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Archive for the 'Area Info' Category
Count Rumford House In Woburn
Count Rumford House - Birthplace and Museum
Count Rumford House in Woburn Driving by the red Colonial on North Street in Woburn I couldn’t help but notice the large sign on the house’s wood shingled roof – “Count Rumford Birthplace“.
Count Rumford House Museum
Like many, I knew of Count Rumford from the Rumford fireplace but had no idea he had local connections. Turns out there’s lots more to know.
Benjamin Thompson, who was to become Count Rumford, was born here at 90 Elm Street in Woburn, his grandfather’s house, in 1753. The house is a National Historic Landmark and is owned and maintained by the Rumford Historical Association.
This isn’t a house museum per se though old house enthusiasts will appreciate seeing the well preserved Colonial which dates from about 1714. The Rumford Historical Association was formed in 1877 in an effort to save and maintain the house. That’s very early for a historic preservation effort and a testament to Rumford’s influence and reputation.
Benjamin Thompson must have been a very charismatic man as well as a brilliant one. His list of accomplishments is long and many of his successes came at a very young age. A Loyalist, he moved to England in 1776. There he prospered – serving in the military, gaining reknown for his scientific work, and receiving several honors – he was knighted in 1781 and became a Count of the Holy Roman Empire in 1792.
The Count Rumford House is a treasure trove of information about the colorful Count Rumford and related memorabilia. There are a number of models of Rumford’s scientific inventions and the house is a fun visit for kids who appreciate science or history. You’ll also get an interesting overview of Woburn history during the tour.
Count Rumford Museum and Birthplace is usually open from 1 to 4:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a good idea to call ahead and confirm. The phone number is 781-933-4976. Admission is free but donations are welcomed.
More House Museum Mondays
Count Rumford House is located at 90 Elm Street, Woburn, MA 01801
Emerson House Museum In Concord
Ralph Waldo Emerson House Museum in Concord
Emerson House Museum In Concord What’s a house enthusiast / real estate agent do in her spare time? Visit house museums of course. I’ve always loved them – the antiques, the literary connections, the “step back in time” sensation that can flicker through your mind. Massachusetts has plenty of house museums and I’m going to highlight one each week.
Emerson House Museum In Concord
Though the lines are longer at the Old Manse or the Orchard House, the Emerson House in Concord is not to be missed. Take a drive out to Concord – twenty minutes from Cambridge and 150 years back in time.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, noted Transcendentalist, philosopher and author, bought the house for his family in 1835. Emerson lived here until his death in 1882 and family members lived in the house for many years thereafter.
The house is owned by Emerson’s descendants and is much the same as it was when the Emerson family lived here. Unlike many house museums, furnished with period pieces in an attempt to recreate the feel of an earlier time, at the Emerson House you are able to see the house very much as it was when the family lived here and entertained so many whose names we still know well.
Be sure to wander around the expansive yard after your tour.
Ralph Waldo Emerson House museum is open Thursday to Sunday from mid-April through October.
For hours and admission charges check the Emerson House website.
Emerson House Museum is at 28 Concord Turnpike, Concord, Mass. across from the Concord Museum
Shovel The Snow – It’s The Law In Massachusetts
Let It Snow! Then We'll Shovel
Shovel The Snow – It’s The Law Nothing better on a hot summer day than reading about snow shoveling! Makes you feel a little cooler if only for a moment.
The Boston Globe reported today that the Supreme Judicial Court:
“In a historic decision, the state’s high court ruled yesterday that landowners must make sure their property is clear of any snow and ice that could cause injury to others, regardless of whether the snow came from Mother Nature or from a plow or other source”. Read more.
Poorly shoveled sidewalks are a constant source of aggravation – and danger to pedestrians – during the winter in Cambridge. Homeowners will want to make sure that their sidewalks and driveways are clear of snow and ice or risk a lawsuit.
I’ve got my shovel ready!
Sergi Farm in Belmont
Sergi Farm Belmont MA
Did you know that there’s a working farm in suburban Belmont? Sure enough, Sergi Farm in Belmont, MA is a working five acre farm close to the Cambridge line.
One of the area’s best kept secrets, the folks at Sergi Farm sells vegetables, herbs and flowers that they grow themselves.
We stopped by on Wednesday after our weekly tour of new listings. I bought some fresh picked broccoli for supper.
Check out the Sergi Farm website to find out what’s fresh and for sale in the stand, info about volunteer opportunities, and their blog that will keep you up to date on what’s going on at the farm.
See you in line when the corn’s in!
Sergi Farm is located at 34 Glenn Road, Belmont, MA. Take Blanchard Road to Glenn Road and watch for the sign.
Hong Kong Monument In Harvard Square
Tribute to Sen Lee - founder of the Hong Kong in Harvard Square
Hong Kong Monument In Harvard Square Wander around Harvard Square and you’ll stumble upon memorials – to the Colonial days, to the Revolution, to various classes at Harvard, and to modern day Cantabridgians too.
I was tickled to come across the monument on the right while walking through the Square recently.
It’s a tribute to Sen Lee, the founder and long-time proprietor of the Hong Kong restaurant across the street. Sen Lee opened the Hong Kong more than fifty years ago. It’s a Harvard Square institution and a popular place to see comedy shows.
My Hong Kong experience is limited to the Faneuil Hall Hong Kong where I briefly waitressed while in graduate school. Now that was an easy waitressing gig – plop down the scorpion bowl, stick some straws in it, and collect the tip. Sweet!
The Hong Kong in Harvard Square
Segways in Cambridge
Cambridge Segway riders by City Hall
Segways in Cambridge I did a double take when I saw this group of Segway riders near City Hall in Cambridge today. Given their yellow vests and where they were at first I thought it was a new mode of transportation for municipal employees.
Turns out that Segway tours are offered in Cambridge by Boston Gliders. I wouldn’t mind taking the tour in order to test drive one of these. Not sure if I can sign on if the helmet’s required - never mind the vest – ugh. I grew up in the era of three-speed bikes and no helmets and have yet to don protective headgear.
Segways look like fun though. They seem like a great option for real estate agents – we spend a lot of time in city traffic – errands to the fire station, property showings around town, visits to the Registry of Deeds – a Segway seems like just the ticket. And I’ve long had a vision of 75 Cambridge real estate agents zipping around the city on Segways for our weekly tour of new listings – but my coworkers will take some convincing.
Margaret Fuller – Born in Cambridge 200 Years Ago Today
Margaret Fuller lived briefly at 42 Brattle Street Cambridge
Today is the 200th anniversary of Margaret Fuller‘s birth. Fuller was born in Cambridge on May 23, 1810. Her birthplace at 71 Cherry Street still stands. Margaret Fuller was a noted feminist, author, editor and Transcendentalist.
Today 71 Cherry Street is a National Historic Landmark. The house was built by Margaret’s father, Timothy Fuller in 1807. In 1902 one of the earliest settlement houses in the US was started here, the Margaret Fuller House, serving the immigrant community in the city.
Now known as the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, the organization recently completed a restoration of the Fuller birthplace. Neighborhood services provided here include daycare and summer programs, an emergency food pantry and a computer lab.
For a brief time, Fuller and her family lived at 42 Brattle Street in Harvard Square. The Brattle House, now owned by the Cambridge Center for Adult Ed, was built in 1727 and named for General William Brattle who owned the house at the time of the Revolutionary War.
Margaret Fuller died in 1850 in a ship wreck off Fire Island. Though her body was never recovered there is a Fuller memorial at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.
The Margaret Fuller birthplace is at 71 Cherry Street, Cambridge MA 02139. Fuller and her family lived at 42 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA 02138 from 1831 to 1833.
Watertown DPW Tire Drop Off
Tire Drop Off Day for Watertown
Watertown DPW Tire Drop Off Nowadays you really have to think about how to dispose of unwanted items. Inconvenient – but a good thing if it makes us think twice before acquiring something.
Disposing of tires is a tricky one. If you’re not interested in making a flower planter cut from a discarded tire – and I don’t see too many of those around the city - there’s just not that much to do with your old tires.
For residents of Watertown there’s a solution - a tire drop off day planned for this weekend. Only tires will be collected – no rims.
Free of charge and open only to Watertown residents. An ID showing proof of Watertown residency is required.
The tire dropoff is scheduled for Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Watertown Public Works at 124 Orchard Street.
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