The Ticonderoga Historical Society receives a number of inquires on a variety of subjects. A few months ago we received an email from the Preservation Carpentry Department Head at the North Bennet Street School which is located in Boston.
The sender noting that his school, “the nation’s oldest trade school, and (the) hands-on preservation carpentry program in the country.” He continued – “we are currently stewards of the original front door to the John Hancock Mansion in Boston and are gearing up for a project that includes recreating the doorway. This will include some exterior elements such as quoined surround and turned pilasters on the exterior and casing and moldings on the interior. All of this detail to be based on historic photographs, drawings and fragments of the original from the collection of the door’s owner, the Bostonian Society. Upon completion we will be mounting the door back on its original hinges into this doorway and exhibiting it along with various other items recovered from the original house which I’m sure you know was disassembled back in 1863.” He continued asking if we would we be interested in sharing information, photographs and other documentation from our collection.
Interested, you bet! First, I believe in advancing vocational education and this would be a great opportunity to help a program that trains young students in craftsmanship ~ in this case Preservation Carpentry. And secondly – since I am the primary researcher, other than genealogy, here at the Society I knew that our collection could benefit them with their research.
Hancock House – Boston
We provide some of the photographs that we have shared between the School and the Society
North Bennet School – Preservation Carpentry Program Photos
Original Hancock Mansion Door – Boston
(From The Bostonian Society Collection)
Original Hancock House Door Key
(Old North Church Collection)
The School’s project has advanced from the research phase and their students have begun to fabricate the components of the doorway. As the preservation carpentry program is in wood the surrounding detail will have a faux finish applied to replicate the look of anything like the quoins and body of the house which were originally stone.
Ticonderoga Historical Collection
Original blueprints for Hancock House – Ticonderoga ~ Made from the Measured Drawings before demolition of Hancock House Boston
Ticonderoga’s Hancock House Door
Ticonderoga’s Hancock House – Current Exterior Detail
When Horace Moses built Ticonderoga’s Hancock House he built the house as a repository for the purpose of perpetuating “American Traditions in History and the Fine Arts.” Our current furniture collection includes original pieces and reproductions. Today those reproductions which Mr. Moses commissioned with the head of the American Wing of NYC Metropolitan Museum and recognized as “Sloane Collection,” are highly recognized and considered perfection in their craftsmanship. Recently, one piece of this collection – Bombe Desk – was returned back to us after being on a year tour at the Cleveland Art Museum and NYC Cooper-Hewitt Museum. (This particular piece has now been completed three such tours.)
The Ticonderoga Historical Society is very happy to assist the North Bennet Street School in their continuing endeavor to train students in the art of “Preservation Carpentry” and their other like programs.
Shortly we will be opening for our 2018 season and invite all to visit the Hancock House and see our new presentation and interpretation of the “Great Parlor.’
4/15/18 wgd