Abby Epplett, Historian

When I visited Topsfield Town Common District, part of the National Register of Historic Places , I found so many quick history stops that I divided them into three posts: the first on Monday , the second on Wednesday , and the third today. This final post describes the history of the former Methodist church and parsonage, the war memorials, the library, and public art. Once again, I found the book Houses and Buildings of Topsfield, Massachusetts to be helpful in my research.

I had not attended a History Camp virtual event for a few years but am still subscribed to the weekly newsletter, so I was delighted to receive an email featuring this author talk . Graphic novelist John Hendrix recently published The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien with Abrams Books  and spoke on his research for the book. The talk was moderated by History Camp founder Lee Wright and major contributor Mary Adams.

For the second installment to my miniseries connecting psychology with history and The Lord of the Rings , I turn my focus to Frodo Baggins. As the protagonist and in-universe editor of Tolkien’s most famous work, along with one of his most polarizing characters, Frodo’s enigmatic writing style not only brought ambiguity to his unreliable narration but also indicated severe and untreated mental illness. While a diagnosis of PTSD has been applied to the character, I have not seen a more in-depth psychological profile. I wanted to present a comprehensive picture of what I think Frodo was experiencing based on my research of medieval folklore, 19 th through early 20 th century medicine, and modern diagnostic tools.

Tolkien wrote his legendarium from the 1930s to the 1970s, and while he was ahead of his time in many aspects, he could not have anticipated modern understanding of mental health. He experienced significant childhood trauma and two world wars, which are known to cause mental health disabilities. This installment will not speculate on the state of Tolkien’s mental health and its potential effect on his work. Instead, I will study the text as if it was written by in-universe characters describing themselves and those they know. This will serve as the basis for case studies reviewing explicitly stated symptoms along with the history behind the diagnosis.

On a beautifully sunny day in October as the leaves changed to their brightest colors, I took a trip to rural Worcester County. My first walk was around the Petersham Common Historic District, where I made several quick history stops. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 , this relaxing and open space has many classic New England small town places of interest, including churches, a country store, town offices, a library, a historical society building, and walking trails.

As the name suggests, Bywater was a hobbit town in the Shire located by water, more specifically by the Water, the hobbit-name for a river that emptied into the Brandywine. Unlike Hobbiton, which appeared to be a late medieval village overseen by a landlord, Bywater was a commercial center occupied by working and middle-class hobbits who owned a shop or knew a trade. My design of Bywater considers many factors, including a map created by Tolkien, pre-historic town design, medieval markets towns, revivals of medieval architecture occurring around the time of the book’s publication, and design features specific to pubs and shops still used in modern England.

In September 2024, I visited places and attended events in Essex National Heritage Area as part of its annual event Trails & Sails . As my first day drew to a close, I made many quick history stops around the town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, so many that this requires a two-part post. The second half of this adventure will appear on Friday. Stops covered in this part include the harbor and train station, library, historic houses, memorials, church, and post office.

Humans become bewildered when given too much ambiguous information in an illogical order. Unfortunately, this is how the text of The Lord of the Rings operates. Between its myriad of perspectives, thousands of years of in-universe history, multiple languages and cultures, and an entire planet of locations, the material seems muddled even to experienced readers. The overwhelming effect of Tolkien’s Legendarium is part of the experience; the reader does not have to know the entire story to feel immersed in the fantasy world but studying both the constructs of Middle-earth and the real-world history upon which it was based enables the reader to understand the complex motivations of the characters. While I am all for embarking on in-depth research, most readers do not have the time or energy for such study. Additionally, trying to remember all this material takes up a lot of headspace. In user experience research, the amount of stress while using available headspace is known as “c...

On the same day I visited Middleborough Historical Museum and Robbins Museum of Archaeology , I took my customary history stops around the town, including the library, town hall, churches, and war memorials. Most of these important community buildings were located in Middleborough Center National Historic District, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2000 . Unique features of this town are its incredibly tall town hall design, a historic bell, and signage commemorating American Revolutionary War hero Deborah Sampson . This is also an informal survey of who is on what side of the Middleborough/Middleboro naming divide.

In late August 2024, after a morning of hiking the Cliff Walk and viewing the Great Elephant Migration, I spent the afternoon at Fort Adams State Park . After a relaxing picnic lunch, I took  a tour of Fort Adams itself, originally named after second U.S. President John Adams, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970 . As an added bonus, the fort was celebrating its 200 Year Anniversary, with construction started in 1824 and completed in 1857.

In August 2024, I went on a five-day trip to Cape Cod, MA where I visited many museums and cultural organizations, along with quick history stops and trails. I drove across the bridge to the town of Wareham, which proudly calls itself “The gateway to Cape Cod” to visit a few sites owned by Wareham Historical Society . I took a guided tour of the Fearing Tavern Museum and made quick history stops at the Old Methodist Meeting House, the One-Room Schoolhouse, and the Union Chapel. I also saw the towering Wareham War Memorial and smaller Wareham World War I Memorial in Center Park, the town green.

In August 2024, I went on a five-day trip to Cape Cod, MA where I visited many museums and cultural organizations, along with quick history stops and trails. The charming town of Sandwich, MA boasts a self-guided historical walking tour curated by the Sandwich Historical Commission and Sandwich Community Media , along with plenty of plaques and memorials. Despite the cloudy weather, I enjoyed my stroll down historic Main Street.

In August 2024, I went on a five-day trip to Cape Cod, MA where I visited many museums and cultural organizations, along with quick history stops and trails. Between major stops in Cotuit like Cotuit Historical Society and Cahoon Museum of American Art , I made several quick history stops. I visited Cotuit Library and nearby Cotuit Memorial Park, Cotuit Federated Church, Mariners Lodge, and Freedom Hall.

Appendix B contained a long and detailed timeline clarifying dates and locations related to characters found in the dialogue portion of the book and Appendix A, explaining relationships between characters, and describing the fates of characters, especially members of the Fellowship. Like in the real-world, all characters died on Middle-earth or passed over the Sea — a metaphor for death — bringing closure to the story in a way rarely seen in modern fiction but common in religious texts, mythologies, and history books.

Back on Sunday, July 14, 2024, I visited the Berkley Historical Society , a stop in the Passport to History developed by Old Colony Museum . Located in the tiny town of Berkley with a population under 7,000, this museum told the history of the rural community with a focus on military uniforms and local businesses. The collection lives in the beautifully restored and updated Old Town Hall, which once housed the library. Because of this work, the building had the best lighting system I have seen in any museum.

This museum season, I am completing the Passport to History developed by Old Colony History Museum in Taunton. Last Saturday, I visited three more museums in the passport book, plus a bonus museum. The Veterans Memorial Museum of Rhode Island is a remarkable collection of military and war artifacts started by Glenn Dusablon, who also gave my private tour. The museum is on the second floor of the American French Genealogical Society in Woonsocket, RI , formerly a gymnasium / auditorium accessible by elevator or stairs, and does not have external signage, but rest assured that the parking lot at 78 Earl Street is the right place to be!

Once more continuing my mini series within a series on the Appendixes at the back of The Lord of the Rings, Part Three: Return of the King , I move along to “Appendix A, I The Númenórean Kings, (iv) Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion”. While last week’s section focused on the northern kingdom on Anor after the empire of the Númenóreans divided, this week’s section focuses on the southern kingdom, Gondor. Much like last week, this section is mostly about the Númenórean descendants having a rough time, often because of their own bad choices. Peoples opposing Gondor included the Black Númenóreans, the Men of Harad and Khad, Corsairs, Sauron and his orcs, Wainriders, and themselves, with each group paralleling people in real-world history and mythology. Fortunately, after pages of violent fighting, the conclusion of this section was satisfying and directly connected to the dialogue portion of the books. Color Symbolism, Black Númenóreans, and Men of Harad Black Númenóreans was...

Last Saturday — June 15, 2024 — I had an adventure in New Bedford, MA. My third major stop was Fort Taber Park , which included the remains of a historic fort, a paved walking trail, and Fort Taber - Fort Rodman Historical Association Military Museum . This museum was my second stop in the Passport to History developed by Old Colony History Museum , my first stop being Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA on June 2, 2024 .

Last Sunday, I took a day trip to see places of history and culture in southeastern Massachusetts. My third stop was D.W. Field Park , located across the street from Fuller Craft Museum. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2000 , the park currently encompasses 800 acres with seven miles of paved roads, multiple ponds, a sixty-five foot tall Central Memorial Tower, and an eighteen hole municipal golf course. The park has been described as the “Jewel of Brockton”.

This week, I return to the sacred text, not the first chapter of Part One: The Fellowship of the Ring but the end of Part Three: The Return of the King . This section has 150 pages of materials, from 341 to 491, that according to J.R.R. Tolkien did not fit within the structure of the narrative, to which I ask, “What structure, sir?” This arrangement has never been replicated, nor will it likely ever be seen again, as modern editors and publishers do not allow such unconventional formats. The information in the Appendixes and Index reads like an academic textbook yet maintains a uniquely Tolkien sense of humor. Over the next several weeks, I will cover these appendixes using comparative history, linguistics, and mythology to better understand their content.