Sailor's Valentine

An original Sailor's Valentine

There's more than just salt in the air on Cape Cod this month. It's sweeter, makes your heart flutter, and has bewitched us since the dawn of time. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when we decided to express our love by giving our sweethearts Valentines every February 14th. Some speculate that the first official Valentine was created by British Lieutenant Colonel John Simcoe on February 14th, 1779, during the Revolutionary War. Presented to Sally Townsend, one of the daughters in a family whose house he and other British officers were occupying on Long Island, NY, the Valentine featured a passionate poem Simcoe wrote about her. The first two lines implore his beloved:

Fairest Maid, where all is fair, Beauty’s pride and Nature’s care;

To you my heart I must resign, O choose me for your Valentine!

Alas, it was never meant to be for these star-crossed lovers. Simcoe inevitably went back to England after the war, and Sally never married, living until the age of 82. The Valentine given to her as a young woman was discovered to be among her possessions after her death.

Sally's Valentine by Mort Künstler

By the dawn of the 19th century Valentines began to be mass-produced, approximately over 200,000 circulated in London alone by the 1820s. Some were simple, others impressingly elaborate, all depending on how much money the admirer wanted to spend.

A Victorian Valentine from 1870

Outside of the big cities, store-bought Valentines were much harder to come by, making lovers more creative with their gift giving. Here on Cape Cod, many of our men went out to sea for months on end, upon merchant ships or whaling vessels, thousands of miles away. Much of that time, one can imagine, they spent feeling homesick and heartsick for their significant others. What thoughtful and unique treasure could they bestow upon their Valentine to reflect the one-of-a-kind love they shared?

The island of Barbados in the Caribbean was an especially busy seaport during the 19th century. While in port, sailors often spent their free time searching for interesting souvenirs to bring home as gifts. An especially popular and completely unique souvenir exclusive to Barbados was what we now call a Sailor's Valentine. Traditionally octagonal in shape and encased in a wooden glass frame, each Valentine was decorated with beautiful colorful shells glued together in intricate designs. Many featured romantic sayings and designs, making them the perfect Valentine for the men to bring home to their wives. The women of Barbados were the artisans of these stunning creations, and between the 1830s and 1880s, they sold these to English and American sailors with tremendous success.

Original label behind a Sailor's Valentine from the New Curiosity Shop

Recognizing a lucrative business opportunity, two English brothers, B.H. and George Belgrave, opened up the wildly popular New Curiosity Shop in Bridgetown, Barbados, where they hired local artists to craft these Valentines, many of which still exist today with their labels on the back.

Some artists even took custom orders, inscribing personalized love notes requested by the sailor, thus coining the term, a "Sailor's Valentine."

Today these marvelous creations are incredibly valuable and highly sought after, with collectors appraising them anywhere from $500 to $10,000.00. Contemporary artists have also kept the art form alive by creating their own Sailor's Valentines. Cape Cod native, Sandy Moran, is probably the most renowned artist who specializes in this craft today. For twenty six years, she has crafted some of the most exquisite and intricate Sailors Valentines, and even teaches courses on how to craft your own. 

One of Sandy Moran's Sailor's Valentines

As we race to the supermarket tomorrow to snatch a last-minute Hallmark card and a box of chocolates, it's hard not to feel a shred of guilt when harkening back a century or two ago when Valentines were not only special, but in this case, literal works of art. Of course a gift of this quality today is well above most of our price ranges, but still, it presses me at least to pause and consider the true meaning and intent of St. Valentine's Day. We all too often find ourselves in this modern world rushed and unable to be bothered by things so frivolous as a Valentine, but think of the world of difference it would make if you presented your loved one with a gift from the heart. Be it a Sailor's Valentine or a photo of the two of you glued on pink construction paper, make Valentine's Day a holiday to cherish and to feel cherished again.

Insulating Your Old Home

A house in Centerville covered in snow from the Blizzard of '05 (Photo by Matt Suess)

As the Cape and the rest of the northeast wades knee deep through winter, homeowners, and in particular historic home owners, are making sure their homes are prepared for the cold weather too. Old houses, despite their beauty, have the tendency to be drafty. If your house hasn’t been completely remodeled to contemporary standards, your windows are likely single-paned, your plaster walls are uninsulated, and let’s face it: the overall construction of your home is just old. There is bound to be a crack somewhere. So where does one begin? Let’s start with windows.

Original double-hung window in an 18th century Connecticut cape

Single-paned windows featuring the original glass are treasures to hold. I personally would sacrifice comfort (along with my wallet) to preserve them if I had no other choice. Luckily, historic homeowners have many options to retain their original windows without sacrificing anything. Start with detecting any drafts your window might have. The easiest and most effective way to do this is by blowing smoke against the corners of the glass. Cigarettes aren’t necessary; incense, a smoke pencil puffer stick, or even a home inspector’s draft detector will do the job. Once you pin point where the drafts are coming from, reseal them and add weather-strips to increase the insulation.

Interior aluminum storm window in my bedroom

After the drafts have been taken care of, it’s time to consider storm windows. They’re nothing new; storm windows have been around for centuries and many old houses today already have them. My house, built in 1830, has the old aluminum storm windows from the 70s which are not so pleasing to the eye, but do the trick. Other homes are lucky to still have the original wooden storm windows from the 19^th century that tend to blend in with the exterior of the home more and are only slightly noticeable. In recent times, many preservationists have opted to use interior storm windows which are nearly invisible and a fabulous choice for those who do not want to compromise the historic authenticity of their home. With various options to choose from, like glass, acrylic or polycarbonate glazing, interior storm windows are easy to install and remove and are surprisingly cost effective. Whichever type of storm window you choose, make sure each panel is functioning properly, and they'll be sure to block those icy drafts that gust right through your single-paned glass. 

Installing batts in the underside of a roof (Photo by certainteed.com)

Moving on from the windows, arguably the most important place in an old home to insulate is in the attic. Statistically, 30-40% of heat is lost through the roof. Heat rises, so increasing the insulation within your attic is crucial for conserving the heat within your home. Fortunately, attics are the easiest room in the house to insulate. They’re usually unfinished, so adding batts (fiberglass insulation that comes in rolls) to the underside of the roof or to the attic floor is incredibly effective and simple to install. The only thing to keep in mind is ventilation. Make sure your attic has at least one source of ventilation (i.e. traditional gable vents or another type of vent) to prevent moisture from being trapped inside and creating wood rot.

A hidden treat discovered while restoring the plaster walls of an 18th century tavern in Long Island, NY.

Many people ask about insulating the plaster walls of an old house. My advice to them is to leave them alone. You might ask why and I’ll assure you that you will do more damage to your home than good by drilling holes into the plaster and blowing in insulation. Plaster walls were constructed without a vapor barrier the way sheetrock walls are built today. When moisture clings to plaster walls and enters through hairline cracks, outlets, etc., the foam insulation will trap the incoming moisture, eventually causing dry rot and mold. This excess moisture can also attract termites, and even cause exterior paint failure on wood siding. If that isn’t bad enough, the pressure from the insulation foam can expand and crack the walls, and in particularly bad cases cause structural damage to the entire house! All that being said, it is best to leave the walls as they were built two hundred years ago and focus on the alternative methods.

This fireplace heats the entire first floor of my half cape

Historic homeowners are a special breed. Instead of striving for flawlessness, we embrace our home's quirks and imperfections: squeaky floorboards, crooked walls, and yes, a little draftiness. It’s all part of the character. That still doesn’t mean you need to go broke and freeze this winter! As you see, there are many ways to add some extra insulation to your home without compromising its historical integrity. Let's also not forget those fireplaces of ours serve more than an aesthetic purpose-- they create warmth! So, as we curl up with a cup of cocoa and watch the snow fall this winter, turn down the heat and throw a log on the fire. You and your home will be toasty in no time.

#capecod

Thanksgiving on the Cape

When the last surviving leaves bid us farewell in a torrent of color, and the frost greets us on bare meadows and frigid windshields, we retreat back to Home. The world around us grows quiet save for the squawk of a lone seagull or the soft pedal of leaves scraping the ground. It’s toasty by the fireside and toastier yet by the oven. We invite winter in through our stomachs and reflect on our blessings during this most beautiful time of year.

 

Photo Courtesy of Coastal Engineering Company

Did you know Cape Cod was the first place that the Pilgrims landed in the New World back in 1620? They anchored the Mayflower off the shores of Provincetown and explored the land for a few weeks before ultimately setting sail for Plymouth. Before they left, the Mayflower Compact was signed here. These events were commemorated in 1892 by Cape Cod’s first non-for-profit organization, the Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association, by building a massive 252-foot monument close to the shore where they might have landed. To date, the Pilgrim Monument is the largest granite structure in the United States.

 

Photo Courtesy of PTownie.com

The Annual Lighting of the Pilgrim Monument, traditionally held the night before Thanksgiving, is an especially festive event. Each year the monument is adorned in a sparkle of lights which first illuminate on this occasion and shine on through the New Year. It is a time-honored tradition that has been cherished on the Cape for generations.

In Chatham, their annual Turkey Trot, a 5k run through some of the town’s most picturesque roadways, benefits the Lower Cape Outreach Council’s emergency programs. Held the morning of Thanksgiving, it’s a sure-fire way to work up an appetite while giving back to the community.

Speaking of appetite, what would a Cape Cod Thanksgiving be without cranberries? Arguably our most prominent (and striking) crops grow in abundance this time of year and makes a perfect complement for countless dishes. One particularly palatable recipe comes from the kitchen of writer Jennifer Trainer Thompson, resident of Buzzards Bay. Made for Thanksgiving, this simple dish is a must-have for any respectable table on the Cape.

 

Butternut Squash with Cranberries

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 yellow onions, cut into 8 wedges

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

 

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 500°. Toss first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Spread squash mixture evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

Step 2

Add cranberries, and roast 10 to 12 more minutes or until squash is tender. Toss with almonds, and serve immediately.

As we hear the echo of geese honking over our homes this Thanksgiving and look up from our bountiful plates out our windows, as we see their fading silhouettes flap hurriedly past the newly bare trees, give thanks. Give thanks for the warm dining room you feast in and for your loved ones beside you. Count your blessings and acknowledge that it really is quite a beautiful world we live in after all.

Haunted History at the Dillingham House

It’s October and New England has once again blossomed into its most flattering form. Here on the Cape where summer reigns supreme, autumn is our “best kept secret.” The crowds of tourists are long gone, the streets are quiet, the salty air has a crispness to it, and the plump red sight of cranberries begin to adorn the surrounding bogs.

It’s also the time of year when the shadows stretch just a little further and the days grow shorter. We retire for the night earlier, curling up around the fire and in hushed excited tones tell each other stories of the supernatural and unknown.

October is the time for Halloween and what better way to kick off this month of the macabre than with a chilling tale of a haunted house (currently for sale!) in our very own Sandwich.

Dillingham House, Currently Listed by Beverly Comeau, 
Kinlin Grover Real Estate
$499,000, 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths

The Dillingham House was built in the 1650s by one of Sandwich’s founding fathers, Edward Dillingham. In the family until 1926, Edward’s great grandson Branch Dillingham had owned it in the early 1800s with his wife and nine children. His reasons now lost to history, Branch committed suicide in 1813 leaving his wife and children behind. If that wasn’t bad enough, only weeks later his wife inexplicably died as well, forcing the children to fend for themselves alone in their empty house. The proceeding conditions of the children’s lives are hazy but we do know that most lived into adulthood, however difficult that feat might have been for them. In any case, this family left their mark on this house and perhaps even continues to do so.

After the property fell out of the Dillingham family’s hands, it became a rundown boarding house during the 1930s and 40s, jokingly referred to as “The Ritz.” After that period, it was abandoned for many years, yet neighbors couldn't help but notice the strange occurrences happening there. 

In the 1970s individuals reported having seen strange lights moving around the rooms within the house, despite the fact it was vacant. A police report from 1979 listed mysterious happenings such as doors unlocking on their own, the sound of small feet pattering across the floor and motion detectors being set off without explanation. A woman claimed to have seen the “glimpse of a stern-looking man dressed in Victorian attire” in one of the windows. The police reports explicitly notes that this activity typically seemed to spike around Halloween…

In more recent years, the house had been a bed and breakfast.  The owner at the time claimed to have smelled the odor of "gamey" meat pervading the house while it was under renovation.  Some of his guests sweared to have seen children run across the halls, their small footsteps echoing behind them. One guest woke up to the sight of a little girl at the end of their bed watching her, and many others heard nearby footsteps when they were alone in their rooms.  The owners, like the earlier police reports, agreed that the activity seemed to peak around Halloween.

Is the Dillingham House haunted or has it just been visited by generations of people with big imaginations?  I'll let you be the judge of that.

Believers and skeptics alike, we can all agree that the month of October is the perfect time to go out and enjoy our community. Here are a bunch of fabulous events on the Cape this month that you won't want to miss:

  

Dating Your Historic Home

Historic plaque on my home courtesy of our local historical society

You know your house is old, but are you certain how old? For many owners of historic homes, obtaining a copy of the original deed or a complete title is not so easy. Records were not kept as diligently as they are now, if there even was an original record to begin with, so historic home owners often need to do their detective work while trying to pinpoint the true origin of their homes.

Now where to begin? Start by exhausting every possible record your house may have on file with your county or town. Your title, or the property deed, will list the past owners of your house, but if your property is exceptionally old it may not date far back enough to reveal the original owner. Barnstable County has an online database of recorded deeds that saves you the trip to the county clerk’s office (www.BarnstableDeeds.org).

An Indenture for the transfer of land from Nicholas Thomas to Lambert Strarenbergh in Albany, New York, circa 1734. Getty / Fotosearch

If you are still having trouble, visit your local tax assessor. Your tax roll may reveal when your house was built on your property. Another option is requesting a full list of transactions (also known as the “tract index”) involving your property from your county’s Registry of Deeds. You will then be able to see every purchase and transfer of ownership of your house, but again, if your house is older than the mid 19^th century, these kinds of records are all too often incomplete.

If you are lucky enough, perhaps your town’s historical society or library has comprehensive records of the historic properties in the area. Early photographs, newspaper clippings, personal accounts, and census records are some of a few clues to get closer to accurately dating your house. I know in my case, trying to date my 19^th century farmhouse on Long Island was incredibly difficult. The records were scarce and mostly unclear. With the help from our town’s historian, I learned that my house was built by a prominent farmer in the area, but he did not live in it. Finding his grave in our local cemetery, I discovered he died in 1849 so I was able to validate that my house was likely built in the early part of the 19^th century. Here on Cape Cod, there is a helpful website that allows you to search for gravestones by town and cemetery (www.CapeCodGravestones.com) without having to search aimlessly through the cemetery (however fun that sounds!)

Gravesite of the builder of my house, Obadiah Wells (Setauket, NY)

The state of Massachusetts has a great online database of historic properties throughout the state called The Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (www.mhc-macris.net.) Simply type in the address and/or city of your property and the results may be able to tell you the year your house was built, in addition to the architect, architectural style, and even perhaps the original significance of your property. Another slightly less reliable database is HABS (Historic American Building Survey) where you can also search for your property by county. If you manage to  find your property on there, consider yourself one of the lucky few! Properties recorded on HABS can include architectural drawings and photographs. Score!

Once you’ve traced back your property with every record that exists, complete your investigation with the most basic method: your own observational skills. If you can hire an architectural historian, by all means invite them over! But dating your own house to an architectural time period is easier than you think, and quite fascinating, in my opinion.

Start by looking at the exterior of your house. If it hasn’t been renovated extensively, it should be fairly simple to identify the original architectural style in which it was built.

Some popular (and by no means is this a full list) early American architectural styles include:

Buttolph-Williams House, Wethersfield, CT (c. 1711)

17^th Century Colonial Houses (~1630-1740)
Characteristics include: Wood and stone construction, side-gabled steep roofs, diamond paned windows, plain façade with no trim, large chimney usually placed in the center of the house.

"Home Sweet Home" Museum, East Hampton, NY (c. 1720s)

Saltbox House (~1607-early 1700s)

Characteristics include: Steep roof that peaks at a second story in the front of the building and slopes to a first story in the back, large center chimney, mostly shingled wood exterior (some clapboard), double-hung windows with 9-over-9 or 12-over-12 panes, simple and mostly symmetrical.

Historical Society of Santuit and Cotuit

Cape Cod House (~1690-1850) 
Characteristics include: Wood frame, steep roof, full Capes feature a central door with two sets of windows on either side. A three-quarter Cape features a single window on one side, followed by a door, and then two windows on the other side. 

Half Cape at Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage, NY

A half cape features the door on the side of the front and two windows adjacent to them. Full Capes typically have a center chimney, whereas three-quarter and halves typically have their chimney on one side (not on the exterior wall as some later reproductions do.) 

Georgian in Deerfield, MA

Georgian House (~1700-1830)

Characteristics include: Symmetrical design, double hung windows with 9-over-9 or 12-over-12 panes, doors with ornamented pilasters and/or transom lights, brick siding in the south and clapboard in the north, side-gabled or hipped roof.

Federal in Setauket, NY

Federal House (~1780-1820)

Characteristics include: Symmetrical design, square or rectangular building, hipped or flat roof, ornamental doorway with pediment, pilasters, sidelights, and/or fanlights, decorative molding, interior chimneys located on each end of the structure, brick or wood construction

Captain Bangs-Hallet House

Greek Revival House (~1825-1860)

Characteristics include: Typically painted white with black shutters, gables with pediments, elaborate cornices, columns, decorative rectangular windows towards the top of the house, fanlights and sidelights in the doorway.

Victorian in Setauket, NY

Victorian House (~1855-1900) Characteristics include: Steep multi-gabled roofs, asymmetrical, textured walls, abundance of trim and detail, pavilions, corner bays, porches, brick foundations. Many physical variations.

After identifying the architectural style of your house, you now have a broad idea of the time period in which your house was built. To enhance your findings, step inside and observe. Do your wide plank floorboards appear to have hand-hewn nails? If so, it was most likely built before 1800. Hand wrought nails were predominantly made in the 18^th century and earlier. By the 1830s, nails were being machine made and became more uniformed in appearance.

If possible, look at the support beams and framing of your house. Can you see rough saw marks, or do they look milled and uniformed? If they resemble the latter, your house may be dated back to the 1830s or later. Large timber beams connected to joists with wooden pegs or a cavity (also called mortise and tenon framing) is a clear indication of an older home from at least the early 19^th century. By the 1830s, balloon framing became the more popular method and is still used to this day. Identifying features include long vertical 2x4 beams that are nailed to each floor frame, essentially creating a skeleton of the house.

An example of mortise and tenon construction

There are countless clues your house is willing to reveal to you if you simply acquaint yourself with these methods of dating. There are many books on the topic and articles on the web to help you with your quest.

A few parting words of advice:

• Do your homework! Make sure you have at least a general understanding of American architecture before you explore. There are countless sources online as well as in print that illustrate key architectural features for each time period and style for you to reference.

• Leave no stone unturned! Keep in mind, people did not like to waste anything in the past. Many old houses were built with recycled parts, so while investigating, do remember to compare all your findings before drawing a conclusion. Focusing on one part or feature alone will not give you an accurate picture. Assume nothing! Does your title seem to only go back to 1895 but your house looks Georgian? Toss that title to the side and dig deeper. The record might be incomplete.

• Last and most importantly, enjoy the quest. Investigating the age of your house is fun and exciting. By studying each nook and cranny, you gain a greater appreciation and understanding of your home’s construction as well as its past. Even if your research does not lead to any definitive conclusions, the knowledge you’ve achieved in the process is priceless.

#capecod, #preservation

2017 Holiday Season on Cape Cod

by Deb Crowell

The holidays on Cape Cod are truly magical.  It is a wonderful time to escape the commercialization of the season and attend events that are both authentic and steeped in tradition.  To help you sift through all the events the Cape has to offer, here are a few of our favorite picks.

Santa Arrives!

Santa’s arrives by boat in Falmouth Harbor with other seaside celebrations in Orleans, Provincetown, Hyannis, and every village in between.  This is just a few of the reasons that Christmas on Cape Cod is so memorable.

Christmas Strolls

Almost every town on the Cape begins opening up the first weekend of December to ring in the holidays. Now is the time to decide which one(s) you want to attend. Here are just a few.

Nantucket Christmas Stroll—December 1-3. Visit: http://christmasstroll.com/

Falmouth Village Holiday Stroll—December 2.  Visit: http://www.falmouthchamber.com/holidays-by-the-sea.html

Yarmouth Port Christmas Stroll—December 3.  Visit: http://business.yarmouthcapecod.com/events/details/yarmouth-port-christmas-stroll-2017-6372

Osterville Open House & Stroll—December 8. Visit: https://www.capecodchamber.org/events/43rd-annual-osterville-christmas-open-house-stroll

Gardens Aglow—Heritage Museum & Gardens

Gardens Aglow, has become a holiday family tradition. Heritage Museum and Gardens is transformed into a Winter Wonderland with more than ten miles of holiday lights adorning the gardens and woodlands to create a twinkling wonderland. Throughout the grounds and buildings, enjoy festive holiday displays, family-friendly activities, marshmallow-roasting, music and special performances, visits with Santa Claus, displays of model trains and more.

https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/event/gardens-aglow-5/

Hanukkah Storytime

Barnes and Noble - December 3rd, 4:30, Cape Cod Mall.  Visit:
https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780061895601-0

Holiday Historic Home Tours

Holidays at Highfield—December 1-3. Visit: http://highfieldhallandgardens.org/events/category/specialevents/

Barnstable Village Holiday Home Tour—December 3. Visit: http://www.barnstablehistoricalsociety.org/

Chatham Historic Inn Tour—December 9.  Visit: http://www.chathaminfo.com/events/details/chatham-historic-inn-tour-237

Sandwich Holly Days Holiday Home Tour—December 10.  Visit: http://www.sandwichhollydays.com/Home_tours.htm

First Night on Cape Cod

First Light Provincetown—December 28-January 2.  Visit: https://www.ptown.org/firstlight/

First Night Chatham—December 31.  Visit: http://www.firstnightchatham.com/newhomepage.html

First Night Sandwich—December 31. Visit: http://www.firstnightsandwich.com/

For a comprehensive list of events during the month of December visit the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce (https://www.capecodchamber.org/holiday-events-calendar) and The Cape Cod Museum Trail (http://capecodmuseumtrail.com/events/category/events/).

Happy Holidays!