As we are now squarely in Atlantic hurricane season, this card is seasonally appropriate for today’s post, in spite of the “Merry Christmas” greeting it bears!
The photo to the right provides context for the Christmas card, which recently came to us through a bit of serendipity.
One of the deep delights of working as an archivist is discovering interesting materials just by chance. Last month, we received several boxes of Sippican Band music and other Marion artifacts from a local family. Every item in this collection had been carefully recorded on the donor’s typed content list, so there were no surprises as I moved from item to item, photographing them and assigning each one a unique, identifying accession number. However, when I picked up a stack of band music scores, an unusual Christmas card fluttered out. The photo was an arresting image – a two-story house being pulled by a truck down Front Street!
Fortunately, I was able to confer with writer and historian Judy Rosbe, who recognized the names and the event immediately. The card was signed by long-time Marion residents Russell and Eleanor Makepeace, and the event depicted was the moving of their house in December of 1955. After yet another hurricane had flooded their entire first floor in 1954, Russell and Eleanor received permission from the Marion selectmen to move their house from an address on Front Street near Tabor Academy to one on the other end of the business district. Town utility poles and lines were temporarily removed, and the house was cut into three pieces, front to back, to be moved separately.
By a simple search of the SHS database (keyword “Makepeace”), I found a number of newspaper articles with accompanying photos following the story of the house’s move down Front Street, as well as its eventual reassembly. The database also contains several photos of the Makepeace house enduring the Hurricane of 1938, including the one seen at the top of this post. These photos provide ample justification for the Makepeace family’s decision to move their house to a safer, drier location!
The SHS has preserved, and continues to preserve an incredible number and variety of materials for all to learn from and enjoy. Our doors are open, and our database is available to all; come, explore, and you may discover some serendipity of your own!