Can Jingle Bells be Far Behind?

It’s a sure sign that the holidays are upon us. This morning I saw Kara Franco Lally and some of her “elves” – Margaret, Amy, Irma and Allen – starting to decorate the South entrance courtyard at Mystic Seaport with sprigs of holly, juniper, pine, larch, spruce and yew. 

Kara, who is garden supervisor/horticulturist for the Museum, stated that all the greens they were using were collected on Mystic Seaport grounds. The Museum store, the Visitor Reception Center and the Seamen’s Friend Society Reading Room were on the “to do” list for decorating today. 

In total, about 16 volunteers help beautify Mystic Seaport for the holidays. Right now, in the greenhouse, they’re hard at work making pine roping, wreaths and other decorations that will be in place for visitors to enjoy this holiday season.

Although folks walking through Museum gates may not be aware of all this pre-holiday busy-ness, the proof is in the pudding.  Visiting Mystic Seaport at holiday time is a  beautiful and unique experience.

 Check out the Museum’s website at www.mysticseaport.org and see the special gifts of the season in store for you and your family.  If you’re an early shopper (and you need to be for these holiday offerings) the fun begins on November 29^th  and carries through on selected days throughout December.

The Season’s Splendor (a Victorian Village Holiday Ride), Lantern Light Tours (a New England Holiday Tradition), crafts and stories for kids, a journey to the zoo in the sky at the Planetarium – so many wonderful choices. A word to the wise – ticketed events sell out quickly.  Don’t be disappointed. Shop now!      

Blog written by Trudi Busey.

Mystic Seaport’s Secret Weapon?

To paraphrase the familiar Dunkin Donuts slogan, one might say Mystic Seaport runs on volunteers!
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Okay….that may sound a little conceited, but at yesterday’s annual after hours Celebration of Volunteers, Mystic Seaport President Steve White described the army of Museum volunteers as “the life blood of Mystic Seaport.” Who wouldn’t feel a little pumped up after hearing those words?

I’m a volunteer; so is my husband; so are about 1,000 other men and women who relish helping staff in countless ways. Every one of us finds a niche …or two…or more. Pretty soon your fellow volunteers become almost like your extended family, and the bond to Mystic Seaport just grows stronger the longer you’re on board. 

Volunteer Coordinator, Rhoda Hopkins Root, is matriarch of our Mystic Seaport volunteer family and she takes care of her own!  Today’s Celebration of Volunteers  is a testimony to that. Good music, good food, good camaraderie and special recognition and accolades for a deserving few.  

Rhoda speaking with a Museum volunteer.

We sat with some of the Boathouse gang. Two of them, Andy Strode and Joe DeGange, sported the gold pin on their name badge. That indicates they have contributed more than 1,000 hours each! And if that’s not impressive enough, there are other volunteers with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 thousand hours of volunteer time. It’s pretty humbling to be in this family!

The thing is, this family seems to really enjoy one another’s company. Is it something in the air at Mystic Seaport that makes everyone so mellow? Could be, but I think it’s just a great place to put your time and talents to work, and know you’re benefitting this jewel of a Museum.

If you’re reading this and thinking you need something fun and interesting to do in your life, give Rhoda Hopkins Root a call at 860.572.5378. There’s a niche for you at Mystic Seaport, and Rhoda will help you find it.

Blog post written by Volunteer Trudi Busey.

Quaint “Little” Mystic

Mystic Seaport visitors are always commenting on the authenticity of the Museum’s village. Many believe this is how the grounds things looked in the 19th century. Well, it’s not. Most of the buildings are authentic, but have been brought in from other lcoations. For example, the Buckingham-Hall House was originally located on the Connecticut River. The land was being cleared for a bridge to be built and the “Buck” was in danger of meeting a wrecking ball. Museum officials swooped in and managed to save the home and had it transported to Mystic Seaport on a barge before putting it in its current location.

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In fact, did you know that the current village grounds were originally home to a working shipyard? The Greenman Brothers Yard previously stood on part of the land the Museum sits on. The three brothers owned homes that are still on the grounds, one of which is open for visitors to explore. The road Mystic Seaport is located on is commonly known as Route 27. Locals, however refer to it as Greenmanville Ave. The three brothers had such a prominent business and influence on the community that this area of Mystic was even called Greenmanville! The Mystic area in general was a prominent shipbuilding community with more than a dozen shipyards lining the shores of the Mystic River during the nineteenth century. 

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Old photographs, stories and written materials can tell you about what  Mystic was like in the past. However, Mystic Seaport has a much better option to offer. 

The Mystic River Scale Model located inside of Mystic Seaport.

Perhaps the Museum’s best kept secret is the Mystic River Scale Model. To better enjoy the Museum or absorb the deep history of the Mystic area, make the Scale Model your first stop on your next (or first) visit.

Arthur Payne, was the “imagineer” that created the Model. He began his work in 1958 and he continued to work on his little “Mystic” until his death in 2006 . He would often refer to the model as his life’s work.

Arthur Payne

There was a short hiatus in construction when funding had run out, but Arthur continued sketching and researching. In 1986, he began volunteering his time of about 30-40 hours a week in the model and countless other hours at home sketching, researching and constantly perfecting every minuscule detail. 

Though Arthur was never able to finish the model before his passing, his legacy continues to live on. Volunteers work hard to maintain the integrity and perfection that he strived so hard to maintain. Even his daughter, Anny, comes to lend a hand in the small world to carry on her fathers dream. 

The Greenman Brothers Yard, which now serves as the grounds for Mystic Seaport.

The model is scaled to 3/32′, which is equivalent to one foot. It’s hard to imagine having to etch, carve and paint such delicate detail

The famous clipper ship David Crockett can be seen on the river along with other boats that were original to the area. Main Street (which runs straight through downtown Mystic) still has the famous drawbridge. However, instead of the bascule bridge that sits there now (with large weights to assist in opening it,) a bridge that is attached to an oxen team is in its place. The oxen would pull the bridge open to allowing ships to pass through. On the shore, real life is depicted among the houses. People are going about their daily business and animals are even shown roaming fields.

The volunteers painstakingly look over every “little” detail, including the small animals, details on the houses and the people in the model. Even the boats are rigged accurately and show incredible detail and workmanship.

Many of the buildings seen in the model are still standing. This includes the three Greenman brothers homes seen above.

Yankee Magazine featured the Mystic River Scale Model in its September 2008 issue. For a slide show of other images not shown here, please visit
http://www.yankeemagazine.com/slideshow/mystic.php
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What’s Cooking at the Buckingham-Hall House?

No matter your maritime interest, Mystic Seaport is ready to deliver. Climb aboard a tall ship, wander through exhibit halls or take a stroll through a re-created 19^th-century seafaring village. Learning exactly how people lived during the 1800s is made easy by the many staff members and volunteers who spend countless hours researching and fielding questions. Buildings within the village include an apothecary, a cooperage, a clock shop, a shipsmith’s shop, a ship’s chandlery and a general store, among others. There are three homes you can venture into: the Buckingham-Hall House, the Burrows House and the Thomas Greenman House.

Shirley Gilmartin has been an interpreter in the Buckingham-Hall House for 20 years. She washes dishes, tends the fire and keeps a watchful on the food cooking over the open flames. Shirley has spent this particular morning baking a plum tart and basting a chicken.
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Sitting at the edge of the warm hearth is a tin oven. Used for roasting, the back of the oven faces the fire open to the heat of the coals. The overall shape of the oven is domed, so as heat enters the oven from the back, it rotates around and cooks the meat inside. Ever so often, Shirley rotates the chicken or opens the door to baste it.
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In the back corner of the hearth is a cast iron bucket. Inside is a plum tart, and according to a visiting staff member, “Shirley makes the best dessert.” The bucket has a layer of hot coals in the bottom and the tart pan sits in the middle, surrounded by an additional layer of hot coals. Shirley will also check this every so often, replacing coals and waiting for the tart to finish.
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This method of open hearth cooking is common to the 1830s. Above the hearth is a small compartment where weekly bread baking would take place. What is most interesting about “The Buck” (as staff members fondly refer to the house), is the house garden in the backyard where interpreters can pick vegetables and herbs to use in their traditional cooking. Shirley, along with the rest of the Museum’s interpreters, feel passionately about their role at Mystic Seaport and picking fresh herbs is just another way they try remain as authentic to this past era as possible.  

Though they may have a faucet in a closet, the dishes and pans are cleaned by using a bucket and elbow grease. Take the opportunity to see history living in the present. Stop by and visit Shirley or one of the other interpreters in The Buck’s warm kitchen.  Who knows – you may even be able to taste a piece of that famous plum tart.
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For more information on Mystic Seaport, visit us at www.mysticseaport.org.