A special video presentation of Vaughan Homestead’s first program will be shown by Row House, Hallowell’s Historical Society, in celebration of it’s 50th anniversary. The program will take place at City Hall on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 2:00 p.m..
The Truth About Hallowell’s Past, Geologic That Is!
Row House, Hallowell’s Historical Society, celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding this year. A celebration of the event kicks off Saturday afternoon, February 2nd at 2:00PM, in the Hallowell City Hall Auditorium, with a special program entitled “Reading the Landscape, The Geology of Hallowell,” featuring former mayor Barry Timson. Sadly, Barry died in 2007, however a video recording was made of a presentation he gave on August 22, 2004 as part of the first Vaughan Homestead Lecture. This is the first public presentation of that recording and is being shown in cooperation with Vaughan Woods and Historic Homestead.
Timson graduated from Bowdoin College in 1966. He received a master’s degree in geology from University of Massachusetts in Amherst and did doctoral work at the University of Texas in Austin. He returned to Maine to work for the Maine Geological Survey and eventually opened his own geology and environmental consulting business. He is best known as the long-time mayor of Maine’s smallest city. He also served on the Planning Board, the Water and Sewer District Board, the Hallowell Water District and baked muffins at Slate’s Restaurant for twenty years.
The program will begin with an introduction by Ron Kley, a fellow geologist trained at Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, and Boston University. Ron was a full-time staff member at the Maine State Museum from 1968-88 and has worked since “retirement” as a consultant/contractor to museums in partnership with Jane Radcliffe. He has spent the past several years cataloging the contents and documenting the history of the Vaughan Homestead in Hallowell which he says, is “very possibly the most fascinating project in the course of my 50+ years of work with museums.”
Row House was founded in 1969 by a group of Hallowell citizens when they purchased and saved several important and deteriorating historic buildings in the city. Using their own funds, they purchased the row house building on Second Street and took the name of the building for the organization.
Founding members of Row House went on to conduct an inventory of historic buildings throughout the city. This led to the city applying for and receiving approval in 1971 for Hallowell’s National Historic District. The organization, in partnership with the city, renovated the 1899 City Hall. The effort began in 1995 and was completed nine years later.
Several more programs are being planned. Contact Bob McIntire, Row House Secretary, for more information 207-592-4718 email rowhousehallowell@gmail.com
