Thank you for partnering with us and helping us achieve these accomplishments and more!
The Historic New England Summit 2022
In its inaugural year, the Historic New England Summit was the region’s largest conference about our collective roles in creating livable and resilient communities. Attracting more than 600 participants, 21 sponsoring partners, and 52 leading voices on the stage, the Summit was a great success and a wonderful opportunity for connecting and collaborating.
Loud, Naked, & in Three Colors: the History of Tattooing in Boston
Loud, Naked & in Three Colors: the History of Tattooing in Boston explored the visually stunning memorabilia of the city’s leading tattoo pioneers to trace the popularization of a once-banned art form. Co-curated by Derin Bray and Margaret Hodges, the exhibition at the Eustis Estate featured the work of Frank Howard and the Liberty family who dominated Boston’s tattoo scene from their shops in Scollay Square until the practice was banned in 1962.
Recovering New England’s Voices
Scholars in the Recovering New England’s Voices initiative focused on Black history in the region. Historian Erika Slocumb produced a report detailing the history of slavery in New England and contacted descendants of some of the Black families who lived at our historic properties. Her outreach helped us learn more about Isabelle Grimm Tilley, a former enslaved woman who lived on the Jackson House property in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for more than eighty years. This research enables us to share more nuanced and accurate stories at our historic properties.
The Rhode Island Slave History Medallion
The Rhode Island Slave History Medallion was unveiled at Casey Farm on Juneteenth. The monument acknowledges the work of enslaved people of African descent and indigenous Americans as well as the complex history of Rhode Island’s active role in the Atlantic and West Indian slave trades.
More Than a Market
Historic New England developed the exhibition More Than a Market: Food, Community, and Family in the Markets of Burlington and Winooski, Vermont, celebrating the history of local immigrant-owned markets. Oral histories and archival research provided content for a website, walking tour, and an exhibit that was on display from June 2022 through May 2023 at the Old North End Community Center in Burlington. The exhibition received an American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) Award of Excellence.
All Thirty-Eight Historic House Museums
We continue to tackle vital preservation projects at our thirty-eight historic properties, making a positive impact in many local communities. Major projects included the roofs at Hamilton House and Dole-Little House, and exterior painting at the Nickels-Sortwell House. The year also marked the reopening of all thirty-eight historic museums since the pandemic, and we welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors.
The Historic New England Medal