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January 11, 2010 10:43:54
Posted By The Curator
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Hello All!
We're looking for oodles of new volunteers for our 2010 season! We are always looking for help in one of the following areas
Gardening
Housekeeping
Tour Guides
Filing/Clerical
Museum Inventory
Receptionists/Greeters
Research
Museum Exhibit Prep
Event/Program Prep
Fall Leaf Raking
Tree Trimming
Painting
and much much more!!!!!
If you'd like to help out in any of the following areas, please shoot us an email at museum@baldiwnreynolds.org or fill out the volunteer box on our website!
http://www.baldwinreynolds.org/contact.htm
Just scroll down and select "volunteering" in the drop down box!
We'll be emailing you back very soon and getting everyone aquainted and involved as the winter and spring progress. Hope to hear from you!
-The Curator
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January 6, 2010 05:46:45
Posted By The Curator
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As I was sweeping pine needles from my living room floor this weekend, I couldn’t help but notice how time is flying by and in only a few short months we will be back up and running at the museum for another year of tours and events. With the historical society’s events being released recently in this column as well as my column last week giving our “annual summary” of what we’re up to, I thought it a great way to start the year by going into detail a bit more on what’s coming up, what we’re working on, and how you can get involved!
Ceilings, Walls, and Paint galore
As I mentioned last week, we’ve secured the assistance of a local architect who will help guide our ice house project through the coming months. We plan to put a new roof on this structure as well as do some major restoration on the building’s interior including stabilizing the ceiling and replace a load bearing beam that shows signs of serious rot.
Similarly, we’re getting ready to do restoration projects on the retaining wall along Lord Street that has been bowing outward and has recently started to collapse in one or two places. This wall is well over a century old and its repair is integral to the historical accuracy of our three acre grounds as well as holding a rather large hillside from falling into the street.
Finally, we plan to do a bit of restoration inside the house itself, painting walls and restoring two plaster ceilings on the first floor. Both of these are in major need of repair as they are cracked and beginning to sag. We will keep you updated with our progress as these things occur.
Events, Lectures, and Exhibits for all!
We are working on putting together a season to remember at the museum for your enjoyment this year as well. With the Huidekoper family’s major impact on Crawford County from selling much of the land off to settlers in the first place with the Holland Land Company to influencing Unitarianism in Meadville, creating Hillside Home, and becoming the spectacle of style in the community, the Huidekopers have laid their influence in this area as thick as the sidewalks they once walked on. We will be hosting an exhibit of their lives and works for your enjoyment as well as possible events tying in with the Thurston Classic, the Crawford County Fair, enlightening workshops, interesting and exciting lectures, and more!
We will be hard at work this year and need your attendance, support, and physical help to succeed. We are always in need to tour guides, housekeeping help, event helpers, artifact catalogers, and more. Those of you who have expressed interest, we will be starting to put together short “backstage tours” very soon to get you acquainted with the museum and to those of you who are interesting in jumping in, you are always welcome! Feel free to contact us at museum@baldwinreynolds.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Have a Happy New Year!
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January 3, 2010 09:23:22
Posted By The Curator
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With the Christmas holiday over and way too many leftovers still residing in my refrigerator, I've been thinking of what has occurred over the last year and what I'd like to get accomplished in 2010. A slice of pie or two later, I have prepared a summary of what we have done at the Baldwin-Reynolds House this year for our readers as they, much like myself, have a vested interest in Henry Baldwin's historic home.
A bit of gardening
If there's one thing that I am especially excited about at the museum as of late, it is all of the hard work we have done to improve our physical landscape at the house. Several gardens on the property have been spruced up and are becoming showpieces in the area. We have several faithful volunteers working hard on keeping our gardens blooming and have had a special donation this year of over 2500 plants, both annuals and perennials, from Bollinger's Greenhouse and Florist in Springboro. These gifts have improved our garden tremendously and we are thankful to have such friends with common interests in our shared history! The work in the garden will continue over the upcoming year and we welcome any help in these efforts.
Stripping and redecorating
Our other impressive achievement this year has come in our efforts to make the Baldwin-Reynolds House appear more like a home than ever before. We have had several volunteers stripping paint off of Henry Baldwin's original tiger maple woodwork to return it to it's historic appeal. We are adding furniture, long since forgot about in storage, to the exhibits and including fine touches to make it appear as if Henry Baldwin just set a book down in his study or Katherine Reynolds just set the table for dinner. We thank you all for your donations to help in this effort including your heirlooms, assistance, and good will. We will continue to make the tour as enjoyable to you all as possible.
Outlook into the new year
As we look forward to the new year, we have much important work ahead of us to complete. We are working with an architect to restore the historic ice house on the grounds of the museum. The stone retaining wall along Lord Street needs attention that we hope to provide in the coming months, and much is about to happen in the house itself. We hope to paint several hallways, rooms, and the pine plank floors on the second floor in the near future. In addition, several plaster ceilings have issues needing addressed over the winter months. We will persevere in these activities in our effort to ensure the protection of your historic home in Meadville, Pennsylvania. After all, we are merely the guardians of our history. The keys to this history, however, remain in your hands. Your volunteer assistance and any other help is always welcome and crucial to preserving our heritage- as I am just a servant in the house...you are the master. This is my yearly report to you...enjoy the holidays and look back as well as forward. To continue progressing, we must remember.
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December 13, 2009 11:11:28
Posted By The Curator
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It’s officially the start of the Holiday Season or at least it looks it as I sit here at The Crawford County Historical Society’s annual holiday book fair. With holiday parties coming (and food on my mind), what better way to celebrate the holiday season than to make one of Katherine Reynolds’ recipes for your next holiday party!
Egg Nog (No 1)
Beat very light and thick the yolks of 6 eggs. Stir the eggs gradually into a quart of rich unskimmed milk, add half pound of sugar, half pint of brandy and grated nutmeg to taste. Next beat the whites of 3 eggs by themselves and stir them quickly into the mixture. Divide into two pitchers and pour it back and forward until it has a fine froth.
Egg Nog (No 2) Six eggs, half a pound of sugar, half a pint of brandy or whisky, three pints of cream whipped into a froth. Beat the yolks of the eggs and the sugar together until it is a froth, add the brandy or whisky, next the whites of the eggs beaten stiff, and then the whipped cream.
Salmon Croquettes 1 can of salmon, 1 egg well beaten, 1 / 2 cup fine bread crumbs, salt, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, juice of half a lemon. Drain off the liquid and mince the fish, melt and work in 1 tablespoon of butter, season, and if necessary moisten with a little of the liquid, add the crumbs. Form into rolls and flour thickly, and stand in a cold place an hour. Fry in hot fat, and serve on a hot platter, garnish with parsley.
Coconut Macaroons1 / 2 lb. of fine desiccated coconut. 1 / 2 lb. pulverized sugar. Whites of 2 eggs, beaten very stiff with a pinch of salt. After eggs are well beaten add sugar and beat together, add coconut, and roll into balls into your hand. Bake.
Crullers (No 1) 4 eggs, 4 tablespoons of hot lard, 5 or 6 tablespoons of sugar , a little nutmeg, salt, flour to make stiff enough to roll out, fry in hot lard.
Crullers (No 2) 2 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, 2 / 3 of pint of buttermilk or sour milk, 1 teaspoon soda, 4 or 5 eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, roll thin and cut out. Fry in hot lard.
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December 2, 2009 06:23:57
Posted By The Curator
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Last Friday, I ventured out into the world of retail madness in Meadville to find more people unsuccessfully searching for the perfect Christmas present than I could count. Crowds pushed past each other to find a DVD player or new laptop, but few found a gift that was personalized to their recipient’ s interest. Well ladies and gentlemen, we have the solution to all of your gift giving needs!
The Crawford County Historical Society will be hosting their annual Holiday Book Fair this Saturday, December 5th from 10 AM until 2 PM at the historical Society at 411 Chestnut Street. Presents for any age group or interest will be featured for your perusal and purchase along with book signings, free coffee, Christmas cookies, a door prize, and more!
This year we will be featuring two new Arcadia books for you to choose from. Picture histories of the Guys Mills area by Cheryl Weiderspahn and the Lake Erie Bessemer Railroad by Kenneth Springirth will be available for purchase along with many other local favorites. In addition, gift certificates will be available for purchase good for merchandise, memberships, services, or tours of the Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum.
Several tables will be set up featuring books relating to the Oil 150 (the anniversary of Edwin Drake’s first oil well), the railroad, including William Reynolds writings on the first railroad in our area (the Atlantic and Great Western), and much more! A special sale table will be featured to allow shoppers an opportunity to buy some of their favorites for greatly discounted prices. Several prints of local historical interest and collectibles such as glass paperweights and other creations from one of Meadville’s first glass factories, circa the 1880s will be present. In addition, a fresh pine wreath will be given away as a door prize, with all in attendance eligible to enter. No purchase is necessary for this opportunity.
Cheryl Weiderspahn will be on hand from 10am until noon to sign and dedicate her book on Guys Mills. This lifelong Crawford County resident has put together one of the most complete histories of the Guys Mills and Randolph Township area available. She will be happy to help answer questions on this area if possible.
We welcome the public to attend this event, stop in for refreshments or just to say hello and look around. We’d love to see you and we’d love to help you find that perfect gift this Christmas season!
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