Abby Epplett, Historian

In late September, I took a daytrip to Andover, MA. After a relaxing morning at Addison Gallery of American Art , I took a walk at Osgood Hill, a North Andover trail and a partner of Mass Audubon . While there, I saw Stevens Estate , a 1886 building on 143 acres listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999 .

In late September 2025, I visited Addison Gallery of American Art on the campus of Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. Part of a prestigious private school, this small art museum is open to the public. Currently, the museum has more than 29,000 items in its collection and focuses on American art from the 18 th through 21 st centuries. I was impressed by the variety found on display, and the regularly of new exhibits, as those I saw were on the display from the beginning of September to December or January.

The White Council was a name given to wise immortals who protected Middle-earth from Sauron and his vassals. The White Council in The Lord of the Rings that drove the dark forces from Mirkwood was actually the second White Council. The first White Council is described in Unfinished Tales (263) and was formed to remove Sauron from Eriador (northwestern Middle-earth, including the Shire) after he had tortured Celebrimbor to death. The second White Council likely emulated the first White Council and was formed for a similar purpose, this time to drive Sauron from Mordor and be rid of him for good.

In late September 2025, I enabled my mild obsession with Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) , a living history museum in Sturbridge, MA. In this five-part series, I will cover the forty antique buildings depicting rural New England life during the 1830s, exhibits showcasing artifacts from the period, and an art installation featuring cows decorated by local artists. In Part 1 , I visited two meetinghouses, a country store, a tavern, a tin shop, and a pair of homes, along with watching costumed interpreters. In Part 2 , I explored a school, workshops, mills, a covered bridge, heritage breed animals, costumed interpreters, and houses. In Part 3 , I continued my visit to The Countryside by visiting the barn and a pair of workshops before returning to the Common & Center Village. In Part 4 , I stopped in shops around the Common & Center Village, learn about plants, and visited exhibits. In Part 5, I discuss the CowParade art exhibit and conclude my visit with information about open t...

In late September 2025, I enabled my mild obsession with Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) , a living history museum in Sturbridge, MA. In this five-part series, I will cover the forty antique buildings depicting rural New England life during the 1830s, exhibits showcasing artifacts from the period, and an art installation featuring cows decorated by local artists. In Part 1 , I visited two meetinghouses, a country store, a tavern, a tin shop, and a pair of homes, along with watching costumed interpreters. In Part 2 , I explored a school, workshops, mills, a covered bridge, heritage breed animals, costumed interpreters, and houses. In Part 3 , I continued my visit to The Countryside by visiting the barn and a pair of workshops before returning to the Common & Center Village. In Part 4, I stopped in shops around the Common & Center Village, learn about plants, and visited exhibits.

In late September 2025, I enabled my mild obsession with Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) , a living history museum in Sturbridge, MA. In this five-part series, I will cover the forty antique buildings depicting rural New England life during the 1830s, exhibits showcasing artifacts from the period, and an art installation featuring cows decorated by local artists. In Part 1 , I visited two meetinghouses, a country store, a tavern, a tin shop, and a pair of homes, along with watching costumed interpreters. In Part 2 , I explored a school, workshops, mills, a covered bridge, heritage breed animals, costumed interpreters, and houses. In >Part 3, I continue my visit to The Countryside by visiting the barn and a pair of workshops before returning to the Common & Center Village.

In late September 2025, I enabled my mild obsession with Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) , a living history museum in Sturbridge, MA. In this five-part series, I will cover the forty antique buildings depicting rural New England life during the 1830s, exhibits showcasing artifacts from the period, and an art installation featuring cows decorated by local artists. In Part 1 , I visited two meetinghouses, a country store, a tavern, a tin shop, and a pair of homes, along with watching costumed interpreters. In Part 2, I explore a school, workshops, mills, a covered bridge, heritage breed animals, costumed interpreters, and houses.

In late September 2025, I enabled my mild obsession with Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) , a living history museum in Sturbridge, MA. In this five-part series, I will cover the forty antique buildings depicting rural New England life during the 1830s, exhibits showcasing artifacts from the period, and an art installation featuring cows decorated by local artists.

Back in September 2025, I took the comprehensive, 2.5-hour “Grand Stairs to Back Stairs” tour of Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA, which is managed by The Trustees of Reservations. Due to the length and breadth of the tour, this is a three-part series, with one post released per day over the next three days. During Part 1 , I focused on the building of the estate, the early history of the Crane family, and the first few stops on the tour. During Part 2 , I described the life of the family and the middle section of the tour. In Part 3, I describe the view from the roof, a snack, behind the scenes, and movies filmed on the property.

Back in September 2025, I took the comprehensive, 2.5-hour “Grand Stairs to Back Stairs” tour of Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA, which is managed by The Trustees of Reservations. Due to the length and breadth of the tour, this is a three-part series, with one post released per day over the next three days. During Part 1 , I focused on the building of the estate, the early history of the Crane family, and the first few stops on the tour. Today, I describe the life of the family and the middle section of the tour.

Back in September 2025, I took the comprehensive, 2.5-hour “Grand Stairs to Back Stairs” tour of Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA, which is managed by The Trustees of Reservations. Due to the length and breadth of the tour, this will be a three-part series, with one post released per day over the next three days. The property comprises of 165 acres and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977 and elevated to a National Historic Landmark in 1998. This section will focus on the building of the estate, the early history of the Crane family, and the first few stops on the tour.

In September 2025, after a morning at the Wenham Museum , I went on a grand adventure in the nearby public parks. With a little bit of planning, I was able to visit five parks, walking about eleven miles across three hours and taking plenty of pictures along the way. The trip included Vineyard Hill Reservation of Greenbelt, Bradley Palmer State Park, Willowdale Meadow of Greenbelt, Willowdale State Forest, and Willowdale Mill Reservation of Greenbelt. While in these parks, I walked along parts of the Bay State Circuit Trail, Essex County Trail Association, and Discover Hamilton Trail. If you want to spent quiet time alone in nature, this is a safe and fun way to do it.

If someone designed a museum with me in mind, it would look a lot like the Wenham Museum , which I visited back in September 2025. A beautifully restored historic house connected nearly seamlessly to an area for rotating exhibits, while the basement contains model trains and interactives. Truly this is a museum for those with intense niche interests.

In early September 2025, I visited Brimfield, MA for the annual Brimfield Flea Market, a tradition that began back in 1959. Before a day of walking among vendors to find vintage bargains, I made a few quick history stops around the center of town, called Brimfield Center Historic District and on the National Register of Historic Places since 2006 . Like many other small New England towns, its center included a picturesque white church, town hall, war memorials, and a historic school.

On the same day that I visited the Clara Barton Birthplace , I took a walk on a highway turned forest trail, and then visited grave of legendary outdoorsman Grizzly Adams in nearby Charlton, MA. I will have to returning this area in warmer weather to see more quick history stops.

Back in August 2025, I visited the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum in North Oxford, MA. I had previously visited the museum about twenty years early, and I wanted to see how the tour had changed. This small house tour focuses on the life of Clarissa “Clara” Harlowe Barton , founder of the American Red Cross, along with describing her family. Also on the property is The Barton Center for Diabetes Education, Inc. , a camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes. The property has been on the National Register of Historic Places as the Clara Barton Homestead since 1977. It is also one of the northern-most towns in The Last Green Valley , formerly known as Quinebaug-Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor.

On the same day I took the lighthouse cruise around Cape Ann , I walked around Gloucester to see public art and learn the history of the maritime town. Along the way, I found carillon bells, a historic boat, beached buoys, and a silly sign.

The only thing better than a boat tour is two boat tours! In early August, not long after my trip around Portsmouth Harbor, I saw six beautiful lighthouse and reviewed the history of Essex County, MA on a two-and-a-half hour ride given by the family-run company Harbor Tours Inc. of Cape Anne . This tour had everything: fishing vessels, draw bridges, islands, and a boat named King Eider after a large sea duck. Tickets are $45 for adults, $42 for Seniors, $20 for children, and $0 for children 2 and under. While this is on the upper end of my spending, the trip was well worth the price.

I recently inherited a signed copy of the book Honor the Past Celebrate the Future: A Historical Overview of the Blackstone River Valley, Massachusetts written by David White and published by the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2005. Since the book is celebrating its 20 th birthday, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to not only see what it teaches the reader but also how our understanding of history has changed in the past two decades. The book is divided into eight sections and not only explores how revolution and industry shaped the region but offers a snapshot of important local business from the time of its publication. The first section, “1 Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares” riffs on a line from the song “Amazing Grace”, reminding the reader how European colonization of the area was motivated in part by religion. Missionary John Eliot committed to converting Nipmuc people to Christianity, which allowed the colonists to more easily manipulate N...

On the same day I visited the Patriots Hall of Fame in Foxborough, MA , I took several walks at parks in the greater Foxborough area. I visited sites cared for by the Department of Conservation & Recreation in Massachusetts (DCR), the Trustees of Reservations, and Wildlands Trust of Brockton. Along the way, I discovered ruins in the woods, historic buildings, a massive tree, and a curious baby bird.