programming
- Close
DGP Awarded Foundation for MetroWest Grant
Posted on | December 1, 2010 | No Comments
The Drinking Gourd Project was awarded a $2,000 grant to fund the installation of stone benches in Walden Woods to mark the homes of three former Concord slaves.
Read more: Concord nets $12k of aid – Concord, MA – The Concord Journal http://www.wickedlocal.com/concord/news/x1808777655/Concord-nets-12k-of-aid#ixzz1jH668eSO
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