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NEWSLETTER
Carpenter Museum . Blanding Library . Goff Hall . Arts in the Village
J U N E 2015
DO YOU OWN A
HISTORIC HOME IN
REHOBOTH?
Whether you own an old
home or are fascinated to
learn more about
refurbishing and researching
historic homes, join us on
Sunday, June 7 from 2 to 4
PM at the museum for our
first meeting. Ken and Dianne Freed, who recently hosted a tour of their
beautiful historic home on Carpenter Street will share their 35 years of
restoration experiences. For more info about this new group, please call
508-252-3031 or email us at carpentermuseum@gmail.com.
JUNE
MUSEUM EVENTS
HISTORIC HOMEOWNERS
Sunday, June 7 from 2 to 4 PM
Love old homes? All are welcome to
attend the first meeting of our group for
both historic homeowners and those
fascinated by antique homes. Guest
speakers will be Ken and Dianne Freed.
TRACING YOUR DNA
Wednesday, June 10 at 7 PM
Wendy Wagner, a member of the
Rehoboth Genealogy Group, will be
introducing the basic concepts of tracing
your DNA. Bring your results if you have
them. This meeting is open to all.
COOL CRAFTS FROM THE
PAST: HOOPS OF HISTORY
Tuesday, July 14 at 2 PM
TOUCH-A-TRUCK
Saturday, June 27 from 12 to 3 PM
Blanding Library/Goff Hall
A fun day for people of all ages exploring
vehicles from local police, fire, rescue,
farms and more parked outside Goff Hall.
What did kids play when Abe Lincoln was
young? Make and decorate your own
wooden hoop toy and play a game called
“Graces.” Fun for all ages. Fee is only $5
including all supplies and toy.
Reservations required.
For more info about any museum
group or events, please call
508-252-3031, email us at
carpentermuseum@gmail.com,
or visit carpentermuseum.org.
HONORING TOM CHARNECKI, FORMER PRESIDENT
After serving as president of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society for 11
years, Tom Charnecki stepped down last January. Before that he had
been treasurer for 16 years. The Carpenter Museum and Blanding
Library have changed tremendously during that time. And thanks to
Tom’s leadership and vision, we were able to grow financially and reach
out to more people in the community than ever before.
Tom and his wife, Betsy, moved to Rehoboth in 1985 and opened the
Perryville Inn. They raised their three children here. Retired from a
career in banking, Tom was a member of the Rehoboth Board of Water
Commissioners and the Planning Board for many years.
We’re grateful for all of Tom’s efforts,
and especially for his current work in
coordinating the building improvements at
Goff Hall, which will incorporate facilities
accessible to all. At our annual meeting in
May, we honored Tom by voting him
President Emeritus. Although we will miss
seeing him at trustee meetings, we know
Tom will still be behind us, supporting all
we do!
Tom Charnecki, who stepped down in January, has been named President
Emeritus. Past president E. Otis Dyer Sr. also previously received the
honor of being named President Emeritus.
RAS June News - Page Two
Make your own
hoop toy and play
a game called
“Graces” during
this fun program
hosted by Kara
Evans at the
Carpenter
Museum on
Tuesday, July 14.
DEADLINE FOR RAS
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS
Students from the greater Rehoboth
area are invited to apply for the
Rehoboth Antiquarian Society
Scholarship. Applicants must be
enrolled in a post-secondary program
related to history, museum studies or
library sciences. Deadline to submit an
application is June 15. Go to
carpentermuseum.org for more
information and an application.
THEN AND NOW . . .
BE A HISTORY DETECTIVE!
Here are the clues for June’s Rehoboth home:
A thoughtful Rehoboth resident recently sent us this photo
of her home. Like the last house featured in our “Then and
Now,” this house is located on Homestead Avenue. If you
went on our Historic Rehoboth Homes Bus Tour in April,
we included this home. (Hint: The house looks quite a bit
different today. It no longer has a porch.) Can you tell us
the house number?
If you would like to guess the answer, email it to the
Carpenter Museum at carpentermuseum@gmail.com or
Photo courtesy of Joan Horton Olson
mail it to PO Box 2, Rehoboth MA 02769. A winner will be
randomly drawn from all correct entries, and that person
will receive a prize. Winners will be announced next month in the Reporter and the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society
newsletter, along with a photo of the correct location and more details. Deadline for submitting a guess is June 20.
Do you have a home or photo we can feature for Rehoboth Then and Now? Contact Carpenter Museum at
carpentermuseum@gmail.com or call 508-252-3031.
RAS June News - Page Three
ELISHA ALLEN HOUSE: NEW LEASE ON
LIFE ON HOMESTEAD AVENUE
BLANDING
LIBRARY
Monday - Thursday
11:30 AM to 8 PM
Friday - Saturday
10 AM to 4 PM
Closed Sundays, Holidays
PAPERMAKING: WHERE
ART AND SCIENCE MEET
Tuesday, June 9
4:30 to 6:30 PM
Blanding Library
Current owners Dan Cardoza and Michael Espinoza bought the Elisha Allen house
on 108 Homestead Avenue last October from the estate of George and Julia Manyan.
The Elisha Allen House on Homestead Avenue is in good hands with its
new owners, Dan Cardoza and Michael Espinosa, who bought the house
last October. This is the third house they have owned in Rehoboth. The
first was a reproduction gambrel-style house on Reservoir Avenue and
after that, a house on Cross Street next to the Seekonk line.
Dan is an upholsterer in Dartmouth, his hometown. Michael is from
North Attleboro and owns a fitness center in Franklin. Family members
live nearby in Rehoboth, too. Michael’s brother lives on Rocky Hill Road
and Dan’s sister lives on Ash Street.
Dan said, “We always loved the look of this house when we would drive
by. When it became available this past year we made an offer.” The house
had been previously owned by George and Julia Manyan, who bought it in
the late 1960s. They had to spend eight years getting the old place into
shape since it had been badly damaged in a fire and needed almost total
restoration. (For more info on the history of the house go to
carpentermuseum.org.)
“One of the best examples of extended cottage style”
This type of house is sometimes called an early Cape style or was
commonly called a cottage in its early days. Dan said the house, built
circa 1738-1755, is considered to be one of the best examples of the
extended cottage style from its historical period and he praised the
Manyans for doing “great things” with the house when they were the
owners. Continued on page four . . .
Learn about the history and process of
paper making. Make your own paper to
take home! Fiber artist N. Maia Howes
will lead the program for children 6 years
of age and older with an adult along.
Please call to register. Registration
required. Please call 508-252-4236.
This is a free program funded by the
Rehoboth Cultural Council, the local
affiliate of the MA Cultural Council.
SUMMER FUN KICK-OFF
Tuesday, June 30
1:30 PM
Blanding Library
Join returning performers Davis Bates
and Roger Tincknell who will kick off the
library’s summer events with a concert
about animals, tricksters, myths, nature
and much more. This is a free concert
for all, funded in part by the Rehoboth
Cultural Council, the local affiliate of the
MA Cultural Council, and the Friends of
the Blanding Library. Registration
required. Please call 508-252-4236.
For complete calendar, please
visit: BlandingLibrary.net
RAS June News - Page Four
Conclusion ‘Elisha Allen House’ story
The house retains many of its original
architectural features, from the wide plank
hardwood floors, ceiling beams, and six
working fireplaces.There is a center chimney
and another chimney from a later addition to
the house. Three fireplaces are connected to
each chimney.
Where the modern kitchen is now, there was
a shop, in an ell that was added on to the
original building. The current dining room was a
keeping room, with a fireplace and beehive
oven in the wall. The bedroom in the front of
the house was a parlor in 1759. It still has its
original built-in corner cabinet.
Up the narrow and winding colonial-era stairs,
there is the original attic, which has a fireplace
that still works. This large open area, originally
used as sleeping quarters, remains unheated. Dan pointed out that there were no studs in the wall, which was all
vertical planked wood with no space at all for insulation. They would like to redo the windows.
The Manyans expanded the house with a new addition and had a foundation poured during their years there, so
the original basement has a real floor and stays dry. Dan said that they found so many rocks piled up in the cellar
that they used them to build a stone wall in the yard. The house came with ten acres of land.
A photo above (date unknown) shows the former condition of the 108 Homestead Avenue home, showing
evidence of the hard restoration work the former owners, the Manyans, as well as the current owners have put into
the historic house.
Back of house salvaged from another Cape down the street
“We love restorations but don’t always love the problems that come with old historic houses,” Dan said. “One of
the biggest challenges is keeping it warm. The furnace went on about every 18 minutes this past winter. Another
challenge was making things fit. The doorways are narrow, only about two feet wide, so it was difficult to get our
furniture into the house.”
There is still a lot of work to be done, they said. While Dan is good at woodwork, Michael prefers painting. They
had a much-needed new roof put on the house right away, just in time for last winter. They hope to redo the siding
on the front of the house this summer, with clapboards in a dark mustard brown color. They said that the back part
of the house was from another old Cape down the street that previous owners salvaged before it was torn down.
Dan said, “I don’t think the house is haunted, but one day I felt something like a tail brush up against me and then
I noticed that our cat Frisky was sleeping on the other side of the room.” Speaking of their new old house, Mike
said, “We want to preserve what we’ve found and move forward with it. It’s a great privilege to be here.”
BlandingLibrary.net
124 Bay State Road . Rehoboth, MA 02769
508-252-4236 blandinglibrary.net
LIBRARY
HOURS
Mon - Thurs 11:30 AM to 8 PM
Friday & Sat 10 AM to 4 PM
(closed Sundays and holidays)
CarpenterMuseum.org
4 Locust Avenue . PO Box 2 . Rehoboth, MA 02769
508-252-3031 carpentermuseum@gmail.com
MUSEUM
HOURS
Tues and Thurs 1 to 4 PM
Sundays from 2 to 4 PM
(except holiday weekends)