ARCH

Snowshoe Rangers at the Wentworth House 1.18.20 & 1.19.20

Step back in time at Rollinsford’s historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House on Saturday and Sunday, January 18 and 19, and meet Captain John Harmon’s Snowshoe Company of Rangers, a group of historical reenactors who portray the soldiers who patrolled the New England frontier during the 1740s and 1750s.

Snowshoe companies were formed to patrol the colonial frontier during the long winters and protect the northern settlements from attack by the French and their Native American allies. Members of Harmon’s Company will be in residence at the Wentworth House and will demonstrate the use of flintlock muskets and traditional snowshoes, plus the clothing, equipment and tactics used by the frontier militia.

Visitors may also tour the Wentworth House; warm up by the hearth and watch food being prepared in 18th century fashion; and experience other aspects of winter life in colonial New England.

Event hours are Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm. Admission is $5 for adults; the event is free for children and ARCH members.

The circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford and is maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH). For more information about this and other events at the Wentworth House, consult the ARCH website at paulwentworthhouse.org or Facebook at The Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

January 13, 2020 in Historical

Roberts to Receive ARCH Heritage Award

Rollinsford resident Stephen H. Roberts has been chosen by the Association of Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) as the 2018 recipient of the ARCH Heritage Award, which is presented annually to a person who has made significant contributions to the preservation of the history, heritage and culture of Rollinsford and the lower Salmon Falls region. The award will be presented at the organization’s annual dinner and auction gala on Saturday, November 17 at Spring Hill in South Berwick, ME.

Preserving local history is deeply personal for Roberts, as his family history is inextricably entwined with the area’s history. A direct descendant of Thomas Roberts, one of the founding settlers of Dover in 1623, he is also related to many other colonial settlers of the area, including the Wentworth and the Rollins families. “From the very beginning, Steve has been a steadfast supporter of ARCH and the Colonel Paul Wentworth House,” said ARCH board member Lucy Putnam. “In addition to providing generous financial support, he has loaned documents, photographs and other items from his family collection to our exhibits, has donated objects to our permanent collection, and has even served as auctioneer at our annual auction and dinner event.”

Roberts is a partner in the law firm of Hoefle Phoenix Gormley and Roberts in Portsmouth, and is a retired district court judge.  In addition to his efforts on behalf of ARCH and the Wentworth House, Roberts also currently serves as president of the Board of Trustees of the Portsmouth Athenaeum,which maintains a library of over 40,000 volumes and an archive of manuscripts, photographs, objects, and ephemera relating to local history.

Tickets for the annual dinner and auction are $40 per person and may be purchased online at www.paulwentworthhouse.org or mailed to ARCH, PO Box 16, Rollinsford, NH

October 23, 2018 in Historical

Colonial Market Fair and Militia Muster at the Wentworth House

Travel back in time to the American Revolution at the historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House in Rollinsford, NH.  On Saturday and Sunday, October 20 and 21, the sights and sounds of the Revolutionary era will come to life at a colonial market fair with 18th century craftspeople and artisans at work, while the militia gathers to train in preparation for joining General Washington’s forces against the British.

At this two-day living history encampment, artisans in period attire will demonstrate crafts such as joinery, coopering, printing, shoe making, and gun smithing. At the same time, the militia will perform musket firings and military drills, display and explain their equipment, and raise a Liberty Pole and flag.The event will also feature hearth cooking demonstrations, a display of antique tools, house tours, children’s games, and more. The event will run from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, and from 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday. Admission is $5 for the general public; free for children and ARCH members.

The circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford, and is maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) as an educational and cultural center. For more information, visit the ARCH website at www.paulwentworthhouse.org or on Facebook at The Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

October 3, 2018 in Historical

Wentworth House Event 9.2.18

V for Victory: World War II Comes to the Wentworth House

Visit Rollinsford’s historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House on Sunday, September 2 between 11 am and 4 pm for V for Victory: Americans in World War II, a one-day living history event commemorating V-J Day. On that date in 1945, representatives of Imperial Japan signed surrender documents marking the official end of World War II. Come find out how US participation in the global conflict affected American military personnel and civilians.

On the grounds of the Wentworth House, historical reenactors in period uniforms will display the equipment, weapons, and routines of US soldiers. Inside the house, visitors will get a feel for life on the home front during the war through 1940s music and radio broadcasts, newsreel films and cartoons, artifacts such as ration cards and V-mail, and the magazines and newspapers that chronicled the war, including one from the day after Pearl Harbor.

Tours of the house will also be offered throughout the day. Admission is $5 for adults; the event is free to children and ARCH members.

The circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford and is maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH).  For more information about this and other events at the Wentworth House, consult the ARCH website at paulwentworthhouse.org.

August 23, 2018 in Community Group, Historical

Mill and Farm Exhibit at Wentworth House

In the 1800s, the small town of Rollinsford was comprised of two distinct communities: the industrial mill village of Salmon Falls, largely populated by recent immigrants, and the outlying farms worked by old Yankee families. Mill and Farm: The Two Faces of a New England Town, a new exhibit at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House, illustrates these two different aspects of life in the town in the 19thand early 20thcenturies.

Through the stories of individual families and through objects such as tools, account books, school records, dance cards, and photographs, the exhibit compares and contrasts the lives of Rollinsford’s farmers and mill workers. Many of the objects are on loan from private collections and have not been previously exhibited.

The exhibit is open to visitors from 1 to 4 pm on Sundays until mid-October. Admission to the house and the exhibit is $5; free for ARCH members and children under 16. Additionally, throughout the month of August, admission is free for all Rollinsford residents.

Maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH), the circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford, NH and hosts living history events, exhibits, and school and youth programs. For more information about this and other events at the Wentworth House, consult the ARCH website at paulwentworthhouse.org or on Facebook at The Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

August 6, 2018 in Historical

History Paddle on the Salmon Falls River

Take a unique guided tour of the Salmon Falls River by canoe or kayak with the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) on Sunday, July 29 from 1 to 3:30 pm.

Participants will tour the tidal portions of the river in Rollinsford and South Berwick, and learn about sites related to Native American life, early European settlement, mills, shipbuilding, wharves, and more, while enjoying the lovely scenery along the way.

Space in this event is limited to 15, and participants will need to supply their own watercraft and personal floatation device (PFD). To register or for more information, email [email protected] or call Lucy at 603-767-7042. Directions to the meeting spot and additional details will be provided upon registration. A donation of $10 is suggested; ARCH members and children are free.

July 26, 2018 in Community Group, Historical

Employment Opportunity: ARCH Tour Guide

An exciting employment opportunity for a history enthusiast!

Share your enthusiasm for American history with the public at Rollinsford’s historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

The Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) seeks a dynamic, dependable and outgoing person for a seasonal part-time position as a tour guide at the circa 1701 Wentworth House. A growing local history organization, ARCH maintains the Wentworth House as an educational and cultural center, and throughout the year hosts exhibits, demonstrations, and living history events which celebrate our community’s rich heritage.

No museum experience? No problem – comprehensive training in best interpretive practices will be provided by experienced museum guides.

Be part of bringing three centuries of history to life at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House!

 

Responsibilities: Open and close house on Sundays. Ensure the safety and security of the house and its collection of artifacts.  Greet visitors, conduct tours, and interpret the history of the Wentworth House and its place in the story of our community, region, and nation. Share information about ARCH and our community with visitors.

Qualifications: This position requires a dependable, responsible person with a strong interest in early American history/local history.  Must be able to read, retain and relate factual historical information and use it to interpret the history of the Wentworth House, its inhabitants, and the surrounding community to visitors. Strong verbal communication skills and the ability to engage visitors with a variety of ages, interests, and backgrounds are a must.  Some college coursework or a college degree a plus but not required. Physical requirements:  Position entails moderate physical activity. Must be able to walk up and down stairs and on uneven surfaces.

Work schedule: Sunday afternoons, 12:30 – 4:30 pm, June through mid-October (start and end dates negotiable).

Pay range: $12-$15 per hour, depending on experience/qualifications.

No phone calls, please. Send letter of interest and resume to ARCH, PO Box 16, Rollinsford, NH 03869 or via email.

April 6, 2018 in Community Group, Historical

Snowshoe Rangers at the Wentworth House

Step back in time at Rollinsford’s historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House on Saturday and Sunday, January 13 and 14, and meet Captain John Harmon’s Snowshoe Company of Rangers, a group of historical reenactors who portray the soldiers who patrolled the New England frontier during the 1740s and 1750s.

Snowshoe companies were formed to patrol the colonial frontier during the long winters and protect the northern settlements from attack by the French and their Native American allies.  Members of Harmon’s Company will be in residence at the Wentworth House and will demonstrate the use of flintlock muskets and traditional snowshoes, plus the clothing, equipment and tactics used by the frontier militia.

Visitors may also take a tour of the house; observe gunsmith Steve Woodman and horner Chuck Walker as they practice their trades; warm up by the hearth and watch food being prepared in 18th century fashion; and learn about other aspects of winter life in colonial New England.

The public is invited to visit the Wentworth House on Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and again on Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm.   Admission is $5 for adults; the event is free for children and ARCH members.

The circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford and is maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH).  For more information about this and other events at the Wentworth House, consult the ARCH website at paulwentworthhouse.org or Facebook at The Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

January 2, 2018 in Historical

Colonial Militia Muster and Market Fair at the Wentworth House

Travel back in time to the American Revolution at the historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House in Rollinsford, NH. On Saturday and Sunday, October 14 and 15 from 10 am to 4 pm, the sights and sounds of the Revolutionary era will come to life at a colonial market fair with 18th century craftspeople and artisans at work, while the militia gathers to train in preparation for joining General Washington’s forces against the British.
At this two-day living history encampment, artisans in period attire will demonstrate crafts such as joinery, coopering, printing, and gun smithing, along with hearth cooking and other aspects of everyday life in the 18th century. At the same time, the militia men will perform musket firings and military drills, display and explain their equipment, and raise a Liberty Pole and flag as they muster to join General Washington’s army for the next campaign.

Commemorating 240 years since the Battles of Saratoga, a turning point in the war in the fall of 1777, the event will highlight the local history of those who signed on with the three New Hampshire Continental Army regiments which were in the thick of the fight and the thousands who served in the militia to support them. 

The circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford, and is maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) as an educational and cultural center. Admission to the event is $5 for the general public; free for children and ARCH members. For more information, visit the ARCH website at www.paulwentworthhouse.org or on Facebook at The Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

October 4, 2017 in Historical

Fashionable Folks at the Wentworth House

From the corsets and crinolines of the Victorian age to the streamlined styles of the Roaring Twenties, women’s fashions were dramatically transformed. “Fashionable Folks: What New Englanders Wore,” a new exhibit at Rollinsford’s historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House, tracks the many changes in taking place in women’s clothing over the course of a century.

Featuring over 40 garments dating from the 1830s through the 1920s, the exhibit is open for visitors from 1 to 4 pm on Sundays until mid-October. Guided tours of the house are also available. Admission is by donation ($5 is suggested), and is free for ARCH members and children under 16.

Maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH), the circa 1701 Wentworth House is located on Water Street in Rollinsford, NH and hosts living history events, exhibits, and school and youth programs. For more information about this and other events at the Wentworth House, consult the ARCH website at paulwentworthhouse.org or on Facebook at The Colonel Paul Wentworth House.

July 14, 2017 in Historical