Things don’t just happen. Someone has to work towards them; labor to bring about their completion. For almost 350 years people have labored in and around The House of The Seven Gables. House-wrights built the home. Families started and expanded businesses. Indentured servants labored to fulfill the terms of a contract, and enslaved people toiled to support and enrich their owners with no hope of ever being compensated for their endeavors. At the beginning of the early 20th century, conscientious residents worked to benefit the less fortunate of the city. Today, others commit themselves to carrying on our museum’s mission and telling these stories of the past every day.
This year these stories come to life in our exhibit, Life and Labor over Four Centuries at The House of the Seven Gables, displayed in our Visitor Center through September 30. To complement the exhibit, during the first weekend of each month, now through September, we will focus on life and labor through special tours and hands-on activities highlighting domestic work.
Many of the skills our forebears would have been familiar with are quickly being lost in our rapidly modernizing world. We are excited to welcome demonstrators of various historical trades to the museum. These talented men and women are working hard to preserve the labors of the past. Demonstrations will include: historical carpentry; tin-smithing; horn-carving and hand sewing & quilting.
We hope you will join us this summer to learn more about this fascinating history and come to appreciate the hard work of our ancestors.