*The Hartshorne House has recently undergone some much needed repairs to its chimneys. The Hartshorne House Association had contracted to repair one chimney, only to find that both chimneys were in need of serious repair. The total cost of the repair/reconstruction of the chimneys approaches $5,000. To make a donation toward the construction, scroll down to our PayPal link, or send a donation directly to the Col. James Hartshorne House Association. Below, the work in progress.

*President of the Hartshorne House Association Merry Eldridge(far right), aided by the Association's Educational Outreach Committee Chair Martha Philbrick (standing, left)  hands out U.S. Savings Bonds to the three winners of the Hartshorne House's essay contest for Wakefield fourth graders: The winners are (left to right) Michael Leven (tied for second, $50 bond), Allison Lee (first place, $100 bond), and William Holman (tied for second place,  $50 bond). The presentation, which attracted many proud family members of the winners, was made in the living room of the historic home on Church Street.

*Wakefield fifth grade students recently took a trip back into the past as they visited the town's historic Hartshorne House. Below, teacher Mary Sullivan looks on as students sign the house's guest book.

* The 2009 Hartshorne House Breakfast was a great success thanks to the efforts of many, most notably the event chairs. Shown below are (left to right) Directors Jane McInnis, Lois Deviller, Mary Daniels, and Carole Curran.

* John McCaul (left), a Wakefield resident and owner of the Carpet & Rug Outlet Store, Rt. 28, Reading, displays one of the two rugs he recently donated to the Wakefield's Hartshorne House. Accepting the generous donation on behalf of the Col. James Hartshorne House Association are the home's current residents, Rich and Jen Metropolis. Rich was a valued employee of John's for 17 years, and John and his son wanted to show appreciation to Rich for his many years of dedicated service. One rug is a multi-colored, handcrafted, 100% wool rug, and the other is a green braided oval rug, both of which will be put to good use in the historic Church Street home.

* New Officers were elected at the Association Annual Meeting in May, 2009. Below: Jane Good (Secretary), Andrew McRae (Treasurer), Abigail Russell (Vice President), Merry Eldridge (President)

* Historical News! Eighteenth Century Deed to the House discovered in donation to the Wakefield Historical Society. Click here for details!

* This old house needs your help!

* The Hartshorne House can now accept donations through PayPal. To make a donation, click the image below and you will be taken to a secure page where you can make a donation with PayPal or any credit card. Thank you for your support of Wakefield's beloved old house.

* The Col. James Hartshorne House Association has engaged the services of John Leeke (see his website, here.) to examine the structure of the venerable house in order to pinpoint problems or issues of concern. Below, former House Resident Rob Hagerty and John Leeke examine one of the house's chimneys.

The House received a new coat of paint last year, chosen from among the palette of historic colors offered by California Paints, and greeted the holiday season with festive decorations. At right, see a photograph of Rob Hagerty decking the door frame with holiday greens. The photo at right is shown with the compliments of wakefieldworld.com.

One of the loveliest traditions of the Wakefield holiday season is the annual Hartshorne House Christmas Tea. Below, we share some photographs of the house in its holiday finery. As the first snow of the season gracefully descended (just enough to set the scene for the event), hundreds of friends of the Hartshorne House came to share the hospitality and the spirit of the season.