Parlor Music Concerts, March 28 & April 11

Hall House Parlor Concert - the Matthews Duo

Sun, March 28, 2pm – 4pm

Samuel Read Hall House, Brownington, VT (map)

The Matthews Duo -- flutist Wendy Matthews and husband classical guitarist Peter Matthews -- will perform at the Orleans County Historical Society on Sunday, March 28, at 2:00 p.m. The program will open with music from the 20th and 18th centuries, including that of composers Ernst Gottlieb Baron, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Astor Piazzolla. The second half of the concert will feature music composed by 19th century guitarists Napoleon Coste and Mauro Giuliani. The duo will conclude the recital with selections from contemporary composer Robert Beaser's Mountain Songs, a collection of pieces based on folk music popular during Alexander Twilight's lifetime.






Hall House Parlor Concert - Jim Daniels

Sun, April 11, 2pm – 4pm

Samuel Read Hall House, Brownington, VT (map)

String Band music and traditional American tunes will be performed by NEK favorites Daniels & McGinnis on April 11, Sunday afternoon 2 pm. The parlor at newly restored Hall House provides an early 1800's setting for this duo's fine acoustic music and vocals. This concert is second in a series at Old Stone House Museum in Brownington, Vt.

Apple Classes at the Museum, April 3 & April 17

Home Orchard Grafting & Pruning
Sat, April 3, 10am – 2pm Old Stone House Museum (map) $25 Members. $30 Non-members. Pre-registration required before March 27. Call 802-754-2022
Todd Parlo owns and operates Walden Heights Nursery & Orchard, a certified organic orchard and propagation nursery in Walden, Vt. He does professional pruning with decades of experience. Todd grafts thousands of trees of hundreds of varieties every year. You can learn more about the farm at waldenheightsnursery.com. Fruit Tree Pruning and Grafting. This combination workshop will give an overview of various techniques and physiology behind grafting and pruning of cold climate tree fruits. Discover the proper way to prune your tree for good health and maximum yields. Learn how to make your own orchard with the 4000 year old trick of grafting. Students will be provided with the materials and information to graft their own tree. Materials Attendees should bring a steel utility knife, pruning shears and a plastic grocery bag. If you have scions of your own feel free to bring them. Additional rootstocks and scionwood will be available for purchase at the class. Enrollment limited.

Renewal Pruning & Heirloom Apples
Sat, April 17, 10am – 2pm Old Stone House Museum $40 Members. $50 non-members. Pre-registration required before April 10. Call 802-754-2022.
Michael Phillips of Lost Nation Orchard and well known author “Guide for the Organic Orchardist” returns to the Museum by popular request. Michael invites you to learn from his long experience as an organic apple grower and shares the scientific basis of apple growing. You will practice pruning and bench grafting. Choose Scion wood from a variety of heirloom varieties and go home with your 2 grafted trees.

Collectors Fair Pictures

Pictures from the Collectors Fair, February 21st, 2010.

A fine collection of antique toasters.

Howard and Brad Barrup at their display. The Barrups always give away soap which they make with glycerin, a bi-product of their biodiesel operation. They produce enough biodiesel at their fix-it shop in Newport to heat the shop and power a Volkswagen.

A collection of toy soldiers, stamps and coins



An electric train set ran around the track



Rows of tables in the Orleans Elementary School Gym held interesting collections of all sorts. A steady stream of visitors enjoyed the display and chatted with the collectors.



- These are just some of the unique cast iron bottle openers that filled one table.



A beautiful collection of remembrance teacups made in Germany.



A second grader at Orleans Elementary School, displayed her collection of seashells and snow globes.






A very attractive display of glass insulators.

Kitchen Junket and Sliding Party, Feb. 28th, 1 - 4pm

From one to four in the afternoon, February 28th, Bring your skis and sleds to slide on trails around the museum grounds. Fiddling and dancing in the kitchen of the Samuel Read Hall House. Refreshments. Call 754-2022 for more information.

Collector's Fair, February 21st, 9am-2pm

The 9th Annual Collectors Fair will be held in the Orleans Elementary School Gym from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Long rows of tables will be filled with collections of all sorts, miniature engines, kitchen implements, tools, books, postcards, chainsaws, you name it. Lunch will be available and door prizes. Free for exhibitors and spectators. Call 754-2022 to reserve a table for your collection.

Nov. 28 Holiday Open House

Our annual Holiday Open House at the Old Stone House Museum is coming up November 28th, 2009! Held from 10 am to 3 pm at the Samuel Read Hall House, this event will have hearth cooking, live music, cookie making, hand crafts, wreath making, and refreshments.


The Museum shop will be set up in one of the rooms with books, toys, pottery, etc. for sale. Great stocking stuffer ideas!

Come join us the Saturday after Thanksgiving to kick off your Christmas season with a taste of 19th century America!

Museum Closing for Winter!

Well folks, it's that time of year again!

Days and nights are getting cooler and the daylight is getting shorter. Winter is on its way, so the Old Stone House Museum is going to be closing! We close annually on October 15th, so our last day of tours for the 2009 season will be next Thursday.

Come out to the Museum one last time this year, or maybe for your first time! There are four floors of interesting and amazing history to enjoy. Make sure you dress warmly: the Museum isn't heated. Whatever the case may be, we welcome you!