National Historic Landmark Designation Sought For Perkins Printing and Engraving Building

Valerie Fram, undergraduate from Roger Williams University, is majoring in Historic Preservation. She approached the Society in November to look for volunteering opportunities during her winter break. It was quickly determined that her successful track record in bringing historic structures National Landmark status in Rhode Island would be helpful in the Society's own application for the Jacob Perkins Printing and Engraving Building. With her guidance and ovsight from two of her professors we are actively assembling an application with hopes that it too can join the Caleb Cushing House Museum as a National Historic Landmark.

The American Decorative Arts Visiting Committee of the Peabody Essex Museum visited the Cushing House Museum November 13, 2009 for a private tour.

Pilar Garro, site manager of Historic New England's Beauport, and several Beauport guides visited the HSON Monday, October 5th, 2009 for a private tour of the Caleb Cushing House.

On October 1st, Gary Ramos, Arctic adventurer, visits the Cushing House to look into the history of Newburyport native and fellow explorer Adolphus Washington Greely who at one time made the closest attempt to reach the North Pole in 1884. Mr. Ramos of Alaska is visiting the Boston area while waiting for the Russian government to grant him permission which will allow him to make an attempt at a single handed circumnavigation of the North Pole.

2010 Newburyport Five Cent Savings Bank Calender in Planning

Artist Christopher Gurshin stops to personally inspect the Jacob Perkins "Mint" building at 98 High before preliminary sketches are made for the annual Newburyport Bank calender. Over the years the Newburyport Bank has commissioned Gurshin to illustrate their calenders using some of the outstanding projects with which the Bank has been involved. Gurshin, who had once been a longstanding resident of Newburyport, has a long list of high profile clients, including the White House. The Newburyport Bank was the single benefactor that funded the Historical Society's purchase of the "Mint" in 2007. The "Mint" is currently having its masonry and fenestrae restored to their original design by Richard Irons.

Forthcoming Exhibition of Laura Hills Pastels at Cooley Gallery

In preparation for an upcoming exhibition in October highlighting pastel drawings by Laura Coombs Hills, Joeseph F. Newman of The Cooley Gallery (left) and Sandra Lepore of Lepore Fine Arts search through the Society's special collections of ephemera, drawings and photographs relating to the artist. Ms. Lepore, an authority on Hills, is spearheading the exhibition to be held at the Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme, CT, which will feature a concentration of works once belonging to Pauline Shaw Fenno, the daughter of Quincy Adams Shaw. Fenno had originally purchased these works from Doll and Richards Gallery in Boston. Miss Hills, a Newburyport native, was a longstanding member of the Historical Society, and had given a great number of her personal effects and artwork to the Society during her lifetime.

Charles A. Safford subject of Decoy Magazine article

Gwladys Hopkins, of Acton, MA, examines miniture decoys carved by Charles A. Safford (1877-1957), as well as some of the materials used in their production, such as templates, calipers and patterns. Gwladys is a conservator of painted wooden objects who has restored decoys for museums such as the Peabody Essex Museum, Shelbourne Museum and The Heritage Plantation. She is preparing an article on Safford which will be the cover story of Decoy Magazine in coming months.