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Published: August 19th 2009
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WOODLAWN 1
Museum entrance road Ellsworth Maine, Woodlawn Museum
On Thursday, we hit the road again and this time we headed east to Ellsworth on the northern edge of the peninsula. Yesterday, during our visit to the Wilson Museum in Castine, the Woodlawn was recommended to us by one of their staff as an excellent example of a Maine country estate, so today we decided to give it a try. The Woodlawn is a 180-acre historic estate that was the residence for three generations of the Black family. The exterior of the main house was going through a total restoration at this time and is complete covered with staging, so I got no pictures. The grounds have many interesting features such as barns, gardens and a six-court competitive croquet lawn. The interior of this historical mansion contains a well-maintained extremely intact collection of the original furnishings. The home appears just like it would have at the time the last resident walked out the door, it’s remarkably complete. I’d love to show you a few pictures of the exquisite interior rooms of this house. Unfortunately, this museum is another one of those that does not allow photos of their collection. I tried to speak with Josh the
museum curator about this no photo policy, but he’s obviously tied into the old “protecting the collections integrity” speal.
The day we visited was also the opening day of their annual antiques sale on the back lawn. This was both a good and bad day to visit. The tour of the historic house was limited, because many of the museum staff were assigned to work the annual antiques sale. There is usually a recorded self guided tour that visitors can use while visiting the house, but today they are short staffed and unable to distribute them to visitors. When we toured the large multi-story house with other visitors, there was only one female tour guide who knew anything about the contents. This woman, obviously, is an admirer of General Knox and tells an interesting story about him in regards to his portrait that hangs in the hall. She’s extremely knowledgeable about the paintings, clocks, furnishings and history of the family and house, but unfortunately she has many visitors to inform and is unable to provide an organized tour.
We stepped outside of the museum through the garden and walked to the large tent set up on the back
lawn. The antique sale had an excellent collection of items provided by many high quality dealers from across the country. Each booth contains a unique collection, so Byrd and Karen have another great shopping opportunity. A couple of hours later, I’m able to pry Byrd from the tent.
The official Woodlawn Museum web page history:
“Woodlawn, part of the Ellsworth landscape for 180 years, was once home to three generations of the Black family. Today it is an historic house museum and public park. The mansion is both an architectural gem and a historical treasure. Built between 1824 and 1827 for Colonel John Black, this stately brick house, based on a published design by American architect Asher Benjamin, contains the original furnishings of one of Eastern Maine's most distinguished families. Willed to the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations (hyper link to trustees page) by George Nixon Black, Jr., the Colonel's grandson, Woodlawn has been open to the public since 1929. This beautiful home, its original furnishings, its outbuildings, and its grounds reveal much about changing economic, social and domestic conditions between 1820 and 1920. Moreover, the family story is a fascinating one beginning with Colonel Black who
amassed a fortune through land and timber dealings and ending with his grandson, a wealthy Boston gentleman who built the famed north shore shingle style cottage "Kragside" and bequeathed a major portion of his estate to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.”
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