Hearthside - The House That Love Built

What’s Great on Great Road? Come Find Out on July 16th

On Saturday, July 16th from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., eight sites along Lincoln’s historic Great Road will be open free to the public. Take tours, explore the area, and discover what’s so great about Great Road.
  
This special one-day event is the result of a collaborative effort among several organizations, including: Blackstone Valley Historical Society; Historic New England’s 1693 Arnold House; c. 1835 Captain Wilbur Kelly House; 1880 Hannaway Blacksmith Shop; 1810 Hearthside; 1909 Lincoln Woods State Park; 1703 Saylesville Friends Meeting House; and 1694 Valentine Whitman Jr. House.
  
Called "Great" because it was so much more substantial than other routes through the valley, Great Road was built in 1683 as the major thoroughfare from the Port of Providence on into Mendon, Massachusetts along the west side of the Blackstone River. With historic houses, farms and mills, the Great Road Historic District in Lincoln, Rhode Island, retains much of the Blackstone River Valley's early nineteenth century rural character.
  
Tours are at Arnold House, Captain Wilbur Kelly House, Hearthside, Saylesville Meeting House, and Valentine Whitman Jr. House. The last tour is at 4:00 p.m. Among the features at the sites are: the Blackstone Valley Historical Society at North Gate opens its new library and archive, along with a special exhibit of a “balloon ride over the valley 130 years ago”….18 maps stretching from Providence to Worcester giving birds-eye views that depict the years 1875-1900. The Hannaway Blacksmith Shop hosts turn-of-the-century blacksmithing demonstrations, Hearthside presents its new colonial kitchen exhibit, and Historic New England’s Southern New England Regional Site Manager Dan Santos leads History Hikes from Gateway Park to Chase Farm Park at noon and 3:00 p.m. Cross through the covered bridge into Lincoln Woods State Park and go to the Nature Barn to learn about the wildlife in this area or meet up with Senior Officer with the Rhode Island Forestry Division Paul Dolan who will lead walking tours of the Zachariah Allen Silviculture plot in Lincoln Woods at noon and 2:00 p.m. At the Saylesville Meeting House, see one of the oldest Quaker houses of worship. You might just leave with a book from their monthly book swap. Also, the Captain Wilbur Kelly House located along the Blackstone Canal bike path in Quinnville presents a newly-acquired portrait of Kelly, as well as a walking tour from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. by Kathy Barton, well-known RI wild plant expert. She will focus on the household uses of local plants during the early years of the RI mills.  Refreshments are available at the Blackstone Valley Historic Society (North Gate) and Arnold House.
  
Visitors are invited to start their journey at any site, and pick up a “Passport to Great Road”. At each site, the passport will get stamped. Completed Passports, whether done all on one day or over a period of time, may be brought to The Lodge Restaurant on Breakneck Hill Road and receive a free dessert. There will be maps and Great Road passports at all sites. All events are free to the public. For more information, please call 401-728-9696.

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