Tag Archives: Arlington History

Highlights of the AHS Quilt Collection – Introduction

August 19, 2015Uncategorized18th century, 19th century, 20th century, Arlington History, bed, bedding, history, quilt, quilts, sew, sewing, sleep, sleepingMegan Mary Creamer

Bedding and quilts in particular are an interesting way to imagine the everyday or perhaps rather “everynight” lives of people in our past. We all have blankets, bedding, quilts, comforters and afghans for all seasons for all of our beds. Usually only our closest family and friends come into our bedrooms or use our blankets. Peering … Continue reading Highlights of the AHS Quilt Collection – Introduction →

My Experience as a Tour Guide at the Jason Russell House

July 1, 2015Blog1775, Adams clock, Amos Whittemore, Ann Adams, April 19, Arlington History, blanket chest, ceiling, communion silver, Cooper's Tavern, Deacon Adams, Elizabeth Russell, events, Jason Russell, Jason Russell House, Jonathan Harrington, Menotomy, Minutemen, old men of Menotomy, Regulars, retreat, rolling pin, Samuel Whittemore, secret compartment, spinning wheel, Thomas Russell store, Tour, Tour guides, tourists, Visitors, Winship & WymanSara Lundberg

This is a guest post from Colleen Cunningham, one of our most experienced tour guides at the Jason Russell House. She talks about why she enjoys showing visitors around the house. Entertaining Jason Russell House visitors with stories of life in Menotomy (as Arlington was then called) is the most fun part of being a … Continue reading My Experience as a Tour Guide at the Jason Russell House →

Tornadoes In Arlington

June 24, 2015Blog19th century, Arlington History, bell, Charles S. Parker, church, events, First Parish Church, Grove Street, High Street, Main Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Mill Street, Orthodox Congregational Church, Pleasant Street, Russell Street, spire, stereographs, stereoscopic views, Thomas J. Russell, tornado, tornadoes, weather, William E. ParmenterSara Lundberg

On Tuesday, June 24, 2015 Arlington residents were under a tornado watch until 11 p.m. Luckily the time passed without incident. There were at least two destructive tornadoes in 19th century Arlington; one in 1851 and another in 1871. Both tornadoes happened on hot August days. The 1851 tornado is described as more severe, and … Continue reading Tornadoes In Arlington →

Clay Pipes from the Jason Russell House Archaeological Dig: March 1985

November 4, 2014Blog19th century, Archaeology, Arlington History, Jason Russell House, kaolin clay, pipe bowl, pipe stem, pipe stemsCarolyn Carlson

Pipe stems and bowls such as these are very common among finds at digs in the northeastern United States, given how common they were during the 17th, 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. They were made of kaolin, a type of clay that was pressed into a mold and sometimes stamped or decorated before being … Continue reading Clay Pipes from the Jason Russell House Archaeological Dig: March 1985 →

Archaeology at the Jason Russell House

October 8, 2014Uncategorized18th century, 19th century, 20th century, Archaeology, Arlington History, Jason Russell House, Mark Boulding, VisitorsCarolyn Carlson

October is Massachusetts Archaeology Month! The Arlington Historical Society is celebrating in this space by revisiting the Jason Russell House’s own experience with archaeological excavations. Visitors often ask if any archaeological digs have taken place at the Jason Russell House. The answer is yes! Nearly thirty years ago, in March 1985, a team of archaeologists … Continue reading Archaeology at the Jason Russell House →

Centennial Celebration of Arlington Town Hall

July 8, 2013Blog19th century, 20th century, Arlington History, Devereaux Road, fountain, garden, Massachusetts Avenue, Mystic Street, old town hall, Pageant, residents, Robbins Garden, Town Hall, Vittoria Colonna Dallin, West Cambridge, Winfield Robbins Memorial GardenRichard Duffy

These are selected images from the 2013 Centennial Celebration of Arlington Town Hall display at Robbins Library, and the “Picture Postcard Perfect!” display installed in the lobby of Town Hall. The complete storyboards, displayed throughout May 2013, were designed and written by Richard A. Duffy. Images are from the collections of the Arlington Historical Society … Continue reading Centennial Celebration of Arlington Town Hall →

Knowing Susanna Adams Winn

June 29, 2013Blog19th century, Arlington Historical Society, Arlington History, cut paper, diaries, George Prentiss Winn, George WInn, paper portraits, portraits, residents, Sarah Prentiss, silhouette, silhouettes, Society Papers Read, Summer Street, Susanna Adams Winn, West Cambridge, Winn FamilyLisa Welter

[box]This is the third installment of three on the Winn Family Silhouette Album. The prior installments are here: The Winn Silhouette Album — Roots in Arlington, MA; Types, Techniques and Analysis of Silhouettes[/box] In the collection of Winn diaries there were only five diaries for the decade spanning 1870 to 1880, two of which were … Continue reading Knowing Susanna Adams Winn →

Types, Techniques and Analysis of Silhouettes

June 24, 2013Blog19th century, Arlington History, cut paper, paper portraits, portraits, residents, silhouette, silhouettes, Summer Street, Susanna Adams Winn, West Cambridge, Winn FamilyLisa Welter

[box]This is the second installment of three on the Winn Family Silhouette Album. The first is here: The Winn Silhouette Album — Roots in Arlington, MA[/box] There are three basic types of silhouettes: painted, hollow-cut or cut-out. Painted silhouettes were most frequently created using black ink or paint to apply the likeness to a base, … Continue reading Types, Techniques and Analysis of Silhouettes →

The Winn Silhouette Album — Roots in Arlington, MA

June 17, 2013Blog19th century, Albert Winn, album, Arlington History, carte-de-visite, Sarah Prentiss, shadow portrait, silhouette, silhouettes, Susanna Adams Winn, Victorian, West Cambridge, Winn FamilyLisa Welter

[box]This is part one of a three part series on the Winn silhouette album[/box] In 1999, the Arlington Historical Society (Arlington, MA) received a collection of artifacts, images and documents that belonged to the family of Albert and Sarah (Prentiss) Winn who settled in the town of West Cambridge (now Arlington) in 1835. Among the … Continue reading The Winn Silhouette Album — Roots in Arlington, MA →

Vintage photos of the Jason Russell House

April 5, 2013Blog19th century, 20th century, Arlington History, battlefield, Jason Russell House, Jason Street, Massachusetts Avenue, orchard, restoration, Wanzer's, White StoreRichard Duffy

This page contains five selected images related to the Jason Russell House. Click on any of them to launch the slide show. [hr] For more images of Arlington as it appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, see Richard Duffy’s new series ‘Images of History’ on Wicked Local, Arlington.