Ethan Allen Homestead Museum

For those of you already dreaming of fall foliage -- check out this article from Luxury Travel Magazine , which includes the Ethan Allen Homestead as a must-see site!

https://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com/news-articles/the-best-destinations-and-hotels-for-fall-foliage-along-the-east-coast

Tip: The best fall foliage occurs at the Homestead around mid-October (on average). Our Flaxtravaganza event is conveniently scheduled that same time for peak fall fun!

The Best Destinations and Hotels for Fall Foliage Along the East Coast - 89199 As summer draws to a close, here are some of the Northeast’s most beautiful destinations to consider for Fall Foliage. For travelers looking for a quiet and quaint town to take in the sights, these hotels provide stunning views and outdoor adventures to truly take advantage of the season.

August 22, 1775, was the day of "an unhappy affair," in which Captain Remember Baker, Jr. was killed on a scouting mission just north of Lake Champlain near the Richelieu River. Baker was about 5' 10", heavy set, with freckles, and had a reputation as a fierce warrior and expert woodsman. Baker was one of the central officers of the Green Mountain Boys, and had the distinction of having had a bounty placed on his head, along with Ethan Allen and some of their colleagues. He was also a partner in the Onion River Land Company with several of the Allen brothers, and left behind his wife, Desire and two children.

Baker had paddled into enemy territory and was with a small detachment of American soldiers. He noticed a group of British-allied Indians in one of his boats with weapons. Baker informed the Indians that they were in his boat, and he had no conflict with them, and wanted his boat back, to no avail. Baker then ordered them to return his boat, or he would fire upon them. In a shootout, Baker's gun misfired, and he was hit in the head with a musket ball, killing him. His men fired on the Indians and wounded some, but the boat was soon out of range, and his men left the area without recovering Baker's body. Later, the hostile Indians beheaded him, and posted the head on a stick, before horrified British authorities recovered it, and buried it with his body on the bank of the river.

Unfortunately, Baker had disobeyed orders from General Phillip Schuyler, and engaged in hostile actions with the Indians at a time when the Continental forces were trying to recruit and negotiate with the Six Nations. For more depth and primary source resources, see the Journal of the American Revolution online.

Ethan Allen's Immediate Family, according to Myra Himelhock, "The Allens in Early Vermont." A more in-depth line of descendants for several generations is on display at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington.

Adelia Augusta Penniman's flowers (1801-1884)- This flower is sweet William, which is part of Adelia's collection. For those botanists out there, Adelia noted the class, order, genus and species. The flower meaning? "One may smile and be a villain." Still good advice today!

During the summer of 1784, Sam Averill (1748-1825), a carpenter from Gloucester, Massachusetts, builds a house for Ira Allen on the hill side facing the river, at the present location of the Winooski Block at the corner of Main Street and East Allen Street. The house is a Georgian design, square, one and a half stories with a hip roof. A massive brick chimney offers heat for four rooms, including a brick oven in the cellar for baking. Horse stables adjoined the house and an enormous barn sat a few yards east of the house. Orchards, fields, and gardens surrounded the house, and a freshwater spring served the neighborhood. Information from historian David Blow, from John Knickerbacor's memoir, image, public domain.

Our Free Monthly Lecture is TODAY at 2pm:

"Vermont Milk Chocolate Co. Factory: Hopes, Setbacks & Perseverance" by Professor Thomas Durant Visser, University of Vermont, Historic Preservation Program

FREE

How did people make their own clothes in the 1700s???

One week from today, join Head Gardener Tom while he harvests & processes his Homestead-grown flax for linen production, just like they did in the 18th century!

11:00am-12:30pm, included with general admission.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/share/5kkSkKYCAR7AFAph/

Tomorrow!
"Vermont Milk Chocolate Co. Factory: Hopes, Setbacks & Perseverance" by UVM's Dr. Thomas Durant Visser on Sunday August 18th 2-3pm in the Homestead Museum's Tavern. FREE!

Happy Bennington Battle Day: On August 16, 1777, 247 years ago, American forces defeated British forces in Walloomsac, NY, 8 miles from American supply storage in Bennington, in the newly minted republic of Vermont. The victory for General John Stark and his troops from several different colonies was a huge morale boost for the Patriots across the colonies and precluded the surrender of the British Northern Army in Saratoga a couple of months later in October 1777. Warner's Regiment, many of whom were still recovering after the Battle of Hubbardton a few weeks before, showed up and were instrumental in in turning back the Hessians, fighting for the British.

Although Ethan was in British prison and Ira was indisposed, their brother and Onion River Land Company business partner Heman, the diplomat of the family fought in that battle. Unfortunately, Heman would die less than a year later from complications from being wounded in the battle. First-person accounts of the battle are graphic, bloody, and eye-opening. Image: John Stark at the Battle for Bennington by Frederick Coffey Yohn, public domain.

In late August or early September of 1787, Ethan and F***y moved their family from Sunderland to Burlington Vermont. The family included Lucy Caroline, Mary Ann, and Pamela, Allen's three teenage daughters from his first marriage and three-year-old F***y Margaret. All indications are that they traveled overland from Sunderland to the lake. Ethan had bought a sailboat and sailed it from either Skenesborough (Whitehall) or Chimney Point to Burlington, and up the Onion (Winooski) River to their new home, which had been built in 1785, by Averil and Butterfield for Ira, according to Ethan's request.

F***y was six months into her pregnancy. Accounts say that in November 1787, she gave birth to Hannibal Montresor Allen at the inn of John Collins on Lake (Battery) Street, where the Pomeroy House is today. The sailboat may have been similar to the 50+ foot Philadelphia, used in the Battle of Valcour by Benedict Arnold. Image-- Philadelphia II, replica at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, author.

Calling all chocolate lovers!

Don't miss "Vermont Milk Chocolate Co. Factory: Hopes, Setbacks & Perseverance" by UVM's Dr. Thomas Durant Visser on Sunday August 18th 2-3pm in the Homestead Museum's Tavern. FREE!

Image provided by Tom Visser.

F***y's flowers- include the mountain ash, or Sorbus americana, a shrub or tree that is native to the eastern U.S. This is F***y's original specimen, which is still looking good after 209 years at the University of Vermont Pringle Herbarium. As we can see, the this specimen is held in place with slits cut into the paper that hold the stem. This collection is the only place we have found F***y's handwriting

The flowers produce orange seeds, and this plant has retained some of its natural pigmentation. The mountain ash is associated with grandeur, and folklore holds that mountain ash trees can ward off evil.

The Sons of the American Revolution dedication of the Captain Remember Baker plaque in Isle La Motte on Sunday in the rain was well-attended. Here are a couple of pics from the event. Images- author.

Time travel this Saturday to the 1780s!

Visit the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum on Saturday August 18th, 10am-3pm for our Home & Hearth Reenactment and learn from an historical reenactor what everyday life was like living on the frontier. Included in regular admission.

Image descriptions:
Two female historical reenactors dressed in 1770-1780s attire at the Homestead Museum during the June 2024 reenactment event with Warner's Regiment.

What did F***y Montresor Brush Buchanan Allen Penniman look like? We have a painting that depicts her at age 11, but we have none of her as an adult. What about this painting of a fashionable woman? Searching for F***y Montresor Allen online we find this image in grave databases, genealogical sites, and less discriminating social media and blogs. On these databases and blogs, it is not cited to a particular artist, and has no provenance whatsoever. To a historian adhering to facts, this could be an image of anyone. To this historian, claiming something without evidence belongs in a corner with the flat-Earth theory. Therefore, to attribute it to F***y Montresor Allen is far-fetched to say the least.

But wait! Living Historian Wendy B. reports that this is a painting of Francis Tucker Montresor, by John Singleton Copley and the original resides in the State Department in Washington DC! The provenance link is posted in the comments below.

Some accounts say F***y Montresor Allen Penniman left a trunk of her correspondence and other property with her family when she passed away in 1834. Let's hope that if that trunk survives, it someday makes its way into the hands of people who will bring it to light and preserve it. Image-- painting of a woman found online.

August 10, 1783 was Burlington's first colonial holiday. It was dubbed "first settler's day," the day the inhabitants first gathered to celebrate their town. Stephen Lawrence was one of the first, if not the first to live in Burlington, just south of the high bridge, presently called the Lime Kiln Bridge. Lawrence returned after the war, with his wife, Mary, and had at least one child, named Huldah.

Other families in the first celebration included those of Frederick Paxton, Simon Tubbs, and John Collins. As told by Huldah Lawrence, 6.25.1858, Burlington Weekly Free Press; Image by the author, living historians outside the Allen House, built in 1785.

One week from today, learn about the history of chocolate in Burlington!

https://www.facebook.com/share/eS7oqegPDmsZkQzu/

An artistic rendering of what today's Book Club meeting over tea & cookies will probably look like....

Join the Book Club today at 3pm to join in the discussion (and enjoy some free tea & cookie).

Image description:
"Tea Party" (1905) by Louis Moeller. This image is in the public domain.

Remember Baker was the same age as Ethan, and there is no doubt, the men grew up a few towns apart as first cousins. Baker had legendary combat and wilderness survival skills and while surveying the Grants (Vermont) with Ira Allen in the early 1770s, he was attacked by a female bear. Baker raised his axe to hit the bear in the head and the axe glanced off an overhead branch before slightly wounding the bear in the neck. The bear continued to charge Baker and fortunately the second blow met its mark. Baker and Allen ate bear meat every meal for a long time after that.
This is Remember Baker's bear paw, looking like it's 250 years old, which is on display at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington, Vermont. - author.

Will work for cake!

Earlier this week, museum volunteers worked with Megan from (VSARA) to digitize photographic slides of the 1980s Allen House restoration. These images will increase our understanding of the history of the architecture of the historic building.

This also happened to take place on the birthday or our museum director, so of course cake was involved!



Image descriptions:
1) Small red velvet cake with a lit candle sits on a paper plate on a wooden table in front of Museum Director Angie, while museum volunteers sing "Happy Birthday".
2) Angie smiles while holding her cake. Can't wait to eat it.
3) Intern Andy & volunteer Nicholas sit at a table with a laptop and a scanner to scan photographic slides.
4) Close-up image of a photographic slide reel and a scanning frame holding twelve slides ready to go in the scanner.
5) Director Angie, Roving Archivist Megan, and volunteers Sophie & Darlene set up the scanner to begin the project.
6) Director Angie sits in front of the laptop and explains to volunteers Sophie & Darlene the project.
7) Volunteer Nicholas hard at work on a laptop getting slides scanned.

Do you like books?
Do you like history?

Then join the Homestead Book Club this Sunday at 3pm in the Museum's Tavern. Tea & cookies provided. All you have to bring is an interest in talking about this book! FREE



Image description:
Cover of the book "John Adams Under Fire: The Founding Father's Fight for Justice in the Boston Massacre Murder Trial" by Dan Abrams and David Fisher

The Ethan Allen Homestead was the site of farming for thousands if years and included a complex of living quarters, barns and outbuildings during the early 1900s. Somewhere in there is the original Allen House. Taking a longer view, the Indigenous peoples and the farmers that lived here for the past 11,000 years are all part of the story of this land by the river we call the intervals.

Volunteers work over 500 hours a month year-round to categorize artifacts, research, interpret, staff, docent, garden, market, and run the museum. If you have some time and would like to offer a hand, please contact Tom Sharpley or Angie Grove at the museum. We would love to have you as part of the crew!

So many cool things to do here at the Homestead!

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/magnet-fishing-attracted-michael-rose-jerome-41552688

On August 8, 1786, the U.S. chooses the U.S. dollar as the official monetary unit. Up until then, currency from all over the world was used for monetary transactions. In that year, the Allens' Burlington home had just been built, and they were preparing to move from Sunderland to the wilderness town of Burlington. Ira had just opened a mill on the Onion (Winooski) River, and life was good. The first American dollar bill wouldn't be printed for another hundred years. Paper currency has come a long way since then, with this current tender honoring one of the Allens' contemporaries, Ben Franklin. Image-- author.

Was Ethan Allen a loyal and compassionate man?

This June 8, 1779 letter from Ethan asks his attorney, Stephen Rowe Bradley to represent William Stewart in Superior Court on Allen's tab. Stewart was defending the title of his gun. Allen identified Stewart as one of the "old Green Mountain core," and he was "very certain he has a right to," and "he is a poor man...;" and "my Warriors must not be cheated out of their fire arms." Image-- Vermont State Archives