Home for the Holidays! - Fitchburg Historical Society

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Fitchburg Historical Society
781 Main Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420
The Crocker Family Center for the History of Fitchburg
NON-PROFIT
U.S. Postage
PAID
Fitchburg, MA
01420
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All events are at 781 Main Street.
Veterans’ Day Celebration:
Tuesday, November 11, 1:00 p.m. featuring a potluck lunch.
“Distinguished Service”: Uniforms from the Collection of the Fitchburg Historical Society
Monday, October 20 through Monday, November 17, 2014
Annual Historical House Tour: “Home for the Holidays”
Saturday, December 6, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
“Fitchburg’s Italian Heritage”
Presentation by Fitchburg State University historian Teresa Thomas on April 2, 2015 at 5:30 p.m.
Fitchburg Legal Traditions: The Unwritten History
Special event: Thursday, April 30, 2015, 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Check our web calendar at fitchburghistoricalsociety.org for our calendar of events!
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November
Home for the Holidays!
OME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, the 2014 Holiday
House Tour, sponsored by the Fitchburg Historical
Society will be held on Saturday December 6, 2014 from
11:00am-4:00pm. The Tour Committee has selected six
beautiful and historic private homes and four public
places that will make for an outstanding and enjoyable
event. Among them are the homes of Liz & David
Megowan, Joan & Rod Gaudreau, Vi Morin, Pat & Mike
Joubert, Nadine & Gerry Martel and the Fitchburg State
University President’s Residence. The public spots on
the tour include the Isabelle & Anderson Funeral Home,
the Fay Club, the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
and the Fitchburg Historical Society.
2014
Known as the Daniel Harris House, this home was built
in 1780. Daniel Harris fought in the Revolutionary War
and the War of 1812. He built this cape-style home after
marrying Judith Goodale in 1780. The home features
hand-pegged beams and wide-planked floors in the front
two rooms. The fireplace bricks were made across the
pike from the house. Their son John Harris built his
homestead across the road.
Vi Morin’s home is at 434 Fifth Mass Turnpike, just
next door to the Gaudreau’s. For nearly two centuries,
this house has stood watch over Fifth Mass Turnpike. Its
original features still included in the circa 1825 post and
beam construction are its twelve over twelve windows
The Megowan home is at 111 Ross St. In the spring with wavy glass, the front door, and three working
of 1911, Harry G. Townsend, president of Fitchburg fireplaces. Hearth cooked meals are still prepared using...
Federal Bank commissioned
H. M. Francis and Sons,
architects of Fitchburg, to
design this beautiful home
which highlights different
styles that include Craftsman
and
Colonial
Revival.
Some
features
include
original board and batten
wainscoting, a coffered ceiling
in the entry, crown molding,
slate baseboards, a canvas
ceiling, and a mural painted
by Victorian Impressionist W.
S. Bucklin.
The Gaudreau home is at
436 Fifth Mass Turnpike.
Pictured Above: 131 Highland Avenue
(continued on page 2)
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Jim Reynolds joins the Board
Home for the Holidays! (continued...)
Jim Reynolds is a finance executive and active citizen for the city of
Fitchburg. He holds an undergraduate degree from Assumption College
(1988), an MBA from Fitchburg State College (2005) and is currently taking
graduate classes at Worcester State University. For the past 18 years Jim has
worked at SimplexGrinnell in Westminster, MA, progressing from Analyst to
Director roles. Jim most recently served on the Fitchburg School Committee
and was on the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals. He resides in Fitchburg with
his wife Ann and four children and is the "care taker" for the historic Vickery
House (built in 1853) where his family has lived since 1996.
...the old kitchen fireplace with its beehive ovens.
Every flawless detail complements the integrity of
the home’s design in its stunning simplicity.
Pat and Mike Joubert’s home sits at 931 Westminster
Hill Rd. Today, this late 1800s farm house functions
as a warm and inviting family home but it was once
a stage coach stop for travelers going from Boston to
Keene. The original wooden floors and woodwork
provide the perfect backdrop for the creative
interior displays of primitives, pottery, antiques and
collectables. Each room in this three-story home is a
visual adventure.
Nadine and Gerry Martel live at 580 Blossom Street.
This stately and elegant home was designed and
built by Robert Purdom, a Boston architect in 19131914 for Gifford Kingsley Simonds of the Simonds
Saw and Steel family. In 1934 the Cookman family
purchased this exceptional gem and, it has been in
Nadine’s family ever since. The architectural style
is classified as colonial but has interesting pagoda-style
elements. There are five working fireplaces, leaded glass
library doors and a stunning winding staircase in the
entry hall.
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Annual Meeting 2014
Pictured Above: 111 Ross Street
The President’s Residence, a recently completed project
at Fitchburg State University, is located at 131 Highland
Avenue. Built about 1890, this structure is the best and
most interesting example of a Queen Anne Victorian
home here in Fitchburg. From
1893-1895, it was the home of Iver
Johnson and his wife Mary. More
recently, it was the home of Dr.
Quintino Rollo and his family. This
year, it was restored and renovated
by Elite Design and Construction to
serve as the presidential residence
for the college. Featuring a threestory turret with a spectacular
staircase and several original bull’seye windows, this home is a unique
blend of modern functionality and
historic Victorian workmanship.
Pictured Above: 436 Fifth Mass Turnpike
Our public venues begin with
the Isabelle & Anderson Funeral
Home. Located at 316 Clarendon
Street in the heart of Cleghorn, it
has been serving the community for
almost ninety years. Joseph Isabelle
established the firm in 1928. His
The Fitchburg Historical Society held its annual meeting
on Thursday September 24 in the George and Alice G.
Wallace Exhibit Hall on the first floor of the Phoenix
building. During the business portion of the meeting
the Annual Report for 2013 – 2014 was distributed.
The slate of officers for 2014-2015 recommended by the
Nominating Committee was accepted: Bill McSheehy,
President; Jay Bry, Vice President; Michelle Shepard,
Treasurer and Cindy Jones, Clerk. James Reynolds and
Kay Alverson-Hillman were elected to serve their first
three year terms on the board of the Society.
Susan Navarre, Director of the Historical Society
welcomed the twenty-five members who were present
and gave an overview of the accomplishments of the
year. It has been a banner year in terms of the number
of visitors that have come to Society to see exhibits, to
do research or to attend programs. She also gave an
overview of the year ahead and the events that have
already been scheduled. Susan also compiled the
annual report that was distributed to the attendees and
is available at the Society. Michelle Shepherd gave the
annual Treasurer’s report.
Three guests spoke about the many treasures that they
have found at the Historical Society in the last year.
Kenisha Coy talked about doing research on abolition
and the underground railroad in Fitchburg. Mark
Arsenault told about using the Civil War trunks with his
students and how much they enjoyed these resources.
Shirley Wagner shared how exciting it is when we
discover pieces in the collection we didn’t realize were
there like a recording by Clara Smith entitled “Mother
Goose Pays a Visit from Outer Space.”
Bill McSheehy, assuming his role as President, thanked
Dan Mylott for being at the helm for the last two years
and moving the Society forward as a leader in the
Fitchburg community. He also thanked Shirley Wagner
for her continuing support and volunteer work at the
Society.
At the end of the business meeting, Mayor Lisa Wong
told the attendees how much she values the Fitchburg
Historical Society and the work that it does telling the
story of Fitchburg’s past and preserving the city’s history
for future generations.
Fitchburg Historical Society
781 Main Street P.O. Box 953, Fitchburg MA 01420 (978) 345 - 1157
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War II. We are showing much of this
collection this fall, and are planning
a follow-up installation in 2015.
We have been loaned two stunning
home-sewn World War II Red
Cross uniforms used by Efthemia
Maravell. Local collector and FSU
student Jason Driscoll has been
instrumental in helping to shape the
exhibition: in addition to offering
loans from his collection, Jason and
his grandfather Dennis Driscoll
have worked steadily on the research
and installation. “Distinguished
Service” is shaped by the vision of
the team who created it, including
many volunteers. In addition to
Jason and Dennis, the show is the
creation of volunteers Dona Stein,
John Johnson and Shirley Wagner,
working with our Program Assistant
Katrina Brown.
Susan Navarre,
Executive Director
Fitchburg Historical Society
781 Main Street, P.O. Box 953
Fitchburg, MA. 01420
978-345-1157
Email:
fitchburghistoricalsociety@
fitchburghistoricalsociety.com
Website:
fitchburghistoricalsociety.org
Newsletter Designer:
Megan Provencial
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Home for the Holidays!
son Louis continued the tradition until 1998 when the
Brian T. Anderson family acquired the business. Built in
1900, the building has recently been renovated to reflect
a serene and sophisticated atmosphere. The coffered
ceilings and fireplace add a touch of old world charm
to this exquisite interior.
Once again, the Fay Club at 658 Main Street will be the
site for the “Tea Room” where guests can take a break
from the tour to have tea and baked goods provided
by members of the Historical Society. Bruce Goyette
will be playing holiday music on the piano from 11:4512:30 and from 2:30-3:00 where guests can sing along.
This gothic Victorian home, first owned by George
Flagg Fay, was designed by Richard Upjohn who also
designed Christ Church. It features ornate wood
paneling made from oak, cherry, maple and mahogany,
beautiful fireplaces and stained glass windows.
The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 1319
Main Street is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this
year. The congregation was established in 1914 and
the church was built in 1921. The Greek congregation
was short on money to build the church until many nonGreek members of the community provided funds to
assist them. The church houses a beautiful icon stand
from Cyprus and a white marble altar from Italy. There
are 26 stained glass windows depicting the life of Christ
and the saints, along with several beautiful wall murals
and chandeliers within.
The Fitchburg Historical Society, as host and sponsor
of the House Tour, will open its doors on December
6 from 10:00am-4:00 pm. “ HOME FOR THE
HOLIDAYS” is the theme for the holiday display on the
first floor George R. Wallace, Jr. and Alice G. Wallace
Exhibition Hall. Decorated trees and mannequins
dressed in military uniforms will be on display, paying
homage to all the men and women from Fitchburg who
have served and now serve in the Armed Forces. To add
to the festivities, The Lillie Ladies, six sisters who play
stringed instruments, will be playing holiday music from
11:00-11:30 and from 2:30-3:30.
Tickets for this year’s tour are $20. They can be purchased
at Elliot’s Jewelers, Shack’s, DeBonis & Davin Florist,
Windmill Florist, Homestead Primitives, Slattery’s,
Mill #3, the Mayor’s Office or at the Historical Society.
Tickets can be charged via credit cards at the Historical
Society or by calling 978-345-1157.
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Peter Capodagli
Kathy Craigen
Kathleen Flynn
Shane Franzen
Kay Alverson-Hillman
Robert Jones
Joel Kaddy
Nathan LaRose
Dan Mylott
Anne O’Connor
James Reynolds
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These are all very close to my heart,
and I am happy to be able to throw
myself into learning Fitchburg’s
history side by side with our
members, volunteers and educators
at all these events.
I hope you have a chance to see what
they have achieved. The exhibition
But it may be our new exhibition is up through November 20, when
“Distinguished
Service”
that it will change slightly to become
has touched me the most. I first “Home for the Holidays”, as part of
conceived of this exhibition as a our Historic House Tour. We have
small show to feature a new gift seen that visitors have been deeply
honoring Antoinette Brunetti, who moved to revisit memories of their
served in the Pacific theatre and, own service and we are honored to
on August 10, 1943, had been the remember Fitchburg’s long history
first Fitchburg woman to join the of patriotic service.
Marines. We also wanted to show
Isabel Demmon’s and Bigelow We are also honored to be entrusted
Crocker’s uniforms, and examples with our city’s heritage: Fitchburg is
of soldiers’ gear from World War the perfect microcosm of America
I and Vietnam that are in our and we hope that you will come to
collection.
visit us in order to share your part
of the American story with us.
However, the show gathered its
own momentum: we are grateful for a major gift from the family of
Susan Navarre
Fitchburg native Felix J. Leger, who served in the First Infantry (the
famed “Big Red One”) in World
President
Bill McSheehy
Vice President
Jay Bry
Treasurer
Michelle Shepard
Clerk
Cindy Jones
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This Summer and Fall have been
so busy that I can’t imagine where
to begin my letter to our members.
With the pink-clad crowds who came
to admire Don Featherstone’s iconic
pink flamingo in Judith Lindstedt’s
movie? The Masquerade Ball and
Fashion Show that celebrated
Fitchburg’s 250 years with such
elegance? The many community
meetings hosted in the Phoenix
Building? The warm welcome I
received when sermonizing at First
Parish Church? Or the many new
donations to our collection that
make it an even more valuable
historical resource?
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Message from the Director
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
Sept. 2014 - Sept. 2015
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Written by: Kathleen Flynn
A Walk Down Main Street In 1912
In 1912, the Fitchburg Sentinel published a book
entitled Fitchburg A Quality City, A Manufacturing
and Mercantile Review. There are 108 pages of
information with long descriptions about the most
well-known businesses in the city. The publication is a
treasure trove of information about the kinds of services
that were provided to Fitchburg residents. It is fun to
read and imagine walking into some of the shops.
Mayberry provided fancy groceries of superior worth
and brands seldom shown outside of the largest cities.
Included in this list are still familiar brands, S.S. Pierce,
Crosse and Blackwells, Heinz of the “57 Variety” and
Chase and Sanborn coffee and tea. I am not sure that
Mayberry’s is the proper store for my family to shop but
Market Basket was not yet open.
Margaret Rock had a hair dressing and manicure
A stroll down Main Street with well to do shoppers business in a suite at the Johnsonia in 1912. Rock’s
would find them stopping at Geo. A. Mayberry & Co. business had been in Fitchburg for 18 years and
at 383 Main Street which the Sentinel described in the employed three assistants. They did manicuring,
hairdressing, chiropody and facial massage and I enjoyed
following way:
the opportunity to stop there for special occasions.
“There are always in any city, two or three, seldom
more and sometimes less, grocery stores that have a Once my hair was fashionably dressed, I might have
particular class of customers, the people who not only stopped by to see Mrs. C.A. White at her milliner’s
demand good things to eat, but dainties and luxuries shop at 199 Main Street. There I could have a lovely
that are not afforded by a large number of people.”
hat made to order or buy ribbons, silks, velvet, feathers,
(continued on page 4)
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A Walk Down Main Street In 1912 (continued...)
...foliage, combs, hair pins and barrettes to decorate my Adjacent to the downtown area were other businesses
hair. I wonder what kind of foliage was available for that whet my appetite. I wanted to sample J.B. Padula’s
the fall…
bread – he made a thousand loaves a day. He only sold
Vienna and Sicilian bread but obviously served a lot
The Park Restaurant located at 121 Main Street of households. The bakery was located at 263 Water
welcomed both men and women customers, clearly Street. Hot from the oven, I might have added some
advertising a Ladies Café and a Gents Café. There is of Wagner’s sausage – Robert Wagner, the sausage
an exterior photo that seems to suggest there might have manufacturer, had been in Fitchburg for ten years
been separate dining spaces for the men and women. and had opened his building at 132 Kimball Street in
Hopefully, that was the case since the men in Fitchburg 1910. He sold frankfurters, sausages and bologna - the
seem to have smoked a good many cigars in 1912. bologna, the Vienna bread and the Heinz mustard
There were several cigar manufacturers with cigar would have made a lovely sandwich.
shops located on Main Street. M. Nolan was at 183
Main Street. His cigars sold throughout Massachusetts WH Ritter Floral Shop, located at 70 Main Street, had
and he employed two cigar manufacturers and one already been in business for ten years in 1912. Ritter
stripper. Daniel Teehan, a state representative, owned was a wise businessman who built his hot houses and
a cigar store and a manufacturing plant in the Belding greenhouses on Westminster Hill Road so he had a
Rock building. One of his cigars was named “the Fay reliable supply of flowers before he opened his shop for
Club” and sold for ten or fifteen cents. It was said to business. I think I will stop by and get some cut flowers
meet the approval of the most discriminating males. to decorate the dining room table. We are having guests
Ladies, I suspect, politely coughed when they were in this evening.
the vicinity.
After a day of shopping, I would
have stopped at Ye House of John L.
Bailey for a butterscotch sundae and
perhaps, some butterscotch kisses for
my family, before heading home.
One of the places I suspect a lady could
not have entered at that time was the
Putnam Pool Hall and Bowling Alley
but it was already in business
Come visit and thumb through the
pages of the Mercantile Review and
see which shops you might have visited
if you had the opportunity!
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Pictured Above:
Wallace Street, view toward Main Street from Chip Lavoie postcard collection
Written by: Shirley Wagner
Thanks To All Of The People Who Contributed Time And Effort To This Newsletter:
Featherstone’s Flamingo: Pink and Proud
On Thursday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m. 125 people
gathered in the George Wallace Exhibit Hall to
celebrate the premiere of Judith Lindstedt’s docufilm
about the pink plastic lawn flamingo and its creator, Don
Featherstone. The audience was flamboyantly arrayed
in shades of the bright pink color associated with the
flamingos. Each person was given a raffle ticket when
they arrived. Most attendees left with one of several
gifts – pink plush flamingos, flamingo drink cozies, and
beach flip flops with flamingo designs.
Don and his wife Nancy, who is also featured in the
film, were both in attendance. Nancy supplied many
of the flamingo decorations in the front window display
designed by Katrina Brown. Nancy also brought the
refreshments – luscious red velvet, pound cake and sugar
free cupcakes that were served with apple cider. Don
and Nancy were dressed alike in chartreuse jackets with
bright pink flamingos – Don wore his over a bright pink
shirt with a dark green tie and Nancy wore hers over a
pink dress. As described in the film, Nancy makes all of
their outfits which always have matching fabric.
Donald Featherstone is a long time Fitchburg resident
whose flamingo was first created in 1957, while he
was working for Union Products in Leominster.
Hugely popular in the 1960’s, the decorative plastic
lawn sculpture experienced a dramatic resurgence in
sales and popularity during the 1980’s, as part of the
50’s-influenced “New Wave” styles. More recently,
Featherstone’s pink flamingo was featured as a character
in the animated Disney film “Gnomeo & Juliet;” the
character was named “Featherstone”, after its inventor.
The pink flamingo lawn sculptures continue to be
produced by a Fitchburg company, who purchased the
copyright in 2010.
The flamingos created by Featherstone are always sold as
pairs. Look closely and you will see that there is a male
identified by his longer neck and a female identified by
her shorter neck.
Placed side by side, their graceful necks seem to form a
loving heart. We have noticed that the flamingos always
seem to be happier in larger groups. A single flamingo
looks very lonely. Mayor Lisa Wong, who spoke to the
audience after the showing, said she was unaware that
the pink flamingo had been designed by a Fitchburg
artist and manufactured in Leominster until she moved
to the area.
Judith Lindstedt, the Producer/editor of the film, spoke
briefly. She said she has been working on this film
since 1995. The Featherstones wanted to insure that
the story would be told by a local filmmaker. The film
talks about how the flamingos are made, where to find
Don’s signature and when the eyes were added. Judith
is a teacher and dancer with many performances and
awards to her credit. She has appeared in Las Vegas,
San Francisco, Monte Carlo, Monaco, and Nice, France.
Judith was also a Top Female Executive for the Fitchburg
area in the 2012 Who’s Who. Judith is an award-winning
producer, director, and editor of “An Uncommon View”
on FATV & LATV since 1992. Pink and Proud is a
project that was supported by a grant from the Fitchburg
Cultural Council and the Leominster Council, both
of which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural
Council, a state agency.
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Simone Blake, Katrina Brown, Joy Contois, Kathy Flynn, Cindy Jones, Susan
Navarre, Megan Provencial, Charles Sternaimolo, And Shirley Wagner!
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Written by: Shirley Wagner