News
Find out what’s going on at Victoria Mansion and learn more about the collection in these posts and by joining our mail and e-newsletter lists.
Featured Articles
Brownstone Progress in Reception Bay
Despite outwardly quiet appearances, the Mansion is humming with activity in the off-season as staff prepares for the burst of work the warm months will bring. Director Tom Johnson and Assistant Director Tim Brosnihan are working closely with stone expert Ivan Myjer this winter to source brownstone for an upcoming project to restore the Reception Room Bay. While the quarries in Portland, Connecticut that supplied brownstone for building projects up and down the eastern seaboard operated through the 1930s, changing architectural taste and the Great Depression brought brownstone quarrying to a halt by decade's end. For a small window of [...]
Maine’s Boy Scouts Transform the Cistern Room
This spring, the Mansion is pleased to be partnering with Maine's Boy Scouts. The Cape Elizabeth Boy Scouts are now working in the Mansion's third floor Cistern Room to transform the space into a dedicated archival storage area, as well as as a place for small meetings and scholarly research. The room once housed a 1,000 gallon copper tank that held the entire water supply for the Mansion. The water was gravity-fed throughout the house in one of Maine's earliest indoor plumbing systems. Erich Chase, a current Mansion Earle G. Shettleworth Junior Docent, is spearheading the project to earn the [...]
Teaming Up With Maine’s Girl Scouts
Victoria Mansion has also proudly served as a Girl Scouts of Maine Community Partner over the past several years. This year, in addition to offering a variety of tours and lessons that tie into Girl Scout 'Journeys' and badges, Victoria Mansion has begun a series of informative posts about 19th-century women inventors, to tie into the emphasis Girl Scouts is placing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) for girls. The first post went up on both Facebook pages in February, soon to be followed by many more interesting facts about these largely unknown women. To check out the first [...]
Revamping the Carriage House Museum Shop
Museum Shop Buyer & Manager Patti Chase, has been hard at work setting up the Carriage House Museum Shop for the upcoming 2018 season. Featured items will include new lines of Victorian jewelry, toiletries, accessories, and apparel, as well as rare and novelty books that delve into different aspects of Victorian life and culture. Patti is working to hand-select the perfect Victorian-themed gifts for any age and interest. Be sure to stop by the shop when you visit Victoria Mansion after we open for the season on May 1!
On the Trail with Victoria Mansion’s Curator
In her never-ending search for information about the history of the Morses, Curator Arlene Schwind recently had a delightful visit in Alexandria, Virginia, with Rex F. Lothrop, the great-grandnephew of Ruggles Morse. She learned about Mr. Lothrop from his nephew, Robert Lipsky, who recently donated original Morse objects to the Mansion (see our December newsletter). While Arlene shared her research of their ancestors, Mr. Lothrop and his daughter, Jean Marchant, provided insights into the later generations of the Lothrop family, including the tidbit that Mr. Lothrop's father had changed his name from "Ruggles" to "Rex" at an early age! Mr. [...]
Volunteering at Victoria Mansion and the Portland History Docent Program
Looking for a fun way to get involved at the Mansion? Volunteers are the backbone of the museum and we are always looking for new folks to create memorable and informative experiences for our visitors. For more information on upcoming training sessions and how to become a member of our incredible team of volunteers, click here. Ever wanted to know more about Portland's history in general and other sites around town? Each year in collaboration with other historic sites in the greater Portland area, including the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, Portland Observatory, Narrow Gauge Railroad, and the Tate House, Victoria Mansion participates in [...]
Education in the Off-Season
Despite the doors being closed to the public, Victoria Mansion's education department has some exciting developments of late. First, we would like to officially introduce our new Director of Education, Stacia Hanscom. Staci has served as the Curator of Education at the William Trent House in Trenton, New Jersey, Coordinator of School Programs at the Albany Institute of History and Art, and has been an Education Consultant at the Mansion since 2012. We are so pleased to have her aboard! The Mansion also recently received a grant of $4,000 from the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust towards educational programming and [...]
Reflecting on the 34th Annual Christmas at Victoria Mansion
As we close the books on another successful year, we'd like to thank all of our fantastic donors, sponsors, and our intrepid team of talented designers who made Christmas at Victoria Mansion possible. Designers for 2017-2018's Christmas season, Christmas in the City by the Sea, are: The Saco Festival of Trees Design Committee- Vestibule Dan Hatt, Don Chouinard, and Marcedas Hatt- Stair Hall, Reception Room Gail Diamon, Shannon Hanley & Aaron Bowden of Dodge the Florist- Dining Room Melinda Thomas, Shelly Bridges & Natasha Titus from Clipper Merchant Tea House- Library Dan Kennedy and Stefanie Scala of Harmon's Floral Co.- Parlor Dan Gifford- Red Bedroom Dwayne Harris of Blossoms of Windham- [...]
Christmas Comes Early for Mansion Collections
Victoria Mansion was recently the lucky recipient of some remarkable objects originally owned by the house's first owners, Ruggles and Olive Morse. The generous gifts of Dr. Robert H.L. Lipsky, the great-great grandnephew of Ruggles, which include two objects currently on view during the Christmas season, are among the highlights of our year. In the Parlor, in the center of the circular ottoman, is a bronze-patinated spelter statue of "Lorelei" by Friedrich Wilhelm Engelhard (pictured above). Dated 1852, the figure is after the sculptor's marble version that was exhibited at London's Crystal Palace in 1851. Lorelei was a legendary nymph [...]
Christmas at Victoria Mansion in the Media
The Mansion enjoyed great coverage on a variety of platforms this holiday season. On November 24 as we officially opened to the public, AJ and Nikki from 94.9 WHOM dressed in Victorian garb for a live broadcast to kick off the season. Listeners were treated to a behind-the-scenes play by play as we prepared the house for the eager crowds. Our friends at WGME came to visit several times to cover different aspects of Christmas at Victoria Mansion as part of their Hometown Holidays series, including Stories on the Staircase, where the Mansion's youngest visitors are treated to a story hour, and an interview with Assistant Director Tim Brosnihan on [...]
Victoria Mansion Christmas Gala 2017 Recap
On Wednesday, November 29, 2017, the Mansion welcomed over 200 people to our annual Christmas Gala. Guests enjoyed signature drinks, fabulous hors d'oeuvres, and viewed the incredible decorations by our talented designers for this year's theme of 'Christmas in the City by the Sea.' One of our biggest fundraisers of the year, the Gala raised over $10,000 to support the Mansion's preservation and educational programs. Thanks to our patrons for underwriting the event costs, the Cumberland Club for generously donating the food, Valet4ME, Blue Elephant Events & Catering, and of course, our guests for making it such a special night! [...]
A Very Fond Farewell to Two Valued Staff Members
It is with mixed emotions that we announce the departure of two longtime members of the Victoria Mansion family. Our Director of Education & Visitor Services, Lucinda Hannington has decided to step down from her position after 5 years to pursue long-neglected historical research and writing projects. As many know, Lucinda has expertly trained countless docents, led hundreds of student tours from preschool to college, and keeps current the house's interpretation to the public. She has also successfully instituted a wide variety of educational programs and events, including the biennial, ever popular Victorian Fair. Coincidentally, Sam Heck, our Director of Development for [...]