The Poultney Historical Society will be celebrating the 79th annual East Poultney Day on Saturday, August 9th from 9am to 3pm on the historic East Poultney Green. The theme of the day is “Celebrating the Town Green,” where we will honor this public landscape as the gathering place for social, political, commercial and civic events that have bound our citizens together over the two and half centuries Poultney has existed. Our town or village green is a "living artifact,” a “commons” that is a symbol of our English colonial heritage that survives nearly unchanged since Poultney’s original settlement, and marks our community as part of New England.
This year’s featured historical speaker, at 11am in the Main Events tent, is Dr. Matthew Osborn, Associate Professor of History and Environmental Studies at Green Mountain College. Dr. Osborn is a specialist in British history, and will share his insights about the commons, the ideas behind communally owned, “undivided” land in Great Britain that were the origin the town greens, a mainstay of New England town planning.
Our East Poultney Green’s function as a marketplace is re-enacted by the gathering of a surprising diversity of local, juried vendors selling unique crafts and folk arts, plants, artisan foods, antiques and collectibles. Demonstrations in a tent at the Green’s center are scheduled all day, including goat milking, rug hooking, quilting, and slate carving. Near the Main Events tent, pick up a brush and add your touch to a barn quilt, a large wooden board with a painted quilt design that will be created throughout the day under the guidance of area artist Jason Janson. Mr. Janson, Poultney’s 2014 Community Arts Coordinator –in-Residence, will unveil the full collection of this summer-long community arts project created together with Poultney residents of all ages. At 9:30am, he will also speak about the concept of Barn Quilt Trails and his vision for this project. Come to see your handiwork and ask questions. One barn quilt that Jason personally painted is featured as a Grand Prize in this year’s raffle.
The Historical Society’s annual raffle drawing will be at 2:30 PM, featuring great prizes from area businesses and vendors. Visit the Historical Society tent on the green to buy your tickets before the raffle and renew your annual membership or join the Society while you’re there.
The Society’s three museums around the Green will be open all day with exhibits. Be sure to visit the restored East Poultney 1896 Schoolhouse to see Andrea Mott’s new tribute to the Valiant 13 women, as well as “Under the Wire: What’s Hidden Beneath Her Sunday Best,” a display of the elaborate layers of Victorian women’s undergarments, and Poultney Elementary’s 4th grade signage created for our agricultural tools.
At the Melodeon Factory, you can view screenings of past award-winning History Day project short films and the Historical Society’s own DVD, “A Tour of Two Villages: Poultney Village,” which will be shown all day on the hour and is available for purchase at the Historical Society tent. The 1791 Union Academy is ideal for kids to explore and experience a colonial era classroom, with quill pens and slate boards, as well as games and activities just outside.
Thank you for your continued support and see you at East Poultney Day!
The Poultney Historical Society
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