On Saturday June 2, 2012, staff, volunteers, and area experts will share with the public experiences and expertise from the Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden's first 100 years as a museum at the Our Old House Festival, from 12:30PM to 4:30PM on the grounds of the museum at 154 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH. The festival will feasture workshops, demonstrations, and presentations throughout the house, garden, and warehouse covering a wide range of subjusts on conservation and restoration of historic buidlings from timber framing to choices for paint colors and textiles; historic furnishings and decorative arts from furniture to floorcloths; herbs and flowers for the 18th century garden; bees and beekeeping in the 18th and 19th centuries; lighting the harbor in teh 18th century; flower arranging for the historic house; historic archaeology, and caring for the museum's historic trees. Confirmed presenters at the festival include: Preservation Timberframing, Heartwood Window Restoration, textile expert Jane Nylander, historic wallpaper expert Richard Nylander, historic furniture expert Gerald Ward, historic ceramics expert Carolyn Roy, paintings conservator Martha Cox, Jon Brandon of East Point Conservation, Camille Breeze of Museum Textile Services, Amy Antonucci of Seacoast Aparists, Northeast Shade Tree (demonstration of care of 236-year old horse chestnut tree), Independent Archaeological Consultants, Portsmouth Historical Society, antique weapons expert Hollis Broderick, and historic metal expert Jonathan Trace.
Family and children's activities for which the site has become known--making pirate bandanas, eye patches, and flags;treasure hunts, dressing in period costumes, making marbles paper,and writing with a quill pen--will be ongoing throughout the festival. Another feature of the Festival is our annual Heirloom Plant Sale of plants taken directly from the garden.
The celebration culminates with a concert in the 18th century Warehouse building at 4:45pm. The festival is free and open to the public. Parking is available just steps away in the High-Hanover Street Garage. For more information please go to www.moffattladd.org, or call (603) 430-7968.
