Hearthside House Museum Celebrates 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair

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Monday, July 07, 2014

GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team

Postcard from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair of the Rhode Island State Building, modeled after Hearthside (the Stephen Hopkins Smith mansion) in Lincoln, RI.

The Hearthside House Museum in Lincoln will celebrate the 1904 World’s Fair held in St. Louis on July 13. Hearthside will sponsor a two-part event which includes a special museum exhibition as well as an outdoor festival.

Kathy Hartley, President of the Friends of Hearthside, said, “What is remarkable is that all of the Fair’s 1,500 buildings were built as temporary structures and then demolished upon completion of the Fair. But, some were saved, having been purchased at the end of the Fair and re-purposed. The Rhode Island Pavilion was one such building. It was moved to a suburb of St. Louis, where it was reconstructed as a family home without many of its original architectural elements. Laura Murch Moran, who grew up in that relocated World’s Fair building, recently visited Hearthside and donated a significant part of their World’s Fair collection which will be exhibited at the event. She will also give a brief presentation about what it was like growing up there.”

Rhode Island’s Pavilion was a reproduction of Stephen Hopkins Smith’s mansion in Lincoln, now known as Hearthside. The design, selected after a contest among the state’s architects, was a re-creation of the colonial-style mansion.

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Exhibit and outdoor entertainment

During the event, visitors may take a self-guided tour through the historic house where an exhibit will be on display throughout the rooms. The exhibit will include photographic displays, interpretive panels, video presentation, and memorabilia. Hearthside’s volunteer staff will be wearing turn-of-the-century fashions.

There will be lively music and songs from the era performed by professional singer Brian DeLorenzo and the Greenwich Bay Brass Band. Historic magic acts by will be performed by RI magician Bruce Kalver.

There will also be amusements such as a juggling stilt walker, old-fashioned games of skill and chance for kids and adults, such as the strength striker bell, ring toss, bottle knock down, arcade type games as well as simple games like sack races, tug of war, and water balloon toss.

The event gets underway at 10:00 a.m. and will run till 6:00 p.m. Admission is $10/adults; $8/seniors; $5/ages 10-17; under 10 free. Fair foods will be available for purchase and vendors include Newport Creamery, Del’s Lemonade, Granny Squibbs Iced Tea.

The fundraising event is sponsored by the all-volunteer nonprofit organization Friends of Hearthside who operate the historic house as a museum. All proceeds benefit the continued preservation of this 200-year old house.

Hearthside House Museum is located at 677 Great Road in Lincoln. For more information, call 401-726-0597, email [email protected], or visit www.hearthsidehouse.org for detailed schedule of activities at the event.

25 Must Do's in RI this Summer

WaterFire

WaterPlace Park in downtown Providence.

Wood-burning fires blaze in 80 braziers above the center of three rivers that intersect in the downtown as eerie instrumental music pervades the air. Also, fire dancers, Arts Festival Plaza on Washington Street, The Phantom Boatman, and living gargoyles and the oracles at the World War I Monument in Memorial Park. Fires always are started exactly at sunset and burn until midnight.

Hearthside House Museum Celebrates 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair