Spinnings

Summer 2023

We introduced a new era of Spinnings in 2020 making it an On-line newsletter with downloadable PDF.  It was sent out to our membership via e-mail. Those without e-mail or who requested it, are mailed a "hard copy".

After substantial research into parchment restoration facilities, the Chart was delivered to the highly recommended Northeast Document Conservation Center (NDCC) in Andover, MA. The facility was chosen because it had experience in restoring Gov. Benning Wentworth era documents (1741 - 1766), and their animal parchment curator had an impressive background.



Treatment to restore the piece took six months. During that time surface soil and grime were reduced by a dry-cleaning technique. The previous mounting was in a standard frame with double-sided tape which left glue residue requiring manual removal. Crumbles and flakes were repaired using 2% gelatin and ethanol, while tears and holes were mended with toned Japanese paper and wheat paste. In the NDCC laboratory, the parchment was gradually humidified and stretched on a board to reduce the undulations and creases. This resulted in an eight-inch expansion. The end result was tension mounted onto an 8-ply board with rolled kozo Japanese paper strips using wheat starch paste. It was placed into a package made up of a window mat, reverse bevel spacer mat, and archival backing. The package was expertly framed and placed in a specially constructed box.

Traditionally, the parchment has been referred to as the “sheepskin”. However, after working with the piece, the curator thought it to be goatskin, as the lanolin in sheepskin gives the skin a completely different feel and makes it respond differently during restoration. True confirmation would require a DNA test. 

Visually the document looks like a lot of parallel lines and names. The writing on the Chart does not include any official signature or personal notations. The town grantees names are simply recorded on the map's lot layout.

In addition to being restored, the piece was digitized. Unfortunately, the oak gall ink had deteriorated so that further enhancing the image was not possible. Copies were made and handed over to CHS. One identically sized copy was framed for viewing by the general public. This will allow the original to be protected and only viewed during special occasions.  CHS is proud to have taken the time and money to restore and preserve this irreplaceable and unique piece of Chesterfield's history for future generations.

New Board of Directors

During the October 2022 Annual Meeting, the membership voted to increase the number of CHS Board of Directors from 12 to 14. The reelected directors were Pam Walton, Donna Roscoe, and Carol Riendeau. The first-time elected directors were Nancy Davis Aichele and Jeffrey Titus. Nancy and Jeff bring welcomed skills to the Board.

  Jeff Titus

Jeff has been a student of history for as long as he can remember. Born in Brattleboro, he has lived in Chesterfield ever since. Though related to Chesterfield’s early Titus family, his ancestral path runs through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, all the way to the Mayflower. (In fact, Nancy Aichele and Jeff discovered that they both had ancestors sharing the same boat ride to Plymouth in 1620).



Since joining the CHS Board of Directors, Jeff has served as admin for the CHS Facebook page. His specific interests include the cemeteries (he also serves on the Chesterfield Cemetery Commission), roads, buildings, events and especially people. This includes the contributions of individuals and the roles they played at important points in time; as well as family lines and how they intersect. "So much History, so Little Time!"

Nancy Davis Aichele

Nancy Davis Aichele works as an information technology consultant and is a lifelong lover of history. She is a ninth-generation direct descendant of Chesterfield settler John Snow. Her 4th-great-grandfather Ezra Davis bought her childhood homestead in 1781 from Captain Josiah Willard of Fort Dummer. Willard had received it as one of the original Chesterfield land grants.

She has traveled independently to 40 countries. Her adventures include standing on top of Kilimanjaro and sitting in the jungle with mountain gorillas. She is a certified Tour Director and an instrument rated pilot. 

Thanks to Nancy, CHS's extensive digitized files are now properly backed up. She is working with others to select new software for organizing and

Glenn Rosinski, our mason, will be returning this summer to repoint the north face’s exterior stonework as needed and install lead flashing for the new metal roof. He will also replace/restore the four basement windows and the surrounding stonework, as well as other work with stoops and patio stones after the perimeter drain is completed. 

The final 2023 LCHIP project will be to construct an ADA pathway and entry way on the west side of the ell. We’re hoping that all can be accomplished before the snow flies! All pre-construction paperwork was submitted to LCHIP in May (as required) and we have just received the green light.

Volunteers had a Stone House outdoor clean-up day in May. The “crew” raked leaves, trimmed bushes, and removed invasives such as buckthorn. Despite an aggressive campaign in the past few years, some patches of poison ivy bordering the backyard remained and were sprayed. Each year there is less. 

The two apartments continue to be rented to the same tenants, the garden planted by the Chesterfield Garden Club is thriving, and the pear tree and apple tree which were professionally trimmed last year are growing well. 



To quote Walter Cronkite, “That’s the way it is.”­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

In-Person Programs Returns

All of last year's programs were via zoom with the exception of Spofford Summers in Poetry. All were well attended. Our 2023 Programs will be in-person. David Mann's three-part series on Surveys and Surveyors are the only ones being taped. All our programs will continue to be at the Town Hall at 6:30pm, open to the general public, and free with light refreshments. Our next program will be presented by Annette Spaulding who will enlighten us with another of her underwater adventures on Aug. 16th, titled "Kchi Pontegok" The Historic Landscape of the Bellows Falls Petroglyphs

Genealogy Corner

Genealogy is a favorite inquiry made to CHS. We have lots of information and are willing to share it. This winter, we added "Find a Grave", to our website's Cemetery section. Find a Grave lists the known occupants in Chesterfield's 24 cemeteries.

Last fall David and Elaine Farr, who are from Arizona, stopped by. They were visiting their daughter Heather (Farr) Gunnell, who now resides in Hartland, VT. Being descendants of Chesterfield's Abraham Farr, they decided to do a little digging into David's family history. It was then that they discovered a distant cousin, Rae Egan (on right), one of CHS' valued volunteers

Abraham and Rachel (Foskett) Farr moved their family from Stowe, MA to Chesterfield sometime between 1770 – 1775. They acquired lot 15 on the 15th range. The lot lays somewhere around Streeter Hill and was probably purchased from Chesterfield Grantee Samuel Greely. Abraham died on Jan. 18, 1810. Rachel remarried and died in Chesterfield at “a great age”. Abraham is buried in the West Burying Ground at the corner of Welcome Hill and Route 9. His epitaph reads:

Great God I own thy sentence just

And nature must decay.

I yield my body to the dust

To dwell with fellow clay. 

Gambling Pays Off

Thanks to our treasurer John Hudachek's hard work, CHS received net earnings of $3,345.06 from Wonder Casino's charitable gaming donation state program. John was able to follow up on the merger of the Keene and Wonder Casinos. Because of the number of charities both casinos were supporting, this year CHS only received one day's earnings. However, we are in this year's queue, waiting for our dates.

Some 2022 – 2023 Acquisitions

We appreciate all the wonderful donations we have received this past year. The Lions Club donated a Trex Bench to the Stone House Tavern Museum. It will make a wonderful place for folks to rest while visiting the building. An old single slot Ballot box, patented in 1890, was rescued from the Town Hall’s back room and gifted to CHS by the Town. It was being held together with duct tape. Thanks to Butch Fletcher, it has been restored to its past glory.

Wayne and Karen Guyette previously donated two unique models in aquariums, one of Chesterfield buildings and one of the Spofford General Store. George Moehle, who lived in Spofford for a while in the 1960s, constructed the original models. The Spofford General Store model was in disrepair. This year, Fred Correll used his ingenuity to restore the model. He made a new cover, removed broken glass covering the interior, and got the store lights to operate. A yarn swift was added to our spinning and weaving collection. Karen Guyette found it at the Chesterfield Transfer Station's Swap Shop and restored it before gifting it to CHS. These are just some of the donations contributed to CHS over 2022 – 2023. 

Major the Wonder Horse

Parson Grube Cornish ministered to the two Chesterfield Methodist Church congregations from 1910 – 1912. He had been a missionary “circuit rider” in Arkansas. Because of his New Hampshire born wife’s illness, he was reassigned to Chesterfield for two years. As was the custom, a horse was supplied to him for the duration of his stay. Major, who was owned by Mr. Martin of Richmond, was no ordinary horse, which Parson Cornish soon learned. The stable and the kitchen were connected by a door leading to a stairway. Major figured out how to lift the stable door latch and would climb up the stairs into the kitchen. Upon arrival, he would refuse to proceed any further until he had his snack for the day. The Parson was quite obliging because he learned to trust Major. It was customary for a parson to stay with the ill which sometimes required an all-night vigil. Parson Cornish could always depend on Major's ability to return him to the parsonage regardless of the time or weather. This held true one night when Major safely returned him unconscious from pneumonia. Like an elephant, Major never forgot Parson Cornish. Fifteen years later when visiting Keene, Mrs. Cornish recognized Major standing quietly at a curb. Parson Cornish stopped the car and approached the horse who got excited and immediately went for the parson's pocket which always held sugar cubes. 



Pastor Cornish was also involved in a famous incident "Encounter on Old Chesterfield Road". Read about it in our website's Tales and Legends section.

The Preservation of Chesterfield’s History Depends on Your Membership

It should be noted that each year's membership runs from January 1 - December 31.

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